Julian Fellow on Gay Story Le and Matthew Crawley's Death Downton Abbey |

THE MOST HAPPY FELLOWBEHD DOWNTON ABBEY, THE BRISH SERI ENTHRALLG VIEWERS ON BOTH SIS OF THE ATLANTIC, IS THE WORLD AS IMAGED BY JULIAN FELLOW: WISTFUL, SHARP-EYED OUTSIR AND DYED--THE-WOOL ARISTOCRATIC OBSERVER. VISG THE SHOW’S CREATOR—AS WELL AS S “BELOWSTAIRS” SET AND S UPSTAIRS, HIGHCLERE CASTLE—DAVID KAMP LEARNS HOW FELLOW FOUND HIS LLG, WHY THERE’S BEEN A DOWNTON ABBEY BACKLASH THE U.K., AND WHERE THE CRAWLEYS AND PANY ARE (OR AREN’T) HEAD SEASON THREE.BY DAVID KAMPNOVEMBER 8, 2012SAVE THIS STORYSAVESAVE THIS STORYSAVETO GO “BELOWSTAIRS” AT DOWNTON ABBEY, ONE DON’T ACTUALLY SCEND ANY STAIRS, BUT, RATHER, ENTERS TO A DRAFTY, WAREHOE-LIKE BUILDG AT EALG STUDS, WT LONDON. THIS IS WHERE MANY OF THE TERR SCEN FOR DOWNTON ABBEY, THE TV SHOW, ARE FILMED. ON AN AFTERNOON LAST SPRG, THE SET E WAS THE SERVANTS’ HALL. GATHERED AT A LONG, PLA DG TABLE FAIAR TO VIEWERS OF THE SERI WERE THE DASTARDLY FOOTMAN THOMAS, THE GLOWERG LADY’S MAID O’BRIEN, THE SATLY HEAD HOEMAID ANNA, AND ASSORTED LSER DDG THE EMPLOY OF THE CRAWLEY FAY. THEY WERE TALKG OVER TEA—PRSG AFTER A PARTICULARLY TRYG DAY 1920. BUT A ROOM AWAY, WATCHG ON A MONOR, JULIAN FELLOW SPOTTED SOMETHG AMISS.“LIZ,” HE SAID, ADDRSG LIZ TBRIDGE, ONE OF THE SHOW’S PRODUCERS, “WE’VE GOT TO GET THE GLASS OF WATER OFF THE TABLE. THEY’RE HAVG TEA. THEY WOULDN’T HAVE WATER THERE. A GLASS OF WATER IS A MORN THG.” THE WATER GLASS WERE REMOVED, AND THE SCENE, NOW MORE PERD-THENTIC, RUMED SHOOTG.BUT, HONTLY, WOULD HAVE MA MUCH DIFFERENCE? WHO, BIS FELLOW AND A FEW MONOCLED RELICS ATTUNED TO THE SAME I-SAY-OLD-BEAN EQUENCY, WOULD EVEN PICK UP ON THE ANACHRONISM OF WATER GLASS TERWAR BRA?THE ANSWER DON’T REALLY MATTER. FELLOW, AS THE CREATOR, -EXECUTIVE PRODUCER, AND WRER OF DOWNTON ABBEY, HAS EARNED THE RIGHT TO BE PARTICULAR. HIS SHOW, NOW S THIRD SEASON, IS A SMASH H S NATIVE BRA AND A GODSEND TO PUBLIC TELEVISN AMERI, WHERE HAS LIVERED PBS’S MASTERPIECE PROGRAM S LARGT-EVER VIEWERSHIP. (SEASON THREE BEGAN AIRG THE U.K. SEPTEMBER AND WILL START HERE ON JANUARY 6.) IT ULD BE ARGUED, FACT, THAT FELLOW’S PARTICULARY IS THE VERY THG THAT HAS PROPELLED THE DOWNTON PHENOMENON. RIGHT OM THE OPENG CREDS, WHICH AN UNSEEN SERVANT WANDS A CYLDRIL FEATHER DTER OVER THE CRYSTALS OF A CHANLIER AND A BUTLER HOLDS A LER ABOVE A PLACE SETTG TO ENSURE THAT THE FLATWARE IS SPACED PROPERLY, WE ARE WHISKED TO A WORLD THAT IS DISTCTLY BASED UPON THE SANCTY OF THE DONE THG.CORRPONDGLY, MUCH OF THE DRAMA OF DOWNTON ABBEY HG UPON THE GRAVE NSEQUENC OF THE MIS-DONE THG. IF A RASPBERRY-MERGUE PUDDG GO WRONG—MISTAKENLY FISHED WH A SPRKLE OF SALT RATHER THAN SUGAR—THEN THE DNER GUTS MT RETCH TERRIBLY AND THE OK MT BE SENT DOWN TO LONDON FOR RISKY TARACT SURGERY. IF THE ELST AND MOST ELIGIBLE DGHTER THE HOE HAS A SPONTANEO FLG WH A HANDSOME YOUNG TURKISH DIPLOMAT, THEN SHE MT SUFFER THE HORROR OF HAVG HIM EXPIRE HER BED, LEAVG HER TO BEAR THE BURN OF HHED-UP SNDAL, A BLOT UPON THE FAY NAME, AND, BY DT OF THE DAMAGE SHE HAS DONE TO HER MARRIAGE PROSPECTS, THE POTENTIAL UNRAVELG OF THE CRAWLEY WAY OF LIFE AS HAS BEEN KNOWN FOR GENERATNS.DOWNTON ABBEY IS ONLY THE LATT AND MOST SUCCSFUL ERATN OF FELLOW’S EXAMATN OF THE STATELY-HOME I, G THE WAKE OF HIS BREAKTHROUGH SCREENPLAY FOR ROBERT ALTMAN’S FILM GOSFORD PARK (2001) AND HIS NOVELS SNOBS (2004) AND PAST IMPERFECT (2009). ALL OF THE WORKS ARE THEMATILLY SIAR AND, TAKEN TOGETHER, FORM A SORT OF STAED NARRATIVE OF UPPER-CLASS ENGLISH LIFE THE 20TH CENTURY AND SLIGHTLY BEYOND. TO LOSE ONELF THEM IS TO BE TERRIFILLY ENTERTAED, YET ALSO TO BE KNOTTED UP WH SELF-NSCNS AND CLASS ANXIETY. IN PAST IMPERFECT, THE NARRATOR SCRIB THE DRAWG ROOM OF AN ARRIVISTE CHARACTER AS HAVG “THOSE OVER-SPRGY RPETS THAT HAVE BEEN TOO RECENTLY REPLACED. NOT THE SHAGPILE OF THE MTED CLUB OWNER, NOR THE FLAT AND ANCIENT GS OF THE POSH, BUT SMOOTH AND SPNG AND NEW.” Y, FELLOW IS THE SORT OF PERSON WHO PARS CLASS DIFFERENC EVEN ON THE BASIS OF RPET-PILE HEIGHT.A LATE BLOOMERSO, WAS WH SOME APPREHENSN THAT I MET FELLOW FOR THE FIRST TIME. UPON WHAT SORT OF TELLG TAIL WOULD HE SILENTLY RENR JUDGMENT? THE AYED CUFF OF A TRAVEL-WORN BLAZER? THE CUTICL NEVER TOUCHED BY A MANICURIST’S SCISSORS? THE VOWEL PRONUNCIATNS BETOKENG AN UPBRGG THE “WRONG” JERSEY?AS TURNS OUT, HE IS LIGHTFUL PANY: AN EASY, EXPANSIVE TALKER WHO, UNLIKE VLET, MAGGIE SMH’S WASPISH DOWAGER COUNTS DOWNTON, IS MORE APT TO DIRECT HIS ZGERS AT HIMSELF THAN AT OTHERS. HE’LL TELL YOU THAT, NOTWHSTANDG HIS GENTEEL APPEARANCE AND CHOICE OF SUBJECT MATTER, HE DID ATTEMPT TO GROW HIS HAIR LONG THE SHAGALIC OLD DAYS, BUT TURNED OUT “MORE SANDRA DEE THAN RA HAYWORTH.” HE WILL P TO STEREOTYPIL MAD-ENGLISHMAN BEHAVR, SUCH AS HIS HOSTG AND SPONSORSHIP, AT THE DORSET TATE HE OWNS WH HIS WIFE, EMMA, OF AN ANNUAL SUMMER RE OF SOUTH WT ENGLAND KNOWN AS DACHSHUND DAY. “TWO GROUPS BASILLY NVERGE ON OUR HOE,” HE SAID. “SER DACHSHUND TRAERS AND BREERS, AND THEN OUR IENDS AND THEIR DACHSHUNDS. WE HAVE RAC AND OBSTACLE URS, AND THE TRAED ON ALL GO THROUGH ABSOLUTELY TICKETY-BOO WHILE THE RT OF MAKE DO WH THREATS AND TREATS.”FELLOW IS 63, BALD, UNSVELTE, AND A LATE BLOOMER, HAVG FOUND HIS MéTIER AS A WRER ONLY AFTER THREE S AS A MIDDLG CHARACTER ACTOR. UNLIKE PARABLE TV TRS ON THE OTHER SI OF THE ATLANTIC, SUCH AS THE SOPRANOS’ DAVID CHASE AND *MAD MEN’*S MATTHEW WEER, HE PROJECTS NO GLOWG-GREEN OZ-HEAD RA. THOUGH A HAS PASSED SCE HE WON THE BT-ORIGAL-SCREENPLAY OSR FOR GOSFORD PARK, FELLOW STILL HAS THE FECT MERRIMENT OF THE NEWLY BLSED—THE PERSON WHO FEELS THAT, FALLY, FORTUNE HAS SED UPON HIM. HE EXULTS UNABASHEDLY THE EMMY LOVE THAT HIS PROGRAM GETS (16 NOMATNS THIS YEAR, AND A BT-SUPPORTG-ACTRS W FOR SMH) AND RELISH THE DOWNTON ABBEY PARODI THAT NEVER SEEM TO STOP MATERIALIZG, HIS FAVORE BEG YAHOO SCREEN’S VIRAL SHORT “DOWNTON ARBY’S.” (“SYBIL, PUT DOWN THOSE CURLY I THIS STANT!”)YET FELLOW IS ALSO PROUD ENOUGH TO MAKE CLEAR THAT HARD WORK AND OBSERVATNAL ACUY HAVE HAD AS MUCH TO DO WH WHERE HE’S GOTTEN AS GOOD FORTUNE. WHEN I BROUGHT UP TO HIM THE WHOLE ELABORATE BS ABOUT THE RPETG PAST IMPERFECT, HE DIDN’T LGH OFF BUT LNCHED TO A NSIRED MI-DISQUISN ON THE WAY HE WORKS. “I THK YOU MT DISTGUISH BETWEEN OBSERVATN AND JUDGMENT,” HE SAID. “I THK I HAVE A VERY TAILED SENSE OF OBSERVATN. I AM TERTED THE TAILS OF PEOPLE’S LIV AND WHAT RMATN THE TAILS GIVE. THE DIFFERENCE IS THAT, WHEN I WAS YOUNGER AND MORE SNOBBISH THAN I AM NOW, I WOULD HAVE MA A KD OF VALUE JUDGMENT, WHEREAS NOW, I WOULD NOT—I MIGHT HAVE AN FELY HIGHER OPN OF THE MTED CLUB OWNER WH THE SHAGPILE RPET THAN OF SOMEONE OF NO TELLECT OR ASPIRATN LIVG ON THE FLAT RPETS OF THE POSH. I DON’T OFTEN AGREE WH VANSA REDGRAVE, BUT SHE ONCE SAID, WHEN ACCED OF POLICIZG SOME EVENT, ‘EVERYTHG IS POLIL.’ AND, OF URSE, SHE’S RIGHT. EVERY TAIL IS RMATIVE. THERE IS ALMOST NOTHG YOUR HOE THAT DO NOT TELL SOMETHG ABOUT YOU. AND I AM ONE OF THE PEOPLE TELLS TO.”MOST POPULARGEIA REPUBLINS SAY THEY'LL MOVE TO REMOVE FULTON COUNTY DA FANI WILLIS FROM OFFICE WH NEW STATE LAWBY ERIC LUTZOUR FLAG MEANS DEATH SEASON 2: EXCLIVE FIRST LOOKBY SARAH CATHERALLHOW MK, THIEL, ZUCKERBERG, AND ANDRESEN—FOUR BILLNAIRE TECHNO-OLIGARCHS—ARE CREATG AN ALTERNATE, AUTOCRATIC REALYBY JONATHAN TAPLI GOT WHAT HE MEANT, BUT I’M NOT SURE IF FELLOW HAS GRADUATED PLETELY OM PASSG JUDGMENT. WE WERE HAVG THIS DISCSN OVER FFEE. A FEW MUT EARLIER, THERE HAD BEEN A MOMENT WHEN, OUT OF SHEER FORCE OF LIFELONG HAB, I LIFTED MY FFEE CUP BY THE BOWL, NOT THE HANDLE. DON’T THK HE DIDN’T CLOCK THIS, THE SLIGHTT VLET-ISH WCE OF “OH, AR” HIS EY.MASTER OF MELODRAMADOWNTON ABBEY HAS FLOOD JULIAN FELLOW WH OPPORTUNY, AND HE IS MAKG THE MOST OF . NEXT YEAR WILL SEE THE RELEASE OF HIS MOVIE ADAPTATN OF ROMEO AND JULIET, DIRECTED BY THE ITALIAN FILMMAKER CARLO CARLEI (WH DOUGLAS BOOTH AND HAILEE STEFELD THE LEADS), FOLLOWED AT SOME POT BY THE WT END PREMIERE OF HIS MIL-THEATER ADAPTATN OF KENH GRAHAME’S CHILDREN’S CLASSIC THE WD THE WILLOWS. HE IS ALSO AT WORK ON A BIG-SCREEN RENCEPTUALIZATN OF STEPHEN SONDHEIM AND ARTHUR LRENTS’S GYPSY—“REBOOT” IS TOO COMIC-CON A TERM FOR A ANCHISE THAT BEGAN WH ETHEL MERMAN—UNR THE AEGIS OF BARBRA STREISAND AND JOEL SILVER, WHO WILL PRODUCE THE FILM.FELLOW HAS BEE A DRAW BEE HE LIVERS, NSISTENTLY AND VERY SATISFACTORILY, AN OLD-FASHNED KD OF STORYTELLG—WHAT HE LLS “EMOTNAL NARRATIVE” AND WHAT MIGHT BE MOST ACCURATELY SCRIBED AS MELODRAMA. “I HAVE A PENCHANT FOR SOAP THAT RMS MY WORK,” HE SAID, CG SPECIFILLY HIS ABIDG LOVE OF BRA’S 52-YEAR-OLD SERIAL DRAMA CORONATN STREET. THERE ARE ASPECTS OF DOWNTON ABBEY THAT ARE UNABASHEDLY SOAPY: THE STAR-CROSSED ROMANCE OF THE VIRTUO ANNA AND THE GIMPY, CRAZY-EX-WIFE-TORMENTED, IMPOSSIBLY STOIC VALET, MR. BAT; THE FIANT ROMANCE BETWEEN SYBIL, THE YOUNGT CRAWLEY DGHTER, AND BRANSON, HER FATHER’S IRISH-MARXIST CHFFR; THE MIRACULO REVERY OF *DOWNTON’*S DASHG HEIR PRUMPTIVE, MATTHEW CRAWLEY, OM A SPAL WOUND CURRED THE BATTLE OF THE SOMME THAT WAS THOUGHT TO HAVE LEFT HIM PERMANENTLY PARAPLEGIC.MELODRAMA IS AN UNOL THG TO TRA THE DAYS, BUT THEN, THAT’S PRECISELY WHY DOWNTON ABBEY IS SO PLEASURABLE. IN S CLEAR LEATN BETWEEN THE GOODI AND THE BADDI, S REGULATED DOSAG OF HIGHS AND LOWS, THE SHOW IS WELE UNTER-PROGRAMMG TO THE SLOW-BURNG SPAIR AND MORAL AMBIGUY OF MOST QUALY DRAMA ON TELEVISN RIGHT NOW. MAD MEN, BREAKG BAD, HOMELAND—ALL ARE ABOUT PEOPLE WHO SUCCUMB TO THE DARKT, MOST TRANSGRSIVE ASPECTS OF THEIR NATURE. DOWNTON ABBEY, MEANWHILE, IS LARGELY ABOUT PEOPLE TRYG TO BE … GOOD. “THE APPEAL OF THE SHOW IS THAT, ON THE WHOLE, ’S SUFFICIENTLY PLITED FOR NOT TO BE THE WALTONS, BUT, AT THE SAME TIME, I THK THE WALTONS WAS A BIG H BEE THEY WERE VERY NICE,” FELLOW SAID. “AND I THK THAT OUR SHOW IS ABOUT NICE PEOPLE.”FELLOW WROTE THE PART OF ROBERT CRAWLEY, THE EARL OF GRANTHAM AND LORD OF THE MANOR, WH HUGH BONNEVILLE SPECIFILLY MD—“BEE,” HE SAID, “HUGH IS THAT RARE KD OF ACTOR WHO N MAKE NICENS TERTG.” IN HIS GENTLEMANLS AND MON CENCY, BONNEVILLE’S ROBERT MAY BE THE MOST RADIL LEADG-MAN ROLE ON TV THE DAYS: AN ANTI-ANTIHERO. BONNEVILLE, WHEN I SPOKE WH HIM, PRAISED FELLOW FOR WRG “THE KD OF SHOW VIEWERS N WATCH WH THEIR MAIN NT WHOUT HAVG TO WORRY ABOUT A SHOOT-OUT OR A SEXUAL Y BREAKG OUT.” BUT HE NTEND THAT THIS DON’T MAKE DOWNTON A PSYCHOLOGILLY UNSOPHISTITED PROGRAM. “ROBERT’S ENTIRE EXISTENCE IS PREDITED ON MANAGG THIS TATE. HIS DNA IS THE VERY BRICKS,” HE SAID. “IT’S A GREAT BURN TO HIM, THAT HE HAS THIS KNOWLEDGE THAT ’S ALL GOG TO CHANGE, THAT ISN’T STAABLE. SO THERE IS THAT BLACK DOG OF PRSN THAT IS NEVER FAR OM HIM.”INED, FOR ALL THE STUME-DRAMA ILLERY AND DREAMBOAT UPLGS OF YOUNG LOVERS THAT HAVE MA DOWNTON ABBEY A SURPRISE H WH TEENAGERS—MICHELLE DOCKERY’S LADY MARY AND DAN STEVENS’S MATTHEW CRAWLEY ARE THE BELLA-AND-EDWARD GIFT THAT PBS NEVER ANTICIPATED RECEIVG—THE OVERARCHG TONE OF THE SHOW IS MELANCHOLIC. THE VIEWER KNOWS THAT THIS ELYSIAN AGE OF GREAT HO STAFFED BY BATTALNS OF SERVANTS WILL NOT LAST PAST WORLD WAR II, AND FELLOW HAS VTED HIS CHARACTERS WH VARYG GRE OF AWARENS OF HOW DOOMED THEIR WAY OF LIFE IS. ROBERT HANGS ON QUIET SPERATN, OUTWARDLY UPHOLDG THE OLD WAYS WHILE WARDLY AT A LOSS FOR A VIABLE WAY FORWARD. HIS BUTLER, CARSON, MORE PROPRIETY-OBSSED EVEN THAN HIS EMPLOYER, “IS FIGHTG A REARGUARD BATTLE AGAST PROGRS,” SAID JIM CARTER, THE TALL, PORTLY, SLYLY ADPAN ACTOR WHO PLAYS HIM. “HE’S NIAL. HE THKS THAT, AS LONG AS EVERYTHG IS DONE PROPERLY, THAT’S THE ANSWER TO EVERYTHG.”DOCKERY’S LADY MARY, ON THE OTHER HAND, “IS NOT SETTG HER HEAD AGAST ANY NEW VELOPMENT, AND I THK, FOR THAT REASON, SHE HAS A CHANCE OF SURVIVAL,” SAID FELLOW, “WHEREAS EDH”—THE PLA MIDDLE DGHTER, A THANKLS ROLE SOMEHOW REALIZED WH APLOMB BY LRA CARMICHAEL—“IS SIMPLY RRIED ALONG BY THE RIVER AND WILL END UP WHEREVER LIFE TAK HER RATHER THAN WHERE SHE’S GONE.”SEASON THREE, SET OVER 18 MONTHS 1920 AND 1921, BRGS THE ISSUE OF THE LONG-TERM VIABILY OF LIFE AT DOWNTON OM SUBTEXT TO FOREONT. THE CRAWLEYS SUFFER A FANCIAL SETBACK, LOSG MOST OF THE FORTUNE THAT ROBERT GAED OM MARRYG A WEALTHY AMERIN WOMAN OF THE MERNTILE CLASS, LADY CORA (ELIZABETH MCGOVERN). WHILE ROBERT ETS, CORA RETAS AN AMERIN PRAGMATISM ABOUT SUCH THGS. “SHE HAS A LE, ‘WE MAY HAVE TO MOVE TO A SMALLER HOE, BUT WE DON’T HAVE TO GO DOWN A ME,’ ” FELLOW SAID. CORA’S MOTHER, MARTHA LEVSON, TURNS UP, TOO, PLAYED BY SHIRLEY MACLAE. WHEREAS MAGGIE SMH’S VLET IS PERPETUALLY NTEMPTUO OF ANYTHG THAT DO NOT NFORM TO THE MOR OF ENGLISH SOCIETY AS EXISTED 1865 (“DON’T BE FEATIST, AR—’S VERY MIDDLE-CLASS”), MARTHA IS PLETELY THE OPPOSE, FELLOW SAID, “EXCED THAT THE WORLD IS OPENG UP.”MOST POPULARGEIA REPUBLINS SAY THEY'LL MOVE TO REMOVE FULTON COUNTY DA FANI WILLIS FROM OFFICE WH NEW STATE LAWBY ERIC LUTZOUR FLAG MEANS DEATH SEASON 2: EXCLIVE FIRST LOOKBY SARAH CATHERALLHOW MK, THIEL, ZUCKERBERG, AND ANDRESEN—FOUR BILLNAIRE TECHNO-OLIGARCHS—ARE CREATG AN ALTERNATE, AUTOCRATIC REALYBY JONATHAN TAPLMARTHA REPRENTS HOW MONEY AND STAT WILL WORK GOG FORWARD. SHE WAS WELLBORN BUT NOT SPECTACULARLY SO— HER CREATOR’S MD, “HER FATHER HAD A PARTMENT STORE CCNATI, BUT JT ONE, NOT 33”—AND ACHIEVED GREAT WEALTH BY MARRYG HER LATE HBAND, MR. LEVSON, A JEWISH DRY-GOODS LNAIRE OF THE GILD AGE. (MARTHA IS NOT HERSELF JEWISH, AND CORA WAS RAISED EPISPALIAN, WHICH IS WHY, ALAS, WE NEVER SEE CARSON BUFFG A MENORAH OR A CHALLAH KNIFE.) FELLOW FDS MUCH TO ADMIRE THE SENSE OF POSSIBILY THAT AMERI HAS TO OFFER—“I LIKE PEOPLE WHO LOOK AT THE LIFE THEY WERE BORN TO AND THK, PHOOEY, I N DO BETTER THAN THIS!, AND JT TEAR UP,” HE SAID—BUT HE NOHELS MOURNS THE BREAKDOWN OF THE OLD HEREDARY ENGLISH MOL THAT KEPT A GRAND TATE A SGLE FAY’S POSSSN FOR CENTURI.AS SUCH, HE INTIFI WH ROBERT. “I THK I HAVE A SORT OF SYMPATHETIC MELANCHOLIA, AS OPPOSED TO A BLACK MELANCHOLIA,” HE SAID. “THE SADNS ABOUT THE SHOW IS THAT WE KNOW—RATHER LIKE A DISASTER MOVIE, WHERE YOU KNOW THERE’S GOG TO BE AN EARTHQUAKE—THAT THEY’RE PLANNG FOR THE NEXT HUNDRED YEARS, AND THEY’LL BE LUCKY IF THEY GET 20.”TORY, TORY, TORY!THAT ANYONE WOULD LAMENT THE CLE OF THE SSETED TOFFS AND THEIR THEDRAL-SIZE HOME IS A SOURCE OF SOME NTROVERSY BRA. DOWNTON ABBEY ENJOYED A HONEYMOON PERD WHEN FIRST BROKE BIG THE U.K., THE TUMN OF 2010, PULLG THE UNTRY TOGETHER AN OLD-TIME, SUNDAYS-ROUND-THE-WIRELS SORT OF WAY. BUT THE LOVE WAS NOT TO LAST, AT LEAST AMONG CRICS. BY SEASON TWO, THE KNIV WERE OUT. THERE WAS THE UNOLNS-OF-MELODRAMA FACTOR, AND THEN THERE WAS THE QUTN OF WHETHER, THE WAKE OF UPSTAIRS, DOWNSTAIRS AND BRISHEAD REVISED, THERE NEEDS TO BE, EVER AGA, ANY FILMED ENTERTAMENT THAT REVISS THE HEYDAY OF THE BRISH UPPER CLASS.WRG THE SUNDAY TIM LAST YEAR, A. A. GILL (ALSO A V.F. NTRIBUTG EDOR) LLED DOWNTON ABBEY “EVERYTHG I SPISE AND SPAIR OF ON BRISH TELEVISN: NATNAL TST SENTIMENTALY, STUMED FORT DRAMA THAT FLOGS AN EMBARRASSG, MEANG, AND BOG VISN OF THE PLACE I LIVE .”WE AMERINS, UNBURNED BY SUCH PLEX, ARE EE TO ENJOY DOWNTON ABBEY FOR WHAT IS RATHER THAN WISH WERE A KEN LOACH FILM ABOUT A B DRIVER. THE SHOW’S ST, FOR THEIR PART, MAKE THE ARGUMENT THAT DOWNTON, FAR OM BEG RETROGRA, IS STAG A NOBLE TRADN ENGLISH DRAMA. SAID CARTER, “GETTG ST AS CARSON, I DIDN’T THK, OH, A BLOODY BUTLER. I SEE AS RRYG ON AN INIC BRISH ROLE: ‘THE BUTLER DID ,’ WHAT THE BUTLER SAW, AND SO FORTH.” JOANNE FROGGATT, WHO PLAYS ANNA, NOTED THAT “DOWNTON IS NOT AN ADAPTATN, SO, UNLIKE SOMETHG LIKE PRI AND PREJUDICE OR MANSFIELD PARK, ’S A NEW STORY AND YOU DON’T KNOW WHERE ’S GOG. WE DON’T, EHER. NO ONE DO, EXCEPT JULIAN.” FURTHERMORE, ’S EVINT, PARTICULARLY THE SEND SEASON, THAT DOWNTON ABBEY DON’T UPHOLD THE CRAWLEYS’ LIFE AS A MOL FOR THE WAY FORWARD. WH THE WAR TRANSN, UPHEAVAL, AND NEW SOCIAL MOBILY, AS THE STORY LE OF SYBIL (JSI BROWN-FDLAY), WHO EMBRAC HER WORK AS A NURSE AND MARRI HER FATHER’S FORMER DRIVER (ALLEN LEECH), DIT.FELLOW IS, HIS PRIVATE LIFE, A DITED ADHERENT OF UPPER-CLASS TRADN AND THE CONSERVATIVE PARTY, AND THIS, PERHAPS MORE THAN THE NTENT OR SENTIMENTS OF DOWNTON ABBEY, IS WHAT IRKS HIS TRACTORS. HE WAS MA A TORY LIFE PEER JANUARY OF 2011, GIVG HIM A SEAT THE HOE OF LORDS AND THE TLE BARON FELLOW OF WT STAFFORD. HIS WIFE, EMMA KCHENER-FELLOW, IS BOTH A LADY--WAG TO PRCS MICHAEL OF KENT AND THE GREAT-GRANDNIECE OF THE FIRST LORD KCHENER, THE SWASHBUCKLG BRISH ARY LEAR AND STATMAN OF THE EDWARDIAN ERA WHOSE EXTRAVAGANTLY MTACHED VISAGE ADORNS THOSE FAMO YOUR COUNTRY NEEDS YOU RECMENT POSTERS. IN A NOD TO HIS WIFE’S STORIED HERAGE, FELLOW HAS AMEND HIS SURNAME SO THAT IS, OFFICIALLY, KCHENER-FELLOW.ALL OF THIS IS FELLOW’S PREROGATIVE, AND CERTALY THE ARTS HAVE HISTORILLY BEEN BIG ENOUGH TO ACMODATE POLILLY NSERVATIVE TRS OM FRANK CAPRA TO CLT EASTWOOD. STILL, TO THE PBS TOTE-BAG TOTERS FOR WHOM DOWNTON ABBEY IS THE IAL CLCHER TO A WEEKEND OF NPR’S WA WA … DON’T TELL ME! AND QUOA WH SLOW-ROASTED ROOT VEGETABL, MIGHT E AS A SURPRISE THAT BENEATH THE TWEED BLAZER OF THE JOLLY DOWNTON CHAP BEATS THE HEART OF A ZEALO CULTURE WARRR. FELLOW’S NOVELS MAKE HIS VIEWS EXPLIC. BOTH ARE NARRATED BY NAMELS FIGUR—AN ACTOR SNOBS, A WRER PAST IMPERFECT—WHO, THE THOR EELY GRANTS, ARE HIS SURROGAT. SNOBS, SET THE 1990S, IS THE STORY OF A SCHEMG LONDON BETY WHO HOOKS AN EARL NOT UNLIKE LORD GRANTHAM AND THEN GROWS RTLS HER NEW UNTRY LIFE. THROUGHOUT, THE NARRATOR STS THE EARL’S LAND, TLED FAY, THE BROUGHTONS, A FLATTERG LIGHT, AS THAT RARE BREED WH THE FORBEARANCE TO HAVE ENDURED THE TUMULT OF THE ICKY, MSY MIDDLE S OF THE 20TH CENTURY BEFORE ARRIVG AT “THE PARATIVELY SAFE SHOR OF MRS. THATCHER’S BRA.”MOST POPULARGEIA REPUBLINS SAY THEY'LL MOVE TO REMOVE FULTON COUNTY DA FANI WILLIS FROM OFFICE WH NEW STATE LAWBY ERIC LUTZOUR FLAG MEANS DEATH SEASON 2: EXCLIVE FIRST LOOKBY SARAH CATHERALLHOW MK, THIEL, ZUCKERBERG, AND ANDRESEN—FOUR BILLNAIRE TECHNO-OLIGARCHS—ARE CREATG AN ALTERNATE, AUTOCRATIC REALYBY JONATHAN TAPLPAST IMPERFECT, SET THE PRENT, IS MORE HEAD-ON S EDORIAL SLANT, AND NOT JT S SUAL ASIS ABOUT “LIBERAL TYRANNY” AND “THE NSTANT, MEDDLG TERVENTN OF THE STATE.” IN LATE MIDDLE AGE, THE NARRATOR IS SUMMONED TO THE ATHBED OF DAMIAN BAXTER, AN TRANGED ACQUATANCE OF IFFY PROVENANCE WHO, BACK THE LATE 1960S, SUATED HIMSELF TO THE BUTANTE SEASON—“BSI,” AS FELLOW LLS NVERSATN—OF AN UPPER-CLASS CLIQUE. DAMIAN FELL OUT DISASTROLY WH THIS GROUP, BUT NOT BEFORE SURREPTLY IMPREGNATG ONE OF S LADY MEMBERS, WHO LATER ANONYMOLY SENT HIM A BTER LETTER ABOUT HER WHOLE LIFE BEG A “LIVG LIE.” NOW DAMIAN IS EXTREMELY RICH, A SELF-MA, UNMARRIED TECH MAGNATE WHO WANTS TO LEAVE HIS FORTUNE TO HIS UNKNOWG HEIR. THE NARRATOR, DAMIAN’S EX-IEND, IS TALKED TO TRACKG DOWN THE VAR WOMEN THE OLD CLIQUE, GETTG THEIR STORI, AND FDG OUT HOW THEIR LIV TURNED OUT.TH DO PAST IMPERFECT EFFECTIVELY BEE A REFERENDUM ON WHAT THE 60S AND 70S DID TO FELLOW’S GENERATN. THE TWO GIRLS WHO MOST READILY EMBRACED THE ERA’S EE-SPIREDNS HAVE SUFFERED THE WORST OUT—ONE LIVG MEAGERLY THE STICKS WH A DOLT HBAND, NNG A HIPPIE FARMSTAND WH “A DISMAL, PATHETIC QUALY, LIKE SOMEONE EATG ALONE A PAPER HAT,” THE OTHER A AGILE BETY WHO SCEND TO A FATAL HERO ADDICTN.“WHAT I REMEMBER IS, OF THE 60S PEOPLE, THE ON WHO WENT ON BELIEVG WERE SUALTI,” SAID FELLOW, WHO DID THE BSI CIRCU THAT PERD JT AS *PAST IMPERFECT’*S NARRATOR DID, THEREBY GAG EXPOSURE TO THE UNTRY TAT AND FAY TRIGU ABOUT HERANC AND MARRIAGEABILY THAT WOULD SERVE HIM SO WELL LATER ON. “THE ON WHO REALLY THOUGHT THE WORLD HAD CHANGED AND WAS ALL GOG TO BE FLOWERS OUR HAIR— WAS HARD FOR THEM,” HE SAID. “BEE, BY THE 80S, WAS ABSOLUTELY CLEAR THAT ALMOST NOTHG HAD CHANGED, EXCEPT PEOPLE DIDN’T CHANGE FOR DNER. THAT WAS ABOUT .” FELLOW SISTS THAT THE STORY OF PAST IMPERFECT, LIKE THAT OF DOWNTON ABBEY, IS TOLD OM A VIEWPOT OF SYMPATHETIC MELANCHOLIA, OVER BOTH THE MISGUID AQUARIANS WHOSE DREAMS DIDN’T PAN OUT AND THE POSH STRAIGHTS WHO DIDN’T GET A FAIR SHAKE. OF THE LATTER GROUP, HE SAID, “I FEEL THAT THE PEOPLE FELL FOUL OF THE 1960S CULTURAL REVOLUTN. DURG THAT PERD, WAS CID THAT THEIR TRADNS HAD NOTHG TO REMEND THEM, THAT THEY WERE WHOLLY NEGATIVE TERMS OF A LIFE FORCE OR ANY KD OF THOUGHT-SHAPG FLUENCE.” BY THE 80S, THOUGH, TO FELLOW’S RELIEF, THE POSHOS “GOT TIRED OF BEG ASHAMED OF THEMSELV.” IT BEME ACCEPTABLE AGA TO BELONG TO AN EXCLIVE GENTLEMEN’S CLUB SUCH AS WHE’S AND TO DRS UP FE SUS RATHER THAN JEANS, “WHICH I TOOK TO BE A KD OF RE-ASSERTN OF PENNCE,” HE SAID. SOMETHG REMBLG ORR WAS RTORED—THOUGH NEVER AGA TO THE STANDARDS OF THE CARSONS AND ROBERT CRAWLEYS OM A FEW GENERATNS EARLIER.AN “INSI-OUTSI FEELG”LIKE MANY AN ASTUTE OBSERVER OF A PARTICULAR I, FELLOW GREW UP ON THE PERIPHERY OF HIS, WH, HE SAID, “A VERY SORT OF JUNR, MOR POSN WH THAT WORLD.” HIS FATHER, PEREGRE FELLOW, WAS A CIVIL ENGEER AND DIPLOMAT WHO WORKED FOR THE FOREIGN OFFICE AND LATER SHELL INTERNATNAL, THE OIL PANY. JULIAN, THE YOUNGT OF FOUR BOYS, WAS BORN WHILE PEREGRE WAS POSTED CAIRO. PEREGRE HAD LOST HIS OWN FATHER TO THE GREAT WAR 1915, WHEN HE WAS ONLY THREE YEARS OLD, AND SUBSEQUENTLY SPENT MUCH OF HIS CHILDHOOD BEG SHUNTED AROUND TO VAR GREAT-NTS WHILE HIS MOTHER, “A FAIRLY FECKLS CHARACTER,” FELLOW’S WORDS, RRIED ON WH HER ROMANTIC LIFE. ON THE ONE HAND, THIS STILLED PEREGRE “A RATHER MELANCHOLIC SENSE OF EXCLN OM HIS OWN WORLD,” HIS SON SAID. BUT, ON THE OTHER HAND, THE GREAT-NTS TOOK GOOD RE OF HIM AND HUNG AROUND LONG ENOUGH TO BEE A BIG PART OF JULIAN’S CHILDHOOD. THE ELST OF THEM, ISIE, IS THE MOL FOR MAGGIE SMH’S DOWAGER CHARACTERS BOTH GOSFORD PARK AND DOWNTON ABBEY.“AUNT ISIE HAD THIS SORT OF ACERBIC W, YET SHE WAS KD,” FELLOW SAID. “LOTS OF THOSE L MAGGIE HAS, LIKE ‘BOUGHT MARMALA! OH AR, I LL THAT VERY FEEBLE,’ AND ‘WHAT IS A WEEKEND?’—THEY ME STRAIGHT OM HER.”THE FELLOW WERE OF SUFFICIENTLY PROMENT STOCK FOR JULIAN’S BIRTH TO BE REGISTERED BURKE’S LAND GENTRY, ALBE NOT BURKE’S PEERAGE, THE TALOGUE OF THE OFFICIALLY TLED. “I THK I UGHT OM MY FATHER THIS SORT OF SI-OUTSI FEELG,” FELLOW SAID. TO THIS DAY, HE ADMTED, HE LACKS THE TE ARISTOCRAT’S “UNQUTNG ACCEPTANCE” OF HIS POSN SOCIETY, WHICH, HE SAID, IS THE KD OF THG “ONLY LEARNABLE CHILDHOOD. IT’S LIKE RIDG OR FRENCH—’S NEVER EASILY ACQUIRED LATER ON.”HIS TELLIGENCE GAED FELLOW ADMISSN TO MAGDALENE COLLEGE, CAMBRIDGE, 1966, AND HIS PERFORMG TALENT GOT HIM TO FOOTLIGHTS, THE UNIVERSY DRAMATIC CLUB THAT, SOME YEARS EARLIER, HAD PROVID A LNCHPAD FOR MONTY PYTHON’S JOHN CLEE, GRAHAM CHAPMAN, AND ERIC IDLE. FELLOW’S OWN CHOICE TO PURSUE ACTG PROFSNALLY WAS, GIVEN HIS BBG PROCLIVI AND GENERAL RISTANCE TO ALL THGS UNTERCULTURAL, “A VERY 70S CISN,” HE SAID. “BUT I WAS DOG A TIE—AND THAT WAS, I SUPPOSE, THE DIFFERENCE.”NEVER SUBJECT TO LNS OF HAVG LEADG-MAN LOOKS, FELLOW RVED OUT A CHARACTER NICHE FOR HIMSELF BRISH TELEVISN AND THEATER. “TWO THGS I DID, REALLY,” HE SAID. “I PLAYED HORRIBLE, RPT NSERVATIVE MISTERS MEL-HAIR ATS, OR I PLAYED LOVABLE SILLY ASS WHO FELL OVER.” THERE WAS A BRIEF PERD THE EARLY 80S WHEN HE MOVED TO LOS ANGEL TO TRY HIS LUCK AMERI, WH MIXED RULTS. HE NARROWLY MISSED OUT ON BEG ST AS RIRDO MONTALBáN’S REPLACEMENT SIKICK ON FANTASY ISLAND AFTER HERVé VILLECHAIZE WAS FIRED OM THE SHOW, BUT HE MANAGED TO LAND SUPPORTG ROL TWO MA-FOR-TV MOVI STARRG THE ERSTWHILE WONR WOMAN, LYNDA CARTER, OF WHOM HE RETAS FOND MEMORI.IN ONE OF THE MOVI, THE BPIC RA HAYWORTH: THE LOVE GODSS, FELLOW WAS ST AS THE CHFFR AND AMANUENSIS TO ALY KHAN, HAYWORTH’S THIRD HBAND; THE CHFFR ALSO SERV AS A NFIDANT TO THE TROUBLED HAYWORTH—PRECISELY THE KD OF SEXUALLY UNTHREATENG, SHOULR-TO-CRY-ON FIGURE THAT FELLOW HAD HIMSELF BEEN B CIRCL. AS LYNDA CARTER REMEMBERS , FELLOW ASSUMED THIS ROLE FOR HER REAL LIFE, TOO. “THAT WAS A VERY DIFFICULT TIME FOR ME, WH A LOT OF NER TURMOIL BEE MY FIRST MARRIAGE HAD JT BROKEN UP,” SHE SAID. “JULIAN WAS ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE YOU GRAVATED TOWARDS JT BEE HE WAS SO … NICE.”MOST POPULARGEIA REPUBLINS SAY THEY'LL MOVE TO REMOVE FULTON COUNTY DA FANI WILLIS FROM OFFICE WH NEW STATE LAWBY ERIC LUTZOUR FLAG MEANS DEATH SEASON 2: EXCLIVE FIRST LOOKBY SARAH CATHERALLHOW MK, THIEL, ZUCKERBERG, AND ANDRESEN—FOUR BILLNAIRE TECHNO-OLIGARCHS—ARE CREATG AN ALTERNATE, AUTOCRATIC REALYBY JONATHAN TAPLAFTER RETURNG TO ENGLAND, FELLOW MET THE PRETTY EMMA KCHENER, 15 YEARS HIS JUNR AND, AT SIX FEET, SEVERAL CH TALLER. THE TWO WERE MARRIED 1990 AND HAVE ONE CHILD, A 21-YEAR-OLD SON NAMED AFTER FELLOW’S FATHER, PEREGRE. A FORMIDABLE SOCIAL FORCE HER OWN RIGHT, EMMA IS, LERALLY, A TOWERG FIGURE ON THE CHARY CIRCU, ADMISTERG THE LORD KCHENER NATNAL MEMORIAL FUND, WHICH PROVIS LLEGE SCHOLARSHIPS TO THE SONS AND DGHTERS OF ARY PERSONNEL.EMMA ALSO SERV AS HER HBAND’S FACTO STORY EDOR. DOWNTON DON’T N ON THE AMERIN MOL, WH A BEEHIVE OF WRERS BATTG AROUND IAS AND DIVIDG UP THE WORK; FELLOW WR THE ENTIRE THG, WHICH, THIS G SEASON, MEANS SEVEN EPISOS, TWO OF WHICH (NUMBERS ONE AND SIX) ARE TWO HOURS LONG, WH THE FALE NNG 90 MUT. EMMA IS THE FIRST TO READ EACH SCRIPT, BEFORE GETS PASSED ON TO CARNIVAL FILMS, THE PRODUCTN PANY BEHD THE SHOW. “SHE DO A WHOLE TIER OF NOT,” SAID FELLOW, “AND I UALLY DO WHAT SHE SAYS.” ASKED WHAT SIGNIFINT NTRIBUTNS EMMA HAS MA TO DOWNTON ABBEY, HE DIDN’T HATE. “BAT’S BEG LAME,” HE SAID. “SHE SAID, ‘I THK YOU OUGHT TO HAVE A DISABLED CHARACTER.’ AND WAS BRILLIANT, BEE MEANT ROBERT HAD TO BE MUCH MORE VTED HIRG HIM. THEIR RELATNSHIP BEME MORE LAYERED.”THE SOCIETY OF DORSET MENINDTR AND PROLIFIC AS HE APPEARS, FELLOW PROCLAIMS HIMSELF A “CLOSET LAZY PERSON” AS A WRER, SOMEONE FOR WHOM THERE ARE DAYS WHEN “WHICH RADROP WILL MAKE DOWN THE WDOWPANE FIRST IS AN OBSSN.” HE IS NOT AN ALL-NIGHTER MAN; THE DOWNTON SCRIPTS ARE WRTEN NCENTRATED BURSTS WH THE NF OF CIVILIZED HOURS. ON A TYPIL WORKDAY AT HIS MANOR HOE DORSET (WHERE SCEN OM THE GWYH PALTROW MOVIE EMMA WERE FILMED; THE FELLOW ALSO MATA A FLAT LONDON NEAR SLOANE SQUARE), HE WILL TAKE HIS TIME WH BREAKFAST AND THE MORNG PAPERS, BEE, HE SAID, “WHEN I FLURRY THROUGH BREAKFAST, I FEEL AS THOUGH I NEVER TCH UP.” HE’LL WORK OM ABOUT 9:15 TO NOON, BREAK FOR LUNCH, AND THEN BARREL THROUGH TO 6 P.M., AT WHICH POT, HE SAID, “I TEND TO SLIGHTLY N OUT OF PUFF.” FOR ALL THEIR LATTER-DAY GRANTHAM-NS—EMMA WH HER CHARI, JULIAN WH HIS EXALTED POSN AS PRINT OF THE SOCIETY OF DORSET MEN, A LOL ASSOCIATN WHOSE MEETGS ARE ACPANIED BY WEDG OF CMBLY LOL CHEE, DORSET BLUE VNEY—THE UPLE, WHEN ON THEIR OWN, TYPILLY TAKE THEIR SUPPER AT HOME ONT OF THE TV. IT’S MORE ELEGANT THAN SOUNDS. “WE HAVE A SCREENG ROOM AND WE’RE NEVER OUT OF ,” FELLOW SAID. “IT’S VERY LUXUR, LIKE HAVG A TRAY A CEMA.”FELLOW’S REER SHIFT TOWARD WRG BEGAN THE 1990S, WHEN, THROUGH MUTUAL ACQUATANC, HE BEME IENDLY WH ILEEN MAISEL, AN AMERIN FILM EXECUTIVE WHO HAD MOVED TO LONDON TO OPEN PARAMOUNT PICTUR’ OFFICE THERE. “WE JT H OFF AND STARTED HAVG WEEKLY BREAKFASTS AT CLARIDGE’S,” SHE SAID. “JULIAN HAD THE TIME BACK THEN BEE HE WASN’T MAND.” MAISEL WAS TRYG, WH SOME GREE OF TRATN, TO VELOP JOHN FOWL’S NOVEL DANIEL MART TO A MOVIE FOR ANTHONY HOPKS TO STAR . IN DISCSG HER TRAVAILS WH FELLOW, SHE DISVERED, SHE SAID, THAT “JULIAN WAS SMARTER THAN ANY OF THE WRERS I WAS WORKG WH,” POSSSG BOTH “A PTH OF KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THE BOOK AND AN ABILY TO REGURGATE ASPECTS OF THE BOOK A MERCIAL WAY.”THE DANIEL MART PROJECT NEVER ME TO PASS, BUT LEFT MAISEL WH AN STCT ABOUT FELLOW’S LATENT SCREENWRG ABILI. SHE TALKED HIM UP TO HER IEND BOB BALABAN, THE ACTOR AND OCSNAL DIRECTOR-PRODUCER, WHEN THEY WERE WORKG ON AN ADAPTATN OF THE ETACE DIAMONDS, ONE OF ANTHONY TROLLOPE’S VICTORIAN-ERA SOCIETY NOVELS. THAT PROJECT, TOO, LANGUISHED, BUT, SAID BALABAN, “JULIAN TOOK A RATHER ERT DRAFT OF THE NOVEL THAT SOMEONE ELSE HAD DONE, AND THE THG THAT HE HAND BACK TO LEAPT OFF THE PAGE. I NEVER FOT HIM.”AT THE TURN OF THE LENNIUM, BALABAN PERSUAD ROBERT ALTMAN TO LLABORATE WH HIM ON A FILM THAT, THEORY, SOUND MORE MERCHANT IVORY-IENDLY THAN A F FOR THE DIRECTOR OF NASHVILLE AND MCCABE & MRS. MILLER: AN AGATHA CHRISTIE-TYPE MYSTERY WHICH A BUNCH OF RICH PEOPLE GATHER AT AN ENGLISH UNTRY TATE CIR 1930 AND SOMEONE IS MURRED. ALTMAN LIKED THE IA OF SUBVERTG THE NVENTNS OF A CLAPPED-OUT OLD GENRE, BUT NEHER HE NOR BALABAN KNEW MUCH ABOUT UNTRY HO, SHOOTG PARTI, AND THE LIKE. “SO I GOT JULIAN A ROOM WH ROBERT,” BALABAN SAID, “AND JULIAN STARTS TALKG, AND HE KNOWS EVERYTHG THAT HAPPENS A BRISH HOE OF THAT KD. BOTH BOB AND I WERE FLOORED.” ON THE WRONG SI OF 50, AT LEAST DTRY TERMS, FELLOW HAD WON HIS FIRST SCREENWRG JOB, WH ONE OF THE BT DIRECTORS THE HISTORY OF THE MEDIUM.“I AM THAT RARE PERSON WHO OW EVERYTHG TO ONE GUY, AND THAT GUY IS BOB ALTMAN,” FELLOW SAID. “HE FOUGHT THE STUD TO KEEP ME ON, AND HE NEVER ONCE SAID, ‘THIS IS MY 18TH FILM AND I’M A WORLD-FAMO DIRECTOR. WHO THE SAM HILL ARE YOU?’ IT WAS JT TWO OVERWEIGHT MEN TALKG AND OCSNALLY ARGUG.”THAT THE TOKG, ANARCHY-FOSTERG MAVERICK TR WORKED SO HARMONLY AND UFULLY WH THE NECKTIED MONARCHIST IS A TTAMENT TO THE CHARACTER OF BOTH MEN. “I DON’T FALL TO THE TRAP OF THKG THAT PEOPLE WHO DISAGREE WH ME POLILLY ARE BAD PEOPLE, AND NEHER DID HE,” FELLOW SAID. “AND WHERE I WAS VERY, VERY LUCKY WAS THAT, BEE BOB WAS SUCH A RPECTED DIRECTOR, AND HE HAD NEVER DIRECTED A BRISH FILM, AND HE WAS HIS 70S, THE ACTORS HERE KNEW THAT, IF THEY WANTED TO BE AN ALTMAN FILM, THIS WAS PROBABLY . SO I, AS A FIRST-TIME-OUT, WAS HAVG EVERY PART I’D WRTEN PLAYED BY ONE OF THE BT ACTORS BRA”—THE PLAYERS CLUD NOT ONLY DAME MAGGIE BUT MICHAEL GAMBON, HELEN MIRREN, DEREK JABI, KRISTEN STT THOMAS, CLIVE OWEN, EY WATSON, JEREMY NORTHAM, KELLY MACDONALD, AND STEPHEN FRY.ALTMAN’S OUTLOOK LENT GOSFORD PARK A HARDNS THAT DOWNTON DON’T HAVE—“A RECKLS, ALMOST NTEMPORARY FEEL,” AS BALABAN PUT —AND FELLOW SAID THAT IF HE HAD TO DO ALL OVER AGA HE WOULD MAKE THE FILM’S LORD-OF-THE-MANOR CHARACTER, A LOATHSOME LETCH PLAYED BY GAMBON, MORE SYMPATHETIC, JT THE SLIGHTT B MORE LORD GRANTHAM-ISH. NOT THAT HE HAS ANY PLATS ABOUT ANY ASPECT OF THE GOSFORD EXPERIENCE, WHICH CULMATED HIS TAKG HOME THE FILM’S ONLY AMY AWARD.IN FACT, SAID GARETH NEAME, THE MANAGG DIRECTOR OF CARNIVAL FILMS AND ONE OF *DOWNTON’*S EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS, “JULIAN WAS VERY, VERY WARY OF RETURNG TO THE TERRORY OF GOSFORD PARK WHEN I FIRST APPROACHED HIM, BEE HAD BEEN SUCH A TURNG POT.” IN BROAD TERMS, THE ORIGAL IA FOR DOWNTON ABBEY WAS NEAME’S: TO DO A LATE-EDWARDIAN-PERD SERIAL DRAMA BEE, HE SAID, “THE SETTG OF A UNTRY HOE IS A VERY GOOD PRECCT TO BUILD A TV SHOW AROUND, LIKE A HOSPAL OR A WORKPLACE.” JT A FEW WEEKS AFTER HE PERSUAD FELLOW TO AT LEAST GIVE THE IA A WHIRL, FELLOW ME BACK WH THE FIRST SEASON MORE OR LS ENTIRELY MAPPED OUT.TEA THE LIBRARYTO GO “ABOVTAIRS” AT DOWNTON ABBEY, ONE TAK A 50-MUTE TRA RI WT OF LONDON TO THE UNTY OF HAMPSHIRE, FOLLOWED BY A 10-MUTE B RI TO HIGHCLERE CASTLE, THE FICTNAL GREAT HOE’S VAST, IMPOSG STAND-. HIGHCLERE WAS SIGNED THE 1830S BY SIR CHARL BARRY, THE ARCHECT ALSO RPONSIBLE FOR THE HO OF PARLIAMENT, WH WHICH SHAR A SAND-LORED STONE EXTERR AND POTY GOTHIC REVIVAL TURRETS. SCE THE 1740S, A HOME ON THIS PROPERTY HAS BEEN THE FAY SEAT OF THE EARL OF CARNARVON. THE FIFTH EARL, AN EGYPTOLOGY ENTHIAST NAMED GEE HERBERT, IS FAMO FOR HAVG UNRWRTEN AND ACPANIED THE ARCHAEOLOGIST HOWARD CARTER WHEN THE LATTER DISVERED THE TOMB OF TUTANKHAMEN, 1922. THE CURRENT EARL OF CARNARVON, 56-YEAR-OLD GEORDIE HERBERT, IS THE EIGHTH.HIS WIFE, THE COUNTS OF CARNARVON, KNOWN TO TIMAT AS FNA, MET ME FOR TEA THE LIBRARY, WHICH STANDS FOR LORD GRANTHAM’S LIBRARY AND APPEARS EXACTLY AS DO ON TELEVISN. (SAID FELLOW, “TO REPRODUCE THE LIBRARY AT HIGHCLERE OUT OF HIRED PROPS, WE’D SPEND THE BUDGET FOR AN ENTIRE SERI ON ONE ROOM.”) LADY CARNARVON, IENDLY AND UNPRETENT, WAS DRSED A LONG GRAY RDIGAN, TRAFFIC-NE-ORANGE JEANS, AND HER 13-YEAR-OLD SON’S BRIGHT-BLUE SNEAKERS. SHE AND THE EARL ARE GOOD IENDS WH THE KCHENER-FELLOW AND HAVE EQUENTLY HAD THEM OVER AS HOEGUTS. AS FAR BACK AS THE GOSFORD PARK DAYS, SHE SENSED FELLOW SNNG AND OGLG THE HOE, SCTIZG FOR BOTH S NARRATIVE AND FILMIC POSSIBILI. “WE LOST OUT ON GOSFORD,” LADY CARNARVON SAID, “BUT SOME WAYS DOWNTON, AS A SERI, IS STRONGER FOR TERMS OF LONG-TERM MARKETG.”THIS IS THE REALY OF MATAG AN ENGLISH MANOR HOE THE 21ST CENTURY: HAVG A SOLID LONG-TERM MARKETG STRATEGY. FELLOW NOTED THAT EVEN IF, AS THE VIEWERS WISH, MARY AND MATTHEW WERE TO TIE THE KNOT AND KEEP DOWNTON ABBEY CRAWLEY HANDS WOULD BE ON THEIR WATCH, OR PERHAPS THEIR CHILDREN’S, THAT THE FAY WOULD SUCCUMB TO THE EVABLE AND START RENTG THE PLACE OUT AS “A VENUE FOR MARRIAG.”HIGHCLERE IS ED AVAILABLE FOR WEDDGS; WHE RECEPTN TENTS WERE BEG ERECTED THE RAY FIELDS AT THE VERY TIME I PAID MY VIS. IT IS ALSO, DURG THE SUMMER MONTHS, OPEN TO VISORS OM SUNDAY TO THURSDAY—A BOON TO THE MANY ANGLOPHILIC DOWNTON PILGRIMS OM OVERSEAS, FOR WHOM SEEG THE PLACE WHERE MARY PH MATTHEW A WHEELCHAIR IS AK TO VIEWG ELVIS’S GRAVE AT GRACELAND. LADY CARNARVON IS CHEERFULLY PRAGMATIC ABOUT ALL THIS. SHE ACTIVELY MPAIGNED FOR CARNIVAL AND ITV, THE MERCIAL CHANNEL ON WHICH DOWNTON AIRS BRA, TO E HIGHCLERE THE SHOW. “JULIAN WROTE FOR HERE, BEE HE KNOWS THE HOE,” SHE SAID. “HE HAS EXPERIENCED THE NORMAL WEEKEND PARTY HERE. HE KNOWS HOW THE ROOMS WORK, HOW THE DOORS WORK—BEE, A SENSE, THE MA ACTN IS WALKG THROUGH DOORS.”THE DOWNTON BOOST HAS ASSURED THE CARNARVONS THAT THEY N NTUE TO FANCE THE UPKEEP AND IMPROVEMENT OF HIGHCLERE, MUCH OF WHICH HAD FALLEN TO DISREPAIR UNR PREV EARLS. IT ISN’T SO MUCH THE TV MONEY THAT HELPS—“THE E OM A DAY’S SHOOTG PROBABLY WON’T EVEN PAY FOR MY PPUCCO,” LADY CARNARVON SAID—AS THE PLATFORM THE SHOW PROVIS FOR TOURISM AND ANCILLARY PROJECTS. LADY CARNARVON HAS ALREADY PUBLISHED ONE WELL-RECEIVED BOOK ABOUT THE STLE’S EDWARDIAN YEARS, LADY ALMA AND THE REAL DOWNTON ABBEY, AND IS AT WORK ON ANOTHER HISTORIL BOOK, A HIGHCLERE OKBOOK (ALBE, DISAPPOTGLY, NOT THE MRS. PATMORE COOKBOOK), AND A PRODUCT LE OF HIGHCLERE BATH SOAPS AND HOEHOLD GIFTS. LADY VLET’S PLUMED HEAD WOULD NO DOUBT WOBBLE ON S BASE DISAPPROVAL, BUT, THE DAYS, A HOME N NO LONGER BE JT A HOME.WHEN THE DOORBELL MA S BRRRG-BRRRG SOUND, DITG THAT MY B HAD ARRIVED AND WAS TIME FOR ME TO LEAVE HIGHCLERE, WAS NOT A LATTER-DAY CARSON BUT LADY CARNARVON HERSELF WHO HOPPED TO HER FEET, OPENED THE ONT DOOR TO GREET THE DRIVER, AND, THE VERY SPOT ON THE PEBBLED DRIVE WHERE THE FOOTMEN STAND AT ATTENTN ON TELEVISN, BA ME GOOD-BYE.REALY TELEVISNPEOPLE WH HO AND TL, FELLOW MATAS, ARE DUTIFUL, NSTCTIVE MEMBERS OF SOCIETY. “THEY ACCEPT THAT, IF THEY ARE TO HAVE THIS POSN, THEY HAVE TO JTIFY ,” HE SAID. “NOT BY VENTG THE WHEEL BUT BY TAKG ON RPONSIBILY AND DOG THEIR STUFF. POPULAR FICTN NEEDS THE PEOPLE TO BE HORRIBLE RATS, LIVG THEIR STL. BUT THE REALY OF IS THAT MOST OF THE ON I’VE EVER E ACROSS—THE NICE ON AND THE NOT-SO-NICE ON—ALL FEEL THAT THEY HAVE TO DO THEIR STUFF AS A SORT OF EXPRSN OF WHO THEY ARE.”TTH, FELLOW’S VIEW, IS NICER THAN FICTN. “MY OWN BELIEF,” HE SAID, “IS THAT MOST PEOPLE ARE TRYG TO DO THEIR BT. IT DON’T MEAN THEY HAVE NO NASTY SI, OR THAT THEY DON’T HAVE A BAD TEMPER, OR THAT THEY HAVE NEVER DONE ANYTHG THEY FEEL ASHAMED OF. BUT FICTN OPERAT ON PEOPLE WAKG UP TRYG TO BE HORRIBLE, AND I DON’T THK MOST PEOPLE ARE TRYG TO BE HORRIBLE.”DOWNTON ABBEY IS, EFFECTIVELY, THIS BELIEF PUT TO PRACTICE. IN THE NEW SEASON, EVEN THE SHOW’S MOST VILLAO CHARACTER, THOMAS, PLAYED BY ROB JAM-COLLIER THROUGH RPSE-LD EY AND BLUISH CURLS OF CIGARETTE SMOKE, SHOWS A SOFTER SI. “FOR ME, THE FACT THAT THOMAS IS GAY MAK HIM SLIGHTLY SYMPATHETIC,” FELLOW SAID, “BEE BEG GAY THAT PERD WAS A CRIME. HIS NASTS IS HIS WAY OF REVENGG HIMSELF ON A WORLD THAT HAS ALT WH HIM UNJTLY.”WHOUT GETTG TO SPECIFICS, FELLOW EXPLAED THAT “THOMAS HAS A DIFFERENT SHAKE THE THIRD SERI A B,” AND THAT HIS HOMOSEXUALY, WHICH DIDN’T FIGURE MUCH TO SEASON TWO, HAS SOMETHG TO DO WH .THE NEW SEASON OF DOWNTON ABBEY, S CREATOR SAID, “HAS RONANCE WH TODAY, THAT ’S ABOUT FALLOUT: SOCIETY TRYG TO SEE IF N STILL WALK AFTER S LEG WAS BROKEN.” THE 20S HAVE ARRIVED, BUT THEY DO NOT YET ROAR; AS FELLOW SAID WH CHARACTERISTIC THORY AND PRECISN, “THE YEAR OF THE CHARLTON WAS ’26.”HOW MUCH LONGER THE PROGRAM SELF WILL NTUE IS UNROLVED. ONE THG FELLOW IS CERTA OF IS THAT HE DON’T WANT THE PLOT TO RRY OVER TO WORLD WAR II, WHICH HE FEELS IS WELL-TROD TERRORY. GOSFORD PARK WAS VERY REFULLY SET NOVEMBER 1932, HE SAID, “BEE BOB ALTMAN DIDN’T WANT CHRISTMAS AND NEHER OF WANTED THE NAZIS.”THERE WILL FELY BE A FOURTH SEASON AND PROBABLY A FIFTH, BUT KG A SHOW FOR ALL ’S WORTH IS NOT THE TENTN. “WHAT WE DON’T WANT,” FELLOW SAID, “IS TO GO TOO FAR AHEAD AND HAVE THE ACTORS DOG WOBBLY-STICK ACTG WH TALCUM POWR THEIR HAIR.” IT WOULDN’T BE, HE MIGHT HAVE OBSERVED, THE DONE THG.DAVID KAMP
THE GILD AGE GIV DOWNTON ABBEY FANS A DOSE OF AMERIN OPULENCEJULIAN FELLOW OFFERS UP ANOTHER GUILTY-ISH GLIMPSE OF LUDICRO WEALTH.BY RICHARD LAWSONJANUARY 20, 2022PHOTO BY ALISON COHEN ROSA/HBO MAXSAVE THIS STORYSAVESAVE THIS STORYSAVEWE ALL LOVED DOWNTON ABBEY. OR AT LEAST MANY OF WERE ENTHRALLED BY JULIAN FELLOW’S SOAPY MAIDS-AND-MANOR-BORNS DRAMA, A SURPRISE SMASH H THAT RAN FOR SIX SEASONS AND SPAWNED A MOVIE, WH ANOTHER ON THE WAY. BUT THERE WAS A BIG PROBLEM WH THE SHOW, ONE THAT WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO PE: NOT ENOUGH AMERINS! CORA, THE YANKEE HEIRS WHO MARRIED TO BRISH ARISTOCRACY, WAS PRETTY MUCH . BUT EVERYONE, EVERYWHERE, WANTS TO SEE MORE AMERINS THGS, WHICH IS WHY FELLOW HAS SOUGHT TO RECTIFY THE ISSUE.HE’S DONE SO WH THE GILD AGE (HBO, JANUARY 24), A NEW SERI ABOUT THE WORLD CORA LEFT BEHD TO MOVE ACROSS THE OCEAN. IT’S 1880S NEW YORK CY, WHERE OLD, PRE-REVOLUTNARY MONEY MGL, AND CLASH, WH THE GDY ARRIVIST MA FABULOLY RICH BY STEEL AND RAILROADS AND OTHER THGS THAT LURCHED THE PLA TO THE MORN ERA. IT IS BOTH PREQUEL, OF A SORT, AND PLEMENT TO DOWNTON ABBEY, MORE NCERNED WH LARGER SYSTEMS OF INDTRIAL AGE WEALTH AND PRIVILEGE THAN WH ONE LORDLY FAY. THAT’S FASCATG, AND DAMNG, HISTORY TO EXPLORE. BUT FELLOW ISN’T ONE TO DO TOO MUCH CRIL VTIGATN OF THE LAVISHNS HE SO ADOR. SO THE GILD AGE IS MOSTLY OTH AND LIGHT, A B OF PARLOR TRIGUE THAT FLS BY ENTERTAGLY AND WHOUT MUCH NSEQUENCE. THAT MAK MUCH LIKE DOWNTON ABBEY, THOUGH THAT SERI DID VEER TO HEAVY MELODRAMA ON OCSN.IN THE FIVE GILD AGE EPISOS I’VE SEEN, SUCH ATH OR MISERY ONLY BARELY OCCURS. THE MA TENSN OF THE SERI IS BETWEEN THE OLD MONEY VAN RHIJN FAY AND THE RSELLS, NEW MONEY RAILROAD TYONS WHO’VE MOVED TO A RECENTLY BUILT PALACE ACROSS THE STREET. ORPHANED AND PENNILS, YOUNG MARIAN BROOK (LOUISA JABSON) TO LIVE WH HER NTS AGN (CHRISTE BARANSKI) AND ADA (CYNTHIA NIXON), CUR ABOUT CENTRAL PARK EAST SOCIETY BUT SKEPTIL OF , TOO. AGN MARRIED TO THE VAN RHIJN FAY TO SAVE HERSELF AND HER SISTER OM , AND JEALOLY GUARDS THEIR FORTABLE PLACE THE CY’S HIERARCHY; SHE IS TERMED THAT MARIAN MARRY REFULLY AND WELL. ON THE RSELL SI OF THGS, CARRIE COON PLAYS AMB CLIMBER BERTHA, WIFE TO THLS ROBBER BARON GEE (MAN SPECTOR). SHE IS ROUTELY SHUNNED BY WOMEN LIKE AGN, WHO SEE BERTHA’S AMBN AND OPULENT LIFTYLE AS GDY TERLOPG. FELLOW IS EPLY VTED THIS NFLICT; EPISO AFTER EPISO SE BERTHA TRY AND FAIL TO BREAK TO THE NER CIRCLE OF MRS. ASTOR’S FOUR HUNDRED WHILE AGN AND OTHERS TURN UP THEIR NOS, OR WORSE. THE REPETN MAY GROW A B TIROME, BUT COON AND BARANSKI ARE MAGIC ENOUGH TO KEEP VTED.FELLOW TRI TO WORK SOME MORE PROBG SOCIAL MENTARY WH A CHARACTER, PEGGY, PLAYED BY DENéE BENTON. RACE WAS HARDLY MENTNED ON DOWNTON ABBEY, WHEREAS THE NEW WORLD OF THE GILD AGE PROV UNAVOIDABLE. PEGGY IS TED AND CLEVER, AN ASPIRG WRER. SHE SOON FDS HERSELF WORKG AS AGN’S SECRETARY (AGN WR A LOT OF LETTERS) AND BE THE EQUENT PANN AND NFIDANT OF MARIAN. AS A BLACK WOMAN A STRGENTLY WHE ENVIRONMENT, PEGGY IS CERTALY AN OUTSIR, AND IS TREATED AS SUCH BY SOME. BUT THE GILD AGE IS TOO NCERNED WH GENTILY TO GO HARD ON PEGGY’S OTHERNS AND ALIENATN. HER WELL-HEELED PARENTS, PLAYED BY AUDRA MACDONALD AND JOHN DOUGLAS THOMPSON, ARE MORE DISAPPROVG OF PEGGY’S ENTREE TO THIS UPTOWN ESYSTEM (THEY LIVE AMONG BLACK SOCIETY BROOKLYN) THAN ARE THE PEOPLE WH , WHICH DON’T RG QUE RIGHT. PEGGY’S CHOICE IS AMED AS A BRAVE AND PENNT ONE, AS IF IS ONLY NATURAL THAT SOMEONE SHOULD CRAVE CLOSENS TO THIS GLOWG NEX OF POWER.THAT ARHMETIC SEEMS A LTLE OFF, BUT AS THE SERI GO, PEGGY’S MANVERG OF HER BIFURTED LIFE GROWS MORE PLEX AND TERTG. MY HOPE IS THAT HER ARC IS ACTUALLY RRYG HER AWAY OM ALL THIS OLIGARCHIC AWFULNS, NOT TRYG TO GRATIATE HER TO . AS WAS TE OF DOWNTON ABBEY, THERE IS A MA-ISH GAY CHARACTER ON THE GILD AGE, ONCE AGA A MOSTLY CLOSETED SCHEMER AND HALF VILLA—BEE, I SUPPOSE, FELLOW IS GOG TO FELLOW. THIS CHARACTER AT LEAST IS SHOWN MOMENTS OF TIMACY WH ANOTHER MAN, GNIZANT THAT HE MT MARRY A WOMAN TO KEEP UP APPEARANC, BUT STEADFASTLY TERMED TO MATA HIS DISCREET LIFTYLE ALL THE WHILE. IS THAT PROGRS? MAYBE, THOUGH I HOPE HE DON’T GET STUCK THE SAME EDDY OF SECRECY AND NNIVG THAT TRAPPED DOWNTON’S THOMAS. MOST POPULAROUR FLAG MEANS DEATH SEASON 2: EXCLIVE FIRST LOOKBY SARAH CATHERALLNEW ON NETFLIX: SEPTEMBER 2023'S BT NEW MOVI & SHOWSBY CHRIS MURPHYFLORENCE PUGH SAYS CHRISTOPHER NOLAN “APOLOGIZED” FOR HER SMALL OPPENHEIMER ROLEBY SAVANNAH WALSHTHOMAS WAS A SERVANT OF THE TATE, PART OF THE DOWNSTAIRS HALF OF THE ENSEMBLE. THE GILD AGE ISN’T SO EQUALLY DIVID, THOUGH THERE ARE A VAST NUMBER OF DOMTIC CHARACTERS WHO BTLE AND OUT OF EPISOS ON THEIR OWN LTLE PLOT URS. THEY ARE, ALMOST TO A PERSON, PLAYED BY BIG NAM OM THE NEW YORK THEATER WORLD OF TODAY, ONE OF THE PLEASUR OF WATCHG A SHOW THAT’S BEEN ST BY BERNIE TELSEY. MOST OF THE ENTIRE TROUPE, HAV AND HAVE-NOTS, IS MA UP OF ACTORS YOU MIGHT HAVE SEEN ON BROADWAY OR OFF, ALL TUCKG TO SOME CHY TV WORK WH ELAN. MICHAEL CERVERIS AND DEBRA MONK ARE HOEHOLD STAFF! KATIE FNERAN AND KELLI O’HARA ARE MEAN-GIRL ENEMI OF CARRIE COON! DONNA MURPHY IS MRS. ASTOR! AND SO ON AND SO ON. I DOUBT MY EXCEMENT ABOUT THOSE FOOTLIGHT NOTABL WILL BE SHARED BY THE MAJORY OF THE PEOPLE WATCHG THE SHOW, BUT THE THEATER EASTER EGGS ARE CERTALY THERE FOR THOSE WHO RE TO ENJOY. SIMPLE ENJOYMENT IS ALL ONE N REALLY GLEAN OM THIS SERI. THE GILD AGE IS NOT SEEKG TO PAT A HORRIFYG PORTRA OF AMERIN PLUTOCRACY, NOR IS OFFERG ANY SORT OF SEARCHG TREATISE ON THE EQUI OF RACISM, SEXISM, AND HOMOPHOBIA. THOSE SOCIAL ILLS ARE THERE—MORE THAN WDOW DRSG, LS THAN FOC—BUT THE MA DRIVE OR TENT OF THE GILD AGE IS TO TILLATE LIKE A GOOD GOSSIP SSN MIGHT. TO MAKE THE DIENCE FEEL THE GIDDY TGLE OF WHISPERED SNDAL, TO BE LULLED BY THE FORMALY OF UPPER CST M. IF THAT STUFF DIDN’T WORK FOR YOU WHEN DOWNTON REIGNED SUPREME, LIKELY WON’T AGA WHEN THE GILD AGE ARRIV ON MONDAY. AND THAT’S JT FE. THOSE NOT TERTED ARE PROBABLY BETTER OFF—AND MAYBE EVEN MORALLY SUPERR—FOR NOT FALLG PREY TO THE FANTASI OF WEALTH, THE SYMPATHETIC PICTNS OF PAMPERED IDTS WHO HAVE NOTHG BETTER TO DO THAN ET OVER WHO GETS VED TO A LUNCHEON. BUT IF YOU ARE LOOKG FOR THE IMMERSIVE DISTRACTN OF A TRIP TO THE WELL-APPOTED CLIM OF YTERYEAR, THE GILD AGE SERV THAT UP WH EAGER LARGSE. CONSUMG THE RICH ISN’T QUE EATG THEM, BUT ’LL DO UNTIL THE RECKONG .MORE GREAT STORI FROM VANY FAIR— TV STAR SARAH WYNTER’S BATTLE WH POSTPARTUM PSYCHOSIS— CARíONA BALFE’S CELTIC CONQUT, FROM OUTLANR TO BELFAST— THE BT MOVI AND SHOWS STREAMG ON NETFLIX THIS MONTH— 21 WARDROBE WNERS INSPIRED BY AND JT LIKE THAT…— WHAT VIVIAN VANCE DIDN’T LOVE ABOUT I LOVE LUCY— THE LIFE AND DEATH OF ROSANNE BOYLAND, A CAPOL RTER— INSECURE’S NATASHA ROTHWELL CAN DO IT ALL— FROM THE ARCHIVE: JOAN DIDN, OUR LADY OF L.A.— SIGN UP FOR THE “HWD DAILY” NEWSLETTER FOR MT-READ DTRY AND AWARDS VERAGE—PL A SPECIAL WEEKLY EDN OF “AWARDS INSIR.”RICHARD LAWSON
IS JULIAN FELLOW GAY?
JULIAN FELLOW ON GAY STORY LE AND MATTHEW CRAWLEY'S DEATH DOWNTON ABBEY

THE MOST HAPPY FELLOWBEHD DOWNTON ABBEY, THE BRISH SERI ENTHRALLG VIEWERS ON BOTH SIS OF THE ATLANTIC, IS THE WORLD AS IMAGED BY JULIAN FELLOW: WISTFUL, SHARP-EYED OUTSIR AND DYED--THE-WOOL ARISTOCRATIC OBSERVER. VISG THE SHOW’S CREATOR—AS WELL AS S “BELOWSTAIRS” SET AND S UPSTAIRS, HIGHCLERE CASTLE—DAVID KAMP LEARNS HOW FELLOW FOUND HIS LLG, WHY THERE’S BEEN A DOWNTON ABBEY BACKLASH THE U.K., AND WHERE THE CRAWLEYS AND PANY ARE (OR AREN’T) HEAD SEASON THREE.BY DAVID KAMPNOVEMBER 8, 2012SAVE THIS STORYSAVESAVE THIS STORYSAVETO GO “BELOWSTAIRS” AT DOWNTON ABBEY, ONE DON’T ACTUALLY SCEND ANY STAIRS, BUT, RATHER, ENTERS TO A DRAFTY, WAREHOE-LIKE BUILDG AT EALG STUDS, WT LONDON. THIS IS WHERE MANY OF THE TERR SCEN FOR DOWNTON ABBEY, THE TV SHOW, ARE FILMED. ON AN AFTERNOON LAST SPRG, THE SET E WAS THE SERVANTS’ HALL. GATHERED AT A LONG, PLA DG TABLE FAIAR TO VIEWERS OF THE SERI WERE THE DASTARDLY FOOTMAN THOMAS, THE GLOWERG LADY’S MAID O’BRIEN, THE SATLY HEAD HOEMAID ANNA, AND ASSORTED LSER DDG THE EMPLOY OF THE CRAWLEY FAY. THEY WERE TALKG OVER TEA—PRSG AFTER A PARTICULARLY TRYG DAY 1920. BUT A ROOM AWAY, WATCHG ON A MONOR, JULIAN FELLOW SPOTTED SOMETHG AMISS.“LIZ,” HE SAID, ADDRSG LIZ TBRIDGE, ONE OF THE SHOW’S PRODUCERS, “WE’VE GOT TO GET THE GLASS OF WATER OFF THE TABLE. THEY’RE HAVG TEA. THEY WOULDN’T HAVE WATER THERE. A GLASS OF WATER IS A MORN THG.” THE WATER GLASS WERE REMOVED, AND THE SCENE, NOW MORE PERD-THENTIC, RUMED SHOOTG.BUT, HONTLY, WOULD HAVE MA MUCH DIFFERENCE? WHO, BIS FELLOW AND A FEW MONOCLED RELICS ATTUNED TO THE SAME I-SAY-OLD-BEAN EQUENCY, WOULD EVEN PICK UP ON THE ANACHRONISM OF WATER GLASS TERWAR BRA?THE ANSWER DON’T REALLY MATTER. FELLOW, AS THE CREATOR, -EXECUTIVE PRODUCER, AND WRER OF DOWNTON ABBEY, HAS EARNED THE RIGHT TO BE PARTICULAR. HIS SHOW, NOW S THIRD SEASON, IS A SMASH H S NATIVE BRA AND A GODSEND TO PUBLIC TELEVISN AMERI, WHERE HAS LIVERED PBS’S MASTERPIECE PROGRAM S LARGT-EVER VIEWERSHIP. (SEASON THREE BEGAN AIRG THE U.K. SEPTEMBER AND WILL START HERE ON JANUARY 6.) IT ULD BE ARGUED, FACT, THAT FELLOW’S PARTICULARY IS THE VERY THG THAT HAS PROPELLED THE DOWNTON PHENOMENON. RIGHT OM THE OPENG CREDS, WHICH AN UNSEEN SERVANT WANDS A CYLDRIL FEATHER DTER OVER THE CRYSTALS OF A CHANLIER AND A BUTLER HOLDS A LER ABOVE A PLACE SETTG TO ENSURE THAT THE FLATWARE IS SPACED PROPERLY, WE ARE WHISKED TO A WORLD THAT IS DISTCTLY BASED UPON THE SANCTY OF THE DONE THG.CORRPONDGLY, MUCH OF THE DRAMA OF DOWNTON ABBEY HG UPON THE GRAVE NSEQUENC OF THE MIS-DONE THG. IF A RASPBERRY-MERGUE PUDDG GO WRONG—MISTAKENLY FISHED WH A SPRKLE OF SALT RATHER THAN SUGAR—THEN THE DNER GUTS MT RETCH TERRIBLY AND THE OK MT BE SENT DOWN TO LONDON FOR RISKY TARACT SURGERY. IF THE ELST AND MOST ELIGIBLE DGHTER THE HOE HAS A SPONTANEO FLG WH A HANDSOME YOUNG TURKISH DIPLOMAT, THEN SHE MT SUFFER THE HORROR OF HAVG HIM EXPIRE HER BED, LEAVG HER TO BEAR THE BURN OF HHED-UP SNDAL, A BLOT UPON THE FAY NAME, AND, BY DT OF THE DAMAGE SHE HAS DONE TO HER MARRIAGE PROSPECTS, THE POTENTIAL UNRAVELG OF THE CRAWLEY WAY OF LIFE AS HAS BEEN KNOWN FOR GENERATNS.DOWNTON ABBEY IS ONLY THE LATT AND MOST SUCCSFUL ERATN OF FELLOW’S EXAMATN OF THE STATELY-HOME I, G THE WAKE OF HIS BREAKTHROUGH SCREENPLAY FOR ROBERT ALTMAN’S FILM GOSFORD PARK (2001) AND HIS NOVELS SNOBS (2004) AND PAST IMPERFECT (2009). ALL OF THE WORKS ARE THEMATILLY SIAR AND, TAKEN TOGETHER, FORM A SORT OF STAED NARRATIVE OF UPPER-CLASS ENGLISH LIFE THE 20TH CENTURY AND SLIGHTLY BEYOND. TO LOSE ONELF THEM IS TO BE TERRIFILLY ENTERTAED, YET ALSO TO BE KNOTTED UP WH SELF-NSCNS AND CLASS ANXIETY. IN PAST IMPERFECT, THE NARRATOR SCRIB THE DRAWG ROOM OF AN ARRIVISTE CHARACTER AS HAVG “THOSE OVER-SPRGY RPETS THAT HAVE BEEN TOO RECENTLY REPLACED. NOT THE SHAGPILE OF THE MTED CLUB OWNER, NOR THE FLAT AND ANCIENT GS OF THE POSH, BUT SMOOTH AND SPNG AND NEW.” Y, FELLOW IS THE SORT OF PERSON WHO PARS CLASS DIFFERENC EVEN ON THE BASIS OF RPET-PILE HEIGHT.A LATE BLOOMERSO, WAS WH SOME APPREHENSN THAT I MET FELLOW FOR THE FIRST TIME. UPON WHAT SORT OF TELLG TAIL WOULD HE SILENTLY RENR JUDGMENT? THE AYED CUFF OF A TRAVEL-WORN BLAZER? THE CUTICL NEVER TOUCHED BY A MANICURIST’S SCISSORS? THE VOWEL PRONUNCIATNS BETOKENG AN UPBRGG THE “WRONG” JERSEY?AS TURNS OUT, HE IS LIGHTFUL PANY: AN EASY, EXPANSIVE TALKER WHO, UNLIKE VLET, MAGGIE SMH’S WASPISH DOWAGER COUNTS DOWNTON, IS MORE APT TO DIRECT HIS ZGERS AT HIMSELF THAN AT OTHERS. HE’LL TELL YOU THAT, NOTWHSTANDG HIS GENTEEL APPEARANCE AND CHOICE OF SUBJECT MATTER, HE DID ATTEMPT TO GROW HIS HAIR LONG THE SHAGALIC OLD DAYS, BUT TURNED OUT “MORE SANDRA DEE THAN RA HAYWORTH.” HE WILL P TO STEREOTYPIL MAD-ENGLISHMAN BEHAVR, SUCH AS HIS HOSTG AND SPONSORSHIP, AT THE DORSET TATE HE OWNS WH HIS WIFE, EMMA, OF AN ANNUAL SUMMER RE OF SOUTH WT ENGLAND KNOWN AS DACHSHUND DAY. “TWO GROUPS BASILLY NVERGE ON OUR HOE,” HE SAID. “SER DACHSHUND TRAERS AND BREERS, AND THEN OUR IENDS AND THEIR DACHSHUNDS. WE HAVE RAC AND OBSTACLE URS, AND THE TRAED ON ALL GO THROUGH ABSOLUTELY TICKETY-BOO WHILE THE RT OF MAKE DO WH THREATS AND TREATS.”FELLOW IS 63, BALD, UNSVELTE, AND A LATE BLOOMER, HAVG FOUND HIS MéTIER AS A WRER ONLY AFTER THREE S AS A MIDDLG CHARACTER ACTOR. UNLIKE PARABLE TV TRS ON THE OTHER SI OF THE ATLANTIC, SUCH AS THE SOPRANOS’ DAVID CHASE AND MAD MEN’S MATTHEW WEER, HE PROJECTS NO GLOWG-GREEN OZ-HEAD RA. THOUGH A HAS PASSED SCE HE WON THE BT-ORIGAL-SCREENPLAY OSR FOR GOSFORD PARK, FELLOW STILL HAS THE FECT MERRIMENT OF THE NEWLY BLSED—THE PERSON WHO FEELS THAT, FALLY, FORTUNE HAS SED UPON HIM. HE EXULTS UNABASHEDLY THE EMMY LOVE THAT HIS PROGRAM GETS (16 NOMATNS THIS YEAR, AND A BT-SUPPORTG-ACTRS W FOR SMH) AND RELISH THE DOWNTON ABBEY PARODI THAT NEVER SEEM TO STOP MATERIALIZG, HIS FAVORE BEG YAHOO SCREEN’S VIRAL SHORT “DOWNTON ARBY’S.” (“SYBIL, PUT DOWN THOSE CURLY I THIS STANT!”)YET FELLOW IS ALSO PROUD ENOUGH TO MAKE CLEAR THAT HARD WORK AND OBSERVATNAL ACUY HAVE HAD AS MUCH TO DO WH WHERE HE’S GOTTEN AS GOOD FORTUNE. WHEN I BROUGHT UP TO HIM THE WHOLE ELABORATE BS ABOUT THE RPETG PAST IMPERFECT, HE DIDN’T LGH OFF BUT LNCHED TO A NSIRED MI-DISQUISN ON THE WAY HE WORKS. “I THK YOU MT DISTGUISH BETWEEN OBSERVATN AND JUDGMENT,” HE SAID. “I THK I HAVE A VERY TAILED SENSE OF OBSERVATN. I AM TERTED THE TAILS OF PEOPLE’S LIV AND WHAT RMATN THE TAILS GIVE. THE DIFFERENCE IS THAT, WHEN I WAS YOUNGER AND MORE SNOBBISH THAN I AM NOW, I WOULD HAVE MA A KD OF VALUE JUDGMENT, WHEREAS NOW, I WOULD NOT—I MIGHT HAVE AN FELY HIGHER OPN OF THE MTED CLUB OWNER WH THE SHAGPILE RPET THAN OF SOMEONE OF NO TELLECT OR ASPIRATN LIVG ON THE FLAT RPETS OF THE POSH. I DON’T OFTEN AGREE WH VANSA REDGRAVE, BUT SHE ONCE SAID, WHEN ACCED OF POLICIZG SOME EVENT, ‘EVERYTHG IS POLIL.’ AND, OF URSE, SHE’S RIGHT. EVERY TAIL IS RMATIVE. THERE IS ALMOST NOTHG YOUR HOE THAT DO NOT TELL SOMETHG ABOUT YOU. AND I AM ONE OF THE PEOPLE TELLS TO.”MOST POPULARGEIA REPUBLINS SAY THEY'LL MOVE TO REMOVE FULTON COUNTY DA FANI WILLIS FROM OFFICE WH NEW STATE LAWBY ERIC LUTZOUR FLAG MEANS DEATH SEASON 2: EXCLIVE FIRST LOOKBY SARAH CATHERALLHOW MK, THIEL, ZUCKERBERG, AND ANDRESEN—FOUR BILLNAIRE TECHNO-OLIGARCHS—ARE CREATG AN ALTERNATE, AUTOCRATIC REALYBY JONATHAN TAPLI GOT WHAT HE MEANT, BUT I’M NOT SURE IF FELLOW HAS GRADUATED PLETELY OM PASSG JUDGMENT. WE WERE HAVG THIS DISCSN OVER FFEE. A FEW MUT EARLIER, THERE HAD BEEN A MOMENT WHEN, OUT OF SHEER FORCE OF LIFELONG HAB, I LIFTED MY FFEE CUP BY THE BOWL, NOT THE HANDLE. DON’T THK HE DIDN’T CLOCK THIS, THE SLIGHTT VLET-ISH WCE OF “OH, AR” HIS EY.MASTER OF MELODRAMADOWNTON ABBEY HAS FLOOD JULIAN FELLOW WH OPPORTUNY, AND HE IS MAKG THE MOST OF . NEXT YEAR WILL SEE THE RELEASE OF HIS MOVIE ADAPTATN OF ROMEO AND JULIET, DIRECTED BY THE ITALIAN FILMMAKER CARLO CARLEI (WH DOUGLAS BOOTH AND HAILEE STEFELD THE LEADS), FOLLOWED AT SOME POT BY THE WT END PREMIERE OF HIS MIL-THEATER ADAPTATN OF KENH GRAHAME’S CHILDREN’S CLASSIC THE WD THE WILLOWS. HE IS ALSO AT WORK ON A BIG-SCREEN RENCEPTUALIZATN OF STEPHEN SONDHEIM AND ARTHUR LRENTS’S GYPSY—“REBOOT” IS TOO COMIC-CON A TERM FOR A ANCHISE THAT BEGAN WH ETHEL MERMAN—UNR THE AEGIS OF BARBRA STREISAND AND JOEL SILVER, WHO WILL PRODUCE THE FILM.FELLOW HAS BEE A DRAW BEE HE LIVERS, NSISTENTLY AND VERY SATISFACTORILY, AN OLD-FASHNED KD OF STORYTELLG—WHAT HE LLS “EMOTNAL NARRATIVE” AND WHAT MIGHT BE MOST ACCURATELY SCRIBED AS MELODRAMA. “I HAVE A PENCHANT FOR SOAP THAT RMS MY WORK,” HE SAID, CG SPECIFILLY HIS ABIDG LOVE OF BRA’S 52-YEAR-OLD SERIAL DRAMA CORONATN STREET. THERE ARE ASPECTS OF DOWNTON ABBEY THAT ARE UNABASHEDLY SOAPY: THE STAR-CROSSED ROMANCE OF THE VIRTUO ANNA AND THE GIMPY, CRAZY-EX-WIFE-TORMENTED, IMPOSSIBLY STOIC VALET, MR. BAT; THE FIANT ROMANCE BETWEEN SYBIL, THE YOUNGT CRAWLEY DGHTER, AND BRANSON, HER FATHER’S IRISH-MARXIST CHFFR; THE MIRACULO REVERY OF DOWNTON’S DASHG HEIR PRUMPTIVE, MATTHEW CRAWLEY, OM A SPAL WOUND CURRED THE BATTLE OF THE SOMME THAT WAS THOUGHT TO HAVE LEFT HIM PERMANENTLY PARAPLEGIC.MELODRAMA IS AN UNOL THG TO TRA THE DAYS, BUT THEN, THAT’S PRECISELY WHY DOWNTON ABBEY IS SO PLEASURABLE. IN S CLEAR LEATN BETWEEN THE GOODI AND THE BADDI, S REGULATED DOSAG OF HIGHS AND LOWS, THE SHOW IS WELE UNTER-PROGRAMMG TO THE SLOW-BURNG SPAIR AND MORAL AMBIGUY OF MOST QUALY DRAMA ON TELEVISN RIGHT NOW. MAD MEN, BREAKG BAD, HOMELAND—ALL ARE ABOUT PEOPLE WHO SUCCUMB TO THE DARKT, MOST TRANSGRSIVE ASPECTS OF THEIR NATURE. DOWNTON ABBEY, MEANWHILE, IS LARGELY ABOUT PEOPLE TRYG TO BE … GOOD. “THE APPEAL OF THE SHOW IS THAT, ON THE WHOLE, ’S SUFFICIENTLY PLITED FOR NOT TO BE THE WALTONS, BUT, AT THE SAME TIME, I THK THE WALTONS WAS A BIG H BEE THEY WERE VERY NICE,” FELLOW SAID. “AND I THK THAT OUR SHOW IS ABOUT NICE PEOPLE.”FELLOW WROTE THE PART OF ROBERT CRAWLEY, THE EARL OF GRANTHAM AND LORD OF THE MANOR, WH HUGH BONNEVILLE SPECIFILLY MD—“BEE,” HE SAID, “HUGH IS THAT RARE KD OF ACTOR WHO N MAKE NICENS TERTG.” IN HIS GENTLEMANLS AND MON CENCY, BONNEVILLE’S ROBERT MAY BE THE MOST RADIL LEADG-MAN ROLE ON TV THE DAYS: AN ANTI-ANTIHERO. BONNEVILLE, WHEN I SPOKE WH HIM, PRAISED FELLOW FOR WRG “THE KD OF SHOW VIEWERS N WATCH WH THEIR MAIN NT WHOUT HAVG TO WORRY ABOUT A SHOOT-OUT OR A SEXUAL Y BREAKG OUT.” BUT HE NTEND THAT THIS DON’T MAKE DOWNTON A PSYCHOLOGILLY UNSOPHISTITED PROGRAM. “ROBERT’S ENTIRE EXISTENCE IS PREDITED ON MANAGG THIS TATE. HIS DNA IS THE VERY BRICKS,” HE SAID. “IT’S A GREAT BURN TO HIM, THAT HE HAS THIS KNOWLEDGE THAT ’S ALL GOG TO CHANGE, THAT ISN’T STAABLE. SO THERE IS THAT BLACK DOG OF PRSN THAT IS NEVER FAR OM HIM.”INED, FOR ALL THE STUME-DRAMA ILLERY AND DREAMBOAT UPLGS OF YOUNG LOVERS THAT HAVE MA DOWNTON ABBEY A SURPRISE H WH TEENAGERS—MICHELLE DOCKERY’S LADY MARY AND DAN STEVENS’S MATTHEW CRAWLEY ARE THE BELLA-AND-EDWARD GIFT THAT PBS NEVER ANTICIPATED RECEIVG—THE OVERARCHG TONE OF THE SHOW IS MELANCHOLIC. THE VIEWER KNOWS THAT THIS ELYSIAN AGE OF GREAT HO STAFFED BY BATTALNS OF SERVANTS WILL NOT LAST PAST WORLD WAR II, AND FELLOW HAS VTED HIS CHARACTERS WH VARYG GRE OF AWARENS OF HOW DOOMED THEIR WAY OF LIFE IS. ROBERT HANGS ON QUIET SPERATN, OUTWARDLY UPHOLDG THE OLD WAYS WHILE WARDLY AT A LOSS FOR A VIABLE WAY FORWARD. HIS BUTLER, CARSON, MORE PROPRIETY-OBSSED EVEN THAN HIS EMPLOYER, “IS FIGHTG A REARGUARD BATTLE AGAST PROGRS,” SAID JIM CARTER, THE TALL, PORTLY, SLYLY ADPAN ACTOR WHO PLAYS HIM. “HE’S NIAL. HE THKS THAT, AS LONG AS EVERYTHG IS DONE PROPERLY, THAT’S THE ANSWER TO EVERYTHG.”DOCKERY’S LADY MARY, ON THE OTHER HAND, “IS NOT SETTG HER HEAD AGAST ANY NEW VELOPMENT, AND I THK, FOR THAT REASON, SHE HAS A CHANCE OF SURVIVAL,” SAID FELLOW, “WHEREAS EDH”—THE PLA MIDDLE DGHTER, A THANKLS ROLE SOMEHOW REALIZED WH APLOMB BY LRA CARMICHAEL—“IS SIMPLY RRIED ALONG BY THE RIVER AND WILL END UP WHEREVER LIFE TAK HER RATHER THAN WHERE SHE’S GONE.”SEASON THREE, SET OVER 18 MONTHS 1920 AND 1921, BRGS THE ISSUE OF THE LONG-TERM VIABILY OF LIFE AT DOWNTON OM SUBTEXT TO FOREONT. THE CRAWLEYS SUFFER A FANCIAL SETBACK, LOSG MOST OF THE FORTUNE THAT ROBERT GAED OM MARRYG A WEALTHY AMERIN WOMAN OF THE MERNTILE CLASS, LADY CORA (ELIZABETH MCGOVERN). WHILE ROBERT ETS, CORA RETAS AN AMERIN PRAGMATISM ABOUT SUCH THGS. “SHE HAS A LE, ‘WE MAY HAVE TO MOVE TO A SMALLER HOE, BUT WE DON’T HAVE TO GO DOWN A ME,’ ” FELLOW SAID. CORA’S MOTHER, MARTHA LEVSON, TURNS UP, TOO, PLAYED BY SHIRLEY MACLAE. WHEREAS MAGGIE SMH’S VLET IS PERPETUALLY NTEMPTUO OF ANYTHG THAT DO NOT NFORM TO THE MOR OF ENGLISH SOCIETY AS EXISTED 1865 (“DON’T BE FEATIST, AR—’S VERY MIDDLE-CLASS”), MARTHA IS PLETELY THE OPPOSE, FELLOW SAID, “EXCED THAT THE WORLD IS OPENG UP.”MOST POPULARGEIA REPUBLINS SAY THEY'LL MOVE TO REMOVE FULTON COUNTY DA FANI WILLIS FROM OFFICE WH NEW STATE LAWBY ERIC LUTZOUR FLAG MEANS DEATH SEASON 2: EXCLIVE FIRST LOOKBY SARAH CATHERALLHOW MK, THIEL, ZUCKERBERG, AND ANDRESEN—FOUR BILLNAIRE TECHNO-OLIGARCHS—ARE CREATG AN ALTERNATE, AUTOCRATIC REALYBY JONATHAN TAPLMARTHA REPRENTS HOW MONEY AND STAT WILL WORK GOG FORWARD. SHE WAS WELLBORN BUT NOT SPECTACULARLY SO— HER CREATOR’S MD, “HER FATHER HAD A PARTMENT STORE CCNATI, BUT JT ONE, NOT 33”—AND ACHIEVED GREAT WEALTH BY MARRYG HER LATE HBAND, MR. LEVSON, A JEWISH DRY-GOODS LNAIRE OF THE GILD AGE. (MARTHA IS NOT HERSELF JEWISH, AND CORA WAS RAISED EPISPALIAN, WHICH IS WHY, ALAS, WE NEVER SEE CARSON BUFFG A MENORAH OR A CHALLAH KNIFE.) FELLOW FDS MUCH TO ADMIRE THE SENSE OF POSSIBILY THAT AMERI HAS TO OFFER—“I LIKE PEOPLE WHO LOOK AT THE LIFE THEY WERE BORN TO AND THK, PHOOEY, I N DO BETTER THAN THIS!, AND JT TEAR UP,” HE SAID—BUT HE NOHELS MOURNS THE BREAKDOWN OF THE OLD HEREDARY ENGLISH MOL THAT KEPT A GRAND TATE A SGLE FAY’S POSSSN FOR CENTURI.AS SUCH, HE INTIFI WH ROBERT. “I THK I HAVE A SORT OF SYMPATHETIC MELANCHOLIA, AS OPPOSED TO A BLACK MELANCHOLIA,” HE SAID. “THE SADNS ABOUT THE SHOW IS THAT WE KNOW—RATHER LIKE A DISASTER MOVIE, WHERE YOU KNOW THERE’S GOG TO BE AN EARTHQUAKE—THAT THEY’RE PLANNG FOR THE NEXT HUNDRED YEARS, AND THEY’LL BE LUCKY IF THEY GET 20.”TORY, TORY, TORY!THAT ANYONE WOULD LAMENT THE CLE OF THE SSETED TOFFS AND THEIR THEDRAL-SIZE HOME IS A SOURCE OF SOME NTROVERSY BRA. DOWNTON ABBEY ENJOYED A HONEYMOON PERD WHEN FIRST BROKE BIG THE U.K., THE TUMN OF 2010, PULLG THE UNTRY TOGETHER AN OLD-TIME, SUNDAYS-ROUND-THE-WIRELS SORT OF WAY. BUT THE LOVE WAS NOT TO LAST, AT LEAST AMONG CRICS. BY SEASON TWO, THE KNIV WERE OUT. THERE WAS THE UNOLNS-OF-MELODRAMA FACTOR, AND THEN THERE WAS THE QUTN OF WHETHER, THE WAKE OF UPSTAIRS, DOWNSTAIRS AND BRISHEAD REVISED, THERE NEEDS TO BE, EVER AGA, ANY FILMED ENTERTAMENT THAT REVISS THE HEYDAY OF THE BRISH UPPER CLASS.WRG THE SUNDAY TIM LAST YEAR, A. A. GILL (ALSO A V.F. NTRIBUTG EDOR) LLED DOWNTON ABBEY “EVERYTHG I SPISE AND SPAIR OF ON BRISH TELEVISN: NATNAL TST SENTIMENTALY, STUMED FORT DRAMA THAT FLOGS AN EMBARRASSG, MEANG, AND BOG VISN OF THE PLACE I LIVE .”WE AMERINS, UNBURNED BY SUCH PLEX, ARE EE TO ENJOY DOWNTON ABBEY FOR WHAT IS RATHER THAN WISH WERE A KEN LOACH FILM ABOUT A B DRIVER. THE SHOW’S ST, FOR THEIR PART, MAKE THE ARGUMENT THAT DOWNTON, FAR OM BEG RETROGRA, IS STAG A NOBLE TRADN ENGLISH DRAMA. SAID CARTER, “GETTG ST AS CARSON, I DIDN’T THK, OH, A BLOODY BUTLER. I SEE AS RRYG ON AN INIC BRISH ROLE: ‘THE BUTLER DID ,’ WHAT THE BUTLER SAW, AND SO FORTH.” JOANNE FROGGATT, WHO PLAYS ANNA, NOTED THAT “DOWNTON IS NOT AN ADAPTATN, SO, UNLIKE SOMETHG LIKE PRI AND PREJUDICE OR MANSFIELD PARK, ’S A NEW STORY AND YOU DON’T KNOW WHERE ’S GOG. WE DON’T, EHER. NO ONE DO, EXCEPT JULIAN.” FURTHERMORE, ’S EVINT, PARTICULARLY THE SEND SEASON, THAT DOWNTON ABBEY DON’T UPHOLD THE CRAWLEYS’ LIFE AS A MOL FOR THE WAY FORWARD. WH THE WAR TRANSN, UPHEAVAL, AND NEW SOCIAL MOBILY, AS THE STORY LE OF SYBIL (JSI BROWN-FDLAY), WHO EMBRAC HER WORK AS A NURSE AND MARRI HER FATHER’S FORMER DRIVER (ALLEN LEECH), DIT.FELLOW IS, HIS PRIVATE LIFE, A DITED ADHERENT OF UPPER-CLASS TRADN AND THE CONSERVATIVE PARTY, AND THIS, PERHAPS MORE THAN THE NTENT OR SENTIMENTS OF DOWNTON ABBEY, IS WHAT IRKS HIS TRACTORS. HE WAS MA A TORY LIFE PEER JANUARY OF 2011, GIVG HIM A SEAT THE HOE OF LORDS AND THE TLE BARON FELLOW OF WT STAFFORD. HIS WIFE, EMMA KCHENER-FELLOW, IS BOTH A LADY--WAG TO PRCS MICHAEL OF KENT AND THE GREAT-GRANDNIECE OF THE FIRST LORD KCHENER, THE SWASHBUCKLG BRISH ARY LEAR AND STATMAN OF THE EDWARDIAN ERA WHOSE EXTRAVAGANTLY MTACHED VISAGE ADORNS THOSE FAMO YOUR COUNTRY NEEDS YOU RECMENT POSTERS. IN A NOD TO HIS WIFE’S STORIED HERAGE, FELLOW HAS AMEND HIS SURNAME SO THAT IS, OFFICIALLY, KCHENER-FELLOW.ALL OF THIS IS FELLOW’S PREROGATIVE, AND CERTALY THE ARTS HAVE HISTORILLY BEEN BIG ENOUGH TO ACMODATE POLILLY NSERVATIVE TRS OM FRANK CAPRA TO CLT EASTWOOD. STILL, TO THE PBS TOTE-BAG TOTERS FOR WHOM DOWNTON ABBEY IS THE IAL CLCHER TO A WEEKEND OF NPR’S WA WA … DON’T TELL ME! AND QUOA WH SLOW-ROASTED ROOT VEGETABL, MIGHT E AS A SURPRISE THAT BENEATH THE TWEED BLAZER OF THE JOLLY DOWNTON CHAP BEATS THE HEART OF A ZEALO CULTURE WARRR. FELLOW’S NOVELS MAKE HIS VIEWS EXPLIC. BOTH ARE NARRATED BY NAMELS FIGUR—AN ACTOR SNOBS, A WRER PAST IMPERFECT—WHO, THE THOR EELY GRANTS, ARE HIS SURROGAT. SNOBS, SET THE 1990S, IS THE STORY OF A SCHEMG LONDON BETY WHO HOOKS AN EARL NOT UNLIKE LORD GRANTHAM AND THEN GROWS RTLS HER NEW UNTRY LIFE. THROUGHOUT, THE NARRATOR STS THE EARL’S LAND, TLED FAY, THE BROUGHTONS, A FLATTERG LIGHT, AS THAT RARE BREED WH THE FORBEARANCE TO HAVE ENDURED THE TUMULT OF THE ICKY, MSY MIDDLE S OF THE 20TH CENTURY BEFORE ARRIVG AT “THE PARATIVELY SAFE SHOR OF MRS. THATCHER’S BRA.”MOST POPULARGEIA REPUBLINS SAY THEY'LL MOVE TO REMOVE FULTON COUNTY DA FANI WILLIS FROM OFFICE WH NEW STATE LAWBY ERIC LUTZOUR FLAG MEANS DEATH SEASON 2: EXCLIVE FIRST LOOKBY SARAH CATHERALLHOW MK, THIEL, ZUCKERBERG, AND ANDRESEN—FOUR BILLNAIRE TECHNO-OLIGARCHS—ARE CREATG AN ALTERNATE, AUTOCRATIC REALYBY JONATHAN TAPLPAST IMPERFECT, SET THE PRENT, IS MORE HEAD-ON S EDORIAL SLANT, AND NOT JT S SUAL ASIS ABOUT “LIBERAL TYRANNY” AND “THE NSTANT, MEDDLG TERVENTN OF THE STATE.” IN LATE MIDDLE AGE, THE NARRATOR IS SUMMONED TO THE ATHBED OF DAMIAN BAXTER, AN TRANGED ACQUATANCE OF IFFY PROVENANCE WHO, BACK THE LATE 1960S, SUATED HIMSELF TO THE BUTANTE SEASON—“BSI,” AS FELLOW LLS NVERSATN—OF AN UPPER-CLASS CLIQUE. DAMIAN FELL OUT DISASTROLY WH THIS GROUP, BUT NOT BEFORE SURREPTLY IMPREGNATG ONE OF S LADY MEMBERS, WHO LATER ANONYMOLY SENT HIM A BTER LETTER ABOUT HER WHOLE LIFE BEG A “LIVG LIE.” NOW DAMIAN IS EXTREMELY RICH, A SELF-MA, UNMARRIED TECH MAGNATE WHO WANTS TO LEAVE HIS FORTUNE TO HIS UNKNOWG HEIR. THE NARRATOR, DAMIAN’S EX-IEND, IS TALKED TO TRACKG DOWN THE VAR WOMEN THE OLD CLIQUE, GETTG THEIR STORI, AND FDG OUT HOW THEIR LIV TURNED OUT.TH DO PAST IMPERFECT EFFECTIVELY BEE A REFERENDUM ON WHAT THE 60S AND 70S DID TO FELLOW’S GENERATN. THE TWO GIRLS WHO MOST READILY EMBRACED THE ERA’S EE-SPIREDNS HAVE SUFFERED THE WORST OUT—ONE LIVG MEAGERLY THE STICKS WH A DOLT HBAND, NNG A HIPPIE FARMSTAND WH “A DISMAL, PATHETIC QUALY, LIKE SOMEONE EATG ALONE A PAPER HAT,” THE OTHER A AGILE BETY WHO SCEND TO A FATAL HERO ADDICTN.“WHAT I REMEMBER IS, OF THE 60S PEOPLE, THE ON WHO WENT ON BELIEVG WERE SUALTI,” SAID FELLOW, WHO DID THE BSI CIRCU THAT PERD JT AS PAST IMPERFECT’S NARRATOR DID, THEREBY GAG EXPOSURE TO THE UNTRY TAT AND FAY TRIGU ABOUT HERANC AND MARRIAGEABILY THAT WOULD SERVE HIM SO WELL LATER ON. “THE ON WHO REALLY THOUGHT THE WORLD HAD CHANGED AND WAS ALL GOG TO BE FLOWERS OUR HAIR— WAS HARD FOR THEM,” HE SAID. “BEE, BY THE 80S, WAS ABSOLUTELY CLEAR THAT ALMOST NOTHG HAD CHANGED, EXCEPT PEOPLE DIDN’T CHANGE FOR DNER. THAT WAS ABOUT .” FELLOW SISTS THAT THE STORY OF PAST IMPERFECT, LIKE THAT OF DOWNTON ABBEY, IS TOLD OM A VIEWPOT OF SYMPATHETIC MELANCHOLIA, OVER BOTH THE MISGUID AQUARIANS WHOSE DREAMS DIDN’T PAN OUT AND THE POSH STRAIGHTS WHO DIDN’T GET A FAIR SHAKE. OF THE LATTER GROUP, HE SAID, “I FEEL THAT THE PEOPLE FELL FOUL OF THE 1960S CULTURAL REVOLUTN. DURG THAT PERD, WAS CID THAT THEIR TRADNS HAD NOTHG TO REMEND THEM, THAT THEY WERE WHOLLY NEGATIVE TERMS OF A LIFE FORCE OR ANY KD OF THOUGHT-SHAPG FLUENCE.” BY THE 80S, THOUGH, TO FELLOW’S RELIEF, THE POSHOS “GOT TIRED OF BEG ASHAMED OF THEMSELV.” IT BEME ACCEPTABLE AGA TO BELONG TO AN EXCLIVE GENTLEMEN’S CLUB SUCH AS WHE’S AND TO DRS UP FE SUS RATHER THAN JEANS, “WHICH I TOOK TO BE A KD OF RE-ASSERTN OF PENNCE,” HE SAID. SOMETHG REMBLG ORR WAS RTORED—THOUGH NEVER AGA TO THE STANDARDS OF THE CARSONS AND ROBERT CRAWLEYS OM A FEW GENERATNS EARLIER.AN “INSI-OUTSI FEELG”LIKE MANY AN ASTUTE OBSERVER OF A PARTICULAR I, FELLOW GREW UP ON THE PERIPHERY OF HIS, WH, HE SAID, “A VERY SORT OF JUNR, MOR POSN WH THAT WORLD.” HIS FATHER, PEREGRE FELLOW, WAS A CIVIL ENGEER AND DIPLOMAT WHO WORKED FOR THE FOREIGN OFFICE AND LATER SHELL INTERNATNAL, THE OIL PANY. JULIAN, THE YOUNGT OF FOUR BOYS, WAS BORN WHILE PEREGRE WAS POSTED CAIRO. PEREGRE HAD LOST HIS OWN FATHER TO THE GREAT WAR 1915, WHEN HE WAS ONLY THREE YEARS OLD, AND SUBSEQUENTLY SPENT MUCH OF HIS CHILDHOOD BEG SHUNTED AROUND TO VAR GREAT-NTS WHILE HIS MOTHER, “A FAIRLY FECKLS CHARACTER,” FELLOW’S WORDS, RRIED ON WH HER ROMANTIC LIFE. ON THE ONE HAND, THIS STILLED PEREGRE “A RATHER MELANCHOLIC SENSE OF EXCLN OM HIS OWN WORLD,” HIS SON SAID. BUT, ON THE OTHER HAND, THE GREAT-NTS TOOK GOOD RE OF HIM AND HUNG AROUND LONG ENOUGH TO BEE A BIG PART OF JULIAN’S CHILDHOOD. THE ELST OF THEM, ISIE, IS THE MOL FOR MAGGIE SMH’S DOWAGER CHARACTERS BOTH GOSFORD PARK AND DOWNTON ABBEY.“AUNT ISIE HAD THIS SORT OF ACERBIC W, YET SHE WAS KD,” FELLOW SAID. “LOTS OF THOSE L MAGGIE HAS, LIKE ‘BOUGHT MARMALA! OH AR, I LL THAT VERY FEEBLE,’ AND ‘WHAT IS A WEEKEND?’—THEY ME STRAIGHT OM HER.”THE FELLOW WERE OF SUFFICIENTLY PROMENT STOCK FOR JULIAN’S BIRTH TO BE REGISTERED BURKE’S LAND GENTRY, ALBE NOT BURKE’S PEERAGE, THE TALOGUE OF THE OFFICIALLY TLED. “I THK I UGHT OM MY FATHER THIS SORT OF SI-OUTSI FEELG,” FELLOW SAID. TO THIS DAY, HE ADMTED, HE LACKS THE TE ARISTOCRAT’S “UNQUTNG ACCEPTANCE” OF HIS POSN SOCIETY, WHICH, HE SAID, IS THE KD OF THG “ONLY LEARNABLE CHILDHOOD. IT’S LIKE RIDG OR FRENCH—’S NEVER EASILY ACQUIRED LATER ON.”HIS TELLIGENCE GAED FELLOW ADMISSN TO MAGDALENE COLLEGE, CAMBRIDGE, 1966, AND HIS PERFORMG TALENT GOT HIM TO FOOTLIGHTS, THE UNIVERSY DRAMATIC CLUB THAT, SOME YEARS EARLIER, HAD PROVID A LNCHPAD FOR MONTY PYTHON’S JOHN CLEE, GRAHAM CHAPMAN, AND ERIC IDLE. FELLOW’S OWN CHOICE TO PURSUE ACTG PROFSNALLY WAS, GIVEN HIS BBG PROCLIVI AND GENERAL RISTANCE TO ALL THGS UNTERCULTURAL, “A VERY 70S CISN,” HE SAID. “BUT I WAS DOG A TIE—AND THAT WAS, I SUPPOSE, THE DIFFERENCE.”NEVER SUBJECT TO LNS OF HAVG LEADG-MAN LOOKS, FELLOW RVED OUT A CHARACTER NICHE FOR HIMSELF BRISH TELEVISN AND THEATER. “TWO THGS I DID, REALLY,” HE SAID. “I PLAYED HORRIBLE, RPT NSERVATIVE MISTERS MEL-HAIR ATS, OR I PLAYED LOVABLE SILLY ASS WHO FELL OVER.” THERE WAS A BRIEF PERD THE EARLY 80S WHEN HE MOVED TO LOS ANGEL TO TRY HIS LUCK AMERI, WH MIXED RULTS. HE NARROWLY MISSED OUT ON BEG ST AS RIRDO MONTALBáN’S REPLACEMENT SIKICK ON FANTASY ISLAND AFTER HERVé VILLECHAIZE WAS FIRED OM THE SHOW, BUT HE MANAGED TO LAND SUPPORTG ROL TWO MA-FOR-TV MOVI STARRG THE ERSTWHILE WONR WOMAN, LYNDA CARTER, OF WHOM HE RETAS FOND MEMORI.IN ONE OF THE MOVI, THE BPIC RA HAYWORTH: THE LOVE GODSS, FELLOW WAS ST AS THE CHFFR AND AMANUENSIS TO ALY KHAN, HAYWORTH’S THIRD HBAND; THE CHFFR ALSO SERV AS A NFIDANT TO THE TROUBLED HAYWORTH—PRECISELY THE KD OF SEXUALLY UNTHREATENG, SHOULR-TO-CRY-ON FIGURE THAT FELLOW HAD HIMSELF BEEN B CIRCL. AS LYNDA CARTER REMEMBERS , FELLOW ASSUMED THIS ROLE FOR HER REAL LIFE, TOO. “THAT WAS A VERY DIFFICULT TIME FOR ME, WH A LOT OF NER TURMOIL BEE MY FIRST MARRIAGE HAD JT BROKEN UP,” SHE SAID. “JULIAN WAS ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE YOU GRAVATED TOWARDS JT BEE HE WAS SO … NICE.”MOST POPULARGEIA REPUBLINS SAY THEY'LL MOVE TO REMOVE FULTON COUNTY DA FANI WILLIS FROM OFFICE WH NEW STATE LAWBY ERIC LUTZOUR FLAG MEANS DEATH SEASON 2: EXCLIVE FIRST LOOKBY SARAH CATHERALLHOW MK, THIEL, ZUCKERBERG, AND ANDRESEN—FOUR BILLNAIRE TECHNO-OLIGARCHS—ARE CREATG AN ALTERNATE, AUTOCRATIC REALYBY JONATHAN TAPLAFTER RETURNG TO ENGLAND, FELLOW MET THE PRETTY EMMA KCHENER, 15 YEARS HIS JUNR AND, AT SIX FEET, SEVERAL CH TALLER. THE TWO WERE MARRIED 1990 AND HAVE ONE CHILD, A 21-YEAR-OLD SON NAMED AFTER FELLOW’S FATHER, PEREGRE. A FORMIDABLE SOCIAL FORCE HER OWN RIGHT, EMMA IS, LERALLY, A TOWERG FIGURE ON THE CHARY CIRCU, ADMISTERG THE LORD KCHENER NATNAL MEMORIAL FUND, WHICH PROVIS LLEGE SCHOLARSHIPS TO THE SONS AND DGHTERS OF ARY PERSONNEL.EMMA ALSO SERV AS HER HBAND’S FACTO STORY EDOR. DOWNTON DON’T N ON THE AMERIN MOL, WH A BEEHIVE OF WRERS BATTG AROUND IAS AND DIVIDG UP THE WORK; FELLOW WR THE ENTIRE THG, WHICH, THIS G SEASON, MEANS SEVEN EPISOS, TWO OF WHICH (NUMBERS ONE AND SIX) ARE TWO HOURS LONG, WH THE FALE NNG 90 MUT. EMMA IS THE FIRST TO READ EACH SCRIPT, BEFORE GETS PASSED ON TO CARNIVAL FILMS, THE PRODUCTN PANY BEHD THE SHOW. “SHE DO A WHOLE TIER OF NOT,” SAID FELLOW, “AND I UALLY DO WHAT SHE SAYS.” ASKED WHAT SIGNIFINT NTRIBUTNS EMMA HAS MA TO DOWNTON ABBEY, HE DIDN’T HATE. “BAT’S BEG LAME,” HE SAID. “SHE SAID, ‘I THK YOU OUGHT TO HAVE A DISABLED CHARACTER.’ AND WAS BRILLIANT, BEE MEANT ROBERT HAD TO BE MUCH MORE VTED HIRG HIM. THEIR RELATNSHIP BEME MORE LAYERED.”THE SOCIETY OF DORSET MENINDTR AND PROLIFIC AS HE APPEARS, FELLOW PROCLAIMS HIMSELF A “CLOSET LAZY PERSON” AS A WRER, SOMEONE FOR WHOM THERE ARE DAYS WHEN “WHICH RADROP WILL MAKE DOWN THE WDOWPANE FIRST IS AN OBSSN.” HE IS NOT AN ALL-NIGHTER MAN; THE DOWNTON SCRIPTS ARE WRTEN NCENTRATED BURSTS WH THE NF OF CIVILIZED HOURS. ON A TYPIL WORKDAY AT HIS MANOR HOE DORSET (WHERE SCEN OM THE GWYH PALTROW MOVIE EMMA WERE FILMED; THE FELLOW ALSO MATA A FLAT LONDON NEAR SLOANE SQUARE), HE WILL TAKE HIS TIME WH BREAKFAST AND THE MORNG PAPERS, BEE, HE SAID, “WHEN I FLURRY THROUGH BREAKFAST, I FEEL AS THOUGH I NEVER TCH UP.” HE’LL WORK OM ABOUT 9:15 TO NOON, BREAK FOR LUNCH, AND THEN BARREL THROUGH TO 6 P.M., AT WHICH POT, HE SAID, “I TEND TO SLIGHTLY N OUT OF PUFF.” FOR ALL THEIR LATTER-DAY GRANTHAM-NS—EMMA WH HER CHARI, JULIAN WH HIS EXALTED POSN AS PRINT OF THE SOCIETY OF DORSET MEN, A LOL ASSOCIATN WHOSE MEETGS ARE ACPANIED BY WEDG OF CMBLY LOL CHEE, DORSET BLUE VNEY—THE UPLE, WHEN ON THEIR OWN, TYPILLY TAKE THEIR SUPPER AT HOME ONT OF THE TV. IT’S MORE ELEGANT THAN SOUNDS. “WE HAVE A SCREENG ROOM AND WE’RE NEVER OUT OF ,” FELLOW SAID. “IT’S VERY LUXUR, LIKE HAVG A TRAY A CEMA.”FELLOW’S REER SHIFT TOWARD WRG BEGAN THE 1990S, WHEN, THROUGH MUTUAL ACQUATANC, HE BEME IENDLY WH ILEEN MAISEL, AN AMERIN FILM EXECUTIVE WHO HAD MOVED TO LONDON TO OPEN PARAMOUNT PICTUR’ OFFICE THERE. “WE JT H OFF AND STARTED HAVG WEEKLY BREAKFASTS AT CLARIDGE’S,” SHE SAID. “JULIAN HAD THE TIME BACK THEN BEE HE WASN’T MAND.” MAISEL WAS TRYG, WH SOME GREE OF TRATN, TO VELOP JOHN FOWL’S NOVEL DANIEL MART TO A MOVIE FOR ANTHONY HOPKS TO STAR . IN DISCSG HER TRAVAILS WH FELLOW, SHE DISVERED, SHE SAID, THAT “JULIAN WAS SMARTER THAN ANY OF THE WRERS I WAS WORKG WH,” POSSSG BOTH “A PTH OF KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THE BOOK AND AN ABILY TO REGURGATE ASPECTS OF THE BOOK A MERCIAL WAY.”THE DANIEL MART PROJECT NEVER ME TO PASS, BUT LEFT MAISEL WH AN STCT ABOUT FELLOW’S LATENT SCREENWRG ABILI. SHE TALKED HIM UP TO HER IEND BOB BALABAN, THE ACTOR AND OCSNAL DIRECTOR-PRODUCER, WHEN THEY WERE WORKG ON AN ADAPTATN OF THE ETACE DIAMONDS, ONE OF ANTHONY TROLLOPE’S VICTORIAN-ERA SOCIETY NOVELS. THAT PROJECT, TOO, LANGUISHED, BUT, SAID BALABAN, “JULIAN TOOK A RATHER ERT DRAFT OF THE NOVEL THAT SOMEONE ELSE HAD DONE, AND THE THG THAT HE HAND BACK TO LEAPT OFF THE PAGE. I NEVER FOT HIM.”AT THE TURN OF THE LENNIUM, BALABAN PERSUAD ROBERT ALTMAN TO LLABORATE WH HIM ON A FILM THAT, THEORY, SOUND MORE MERCHANT IVORY-IENDLY THAN A F FOR THE DIRECTOR OF NASHVILLE AND MCCABE & MRS. MILLER: AN AGATHA CHRISTIE-TYPE MYSTERY WHICH A BUNCH OF RICH PEOPLE GATHER AT AN ENGLISH UNTRY TATE CIR 1930 AND SOMEONE IS MURRED. ALTMAN LIKED THE IA OF SUBVERTG THE NVENTNS OF A CLAPPED-OUT OLD GENRE, BUT NEHER HE NOR BALABAN KNEW MUCH ABOUT UNTRY HO, SHOOTG PARTI, AND THE LIKE. “SO I GOT JULIAN A ROOM WH ROBERT,” BALABAN SAID, “AND JULIAN STARTS TALKG, AND HE KNOWS EVERYTHG THAT HAPPENS A BRISH HOE OF THAT KD. BOTH BOB AND I WERE FLOORED.” ON THE WRONG SI OF 50, AT LEAST DTRY TERMS, FELLOW HAD WON HIS FIRST SCREENWRG JOB, WH ONE OF THE BT DIRECTORS THE HISTORY OF THE MEDIUM.“I AM THAT RARE PERSON WHO OW EVERYTHG TO ONE GUY, AND THAT GUY IS BOB ALTMAN,” FELLOW SAID. “HE FOUGHT THE STUD TO KEEP ME ON, AND HE NEVER ONCE SAID, ‘THIS IS MY 18TH FILM AND I’M A WORLD-FAMO DIRECTOR. WHO THE SAM HILL ARE YOU?’ IT WAS JT TWO OVERWEIGHT MEN TALKG AND OCSNALLY ARGUG.”THAT THE TOKG, ANARCHY-FOSTERG MAVERICK TR WORKED SO HARMONLY AND UFULLY WH THE NECKTIED MONARCHIST IS A TTAMENT TO THE CHARACTER OF BOTH MEN. “I DON’T FALL TO THE TRAP OF THKG THAT PEOPLE WHO DISAGREE WH ME POLILLY ARE BAD PEOPLE, AND NEHER DID HE,” FELLOW SAID. “AND WHERE I WAS VERY, VERY LUCKY WAS THAT, BEE BOB WAS SUCH A RPECTED DIRECTOR, AND HE HAD NEVER DIRECTED A BRISH FILM, AND HE WAS HIS 70S, THE ACTORS HERE KNEW THAT, IF THEY WANTED TO BE AN ALTMAN FILM, THIS WAS PROBABLY . SO I, AS A FIRST-TIME-OUT, WAS HAVG EVERY PART I’D WRTEN PLAYED BY ONE OF THE BT ACTORS BRA”—THE PLAYERS CLUD NOT ONLY DAME MAGGIE BUT MICHAEL GAMBON, HELEN MIRREN, DEREK JABI, KRISTEN STT THOMAS, CLIVE OWEN, EY WATSON, JEREMY NORTHAM, KELLY MACDONALD, AND STEPHEN FRY.ALTMAN’S OUTLOOK LENT GOSFORD PARK A HARDNS THAT DOWNTON DON’T HAVE—“A RECKLS, ALMOST NTEMPORARY FEEL,” AS BALABAN PUT —AND FELLOW SAID THAT IF HE HAD TO DO ALL OVER AGA HE WOULD MAKE THE FILM’S LORD-OF-THE-MANOR CHARACTER, A LOATHSOME LETCH PLAYED BY GAMBON, MORE SYMPATHETIC, JT THE SLIGHTT B MORE LORD GRANTHAM-ISH. NOT THAT HE HAS ANY PLATS ABOUT ANY ASPECT OF THE GOSFORD EXPERIENCE, WHICH CULMATED HIS TAKG HOME THE FILM’S ONLY AMY AWARD.IN FACT, SAID GARETH NEAME, THE MANAGG DIRECTOR OF CARNIVAL FILMS AND ONE OF DOWNTON’S EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS, “JULIAN WAS VERY, VERY WARY OF RETURNG TO THE TERRORY OF GOSFORD PARK WHEN I FIRST APPROACHED HIM, BEE HAD BEEN SUCH A TURNG POT.” IN BROAD TERMS, THE ORIGAL IA FOR DOWNTON ABBEY WAS NEAME’S: TO DO A LATE-EDWARDIAN-PERD SERIAL DRAMA BEE, HE SAID, “THE SETTG OF A UNTRY HOE IS A VERY GOOD PRECCT TO BUILD A TV SHOW AROUND, LIKE A HOSPAL OR A WORKPLACE.” JT A FEW WEEKS AFTER HE PERSUAD FELLOW TO AT LEAST GIVE THE IA A WHIRL, FELLOW ME BACK WH THE FIRST SEASON MORE OR LS ENTIRELY MAPPED OUT.TEA THE LIBRARYTO GO “ABOVTAIRS” AT DOWNTON ABBEY, ONE TAK A 50-MUTE TRA RI WT OF LONDON TO THE UNTY OF HAMPSHIRE, FOLLOWED BY A 10-MUTE B RI TO HIGHCLERE CASTLE, THE FICTNAL GREAT HOE’S VAST, IMPOSG STAND-. HIGHCLERE WAS SIGNED THE 1830S BY SIR CHARL BARRY, THE ARCHECT ALSO RPONSIBLE FOR THE HO OF PARLIAMENT, WH WHICH SHAR A SAND-LORED STONE EXTERR AND POTY GOTHIC REVIVAL TURRETS. SCE THE 1740S, A HOME ON THIS PROPERTY HAS BEEN THE FAY SEAT OF THE EARL OF CARNARVON. THE FIFTH EARL, AN EGYPTOLOGY ENTHIAST NAMED GEE HERBERT, IS FAMO FOR HAVG UNRWRTEN AND ACPANIED THE ARCHAEOLOGIST HOWARD CARTER WHEN THE LATTER DISVERED THE TOMB OF TUTANKHAMEN, 1922. THE CURRENT EARL OF CARNARVON, 56-YEAR-OLD GEORDIE HERBERT, IS THE EIGHTH.HIS WIFE, THE COUNTS OF CARNARVON, KNOWN TO TIMAT AS FNA, MET ME FOR TEA THE LIBRARY, WHICH STANDS FOR LORD GRANTHAM’S LIBRARY AND APPEARS EXACTLY AS DO ON TELEVISN. (SAID FELLOW, “TO REPRODUCE THE LIBRARY AT HIGHCLERE OUT OF HIRED PROPS, WE’D SPEND THE BUDGET FOR AN ENTIRE SERI ON ONE ROOM.”) LADY CARNARVON, IENDLY AND UNPRETENT, WAS DRSED A LONG GRAY RDIGAN, TRAFFIC-NE-ORANGE JEANS, AND HER 13-YEAR-OLD SON’S BRIGHT-BLUE SNEAKERS. SHE AND THE EARL ARE GOOD IENDS WH THE KCHENER-FELLOW AND HAVE EQUENTLY HAD THEM OVER AS HOEGUTS. AS FAR BACK AS THE GOSFORD PARK DAYS, SHE SENSED FELLOW SNNG AND OGLG THE HOE, SCTIZG FOR BOTH S NARRATIVE AND FILMIC POSSIBILI. “WE LOST OUT ON GOSFORD,” LADY CARNARVON SAID, “BUT SOME WAYS DOWNTON, AS A SERI, IS STRONGER FOR TERMS OF LONG-TERM MARKETG.”THIS IS THE REALY OF MATAG AN ENGLISH MANOR HOE THE 21ST CENTURY: HAVG A SOLID LONG-TERM MARKETG STRATEGY. FELLOW NOTED THAT EVEN IF, AS THE VIEWERS WISH, MARY AND MATTHEW WERE TO TIE THE KNOT AND KEEP DOWNTON ABBEY CRAWLEY HANDS WOULD BE ON THEIR WATCH, OR PERHAPS THEIR CHILDREN’S, THAT THE FAY WOULD SUCCUMB TO THE EVABLE AND START RENTG THE PLACE OUT AS “A VENUE FOR MARRIAG.”HIGHCLERE IS ED AVAILABLE FOR WEDDGS; WHE RECEPTN TENTS WERE BEG ERECTED THE RAY FIELDS AT THE VERY TIME I PAID MY VIS. IT IS ALSO, DURG THE SUMMER MONTHS, OPEN TO VISORS OM SUNDAY TO THURSDAY—A BOON TO THE MANY ANGLOPHILIC DOWNTON PILGRIMS OM OVERSEAS, FOR WHOM SEEG THE PLACE WHERE MARY PH MATTHEW A WHEELCHAIR IS AK TO VIEWG ELVIS’S GRAVE AT GRACELAND. LADY CARNARVON IS CHEERFULLY PRAGMATIC ABOUT ALL THIS. SHE ACTIVELY MPAIGNED FOR CARNIVAL AND ITV, THE MERCIAL CHANNEL ON WHICH DOWNTON AIRS BRA, TO E HIGHCLERE THE SHOW. “JULIAN WROTE FOR HERE, BEE HE KNOWS THE HOE,” SHE SAID. “HE HAS EXPERIENCED THE NORMAL WEEKEND PARTY HERE. HE KNOWS HOW THE ROOMS WORK, HOW THE DOORS WORK—BEE, A SENSE, THE MA ACTN IS WALKG THROUGH DOORS.”THE DOWNTON BOOST HAS ASSURED THE CARNARVONS THAT THEY N NTUE TO FANCE THE UPKEEP AND IMPROVEMENT OF HIGHCLERE, MUCH OF WHICH HAD FALLEN TO DISREPAIR UNR PREV EARLS. IT ISN’T SO MUCH THE TV MONEY THAT HELPS—“THE E OM A DAY’S SHOOTG PROBABLY WON’T EVEN PAY FOR MY PPUCCO,” LADY CARNARVON SAID—AS THE PLATFORM THE SHOW PROVIS FOR TOURISM AND ANCILLARY PROJECTS. LADY CARNARVON HAS ALREADY PUBLISHED ONE WELL-RECEIVED BOOK ABOUT THE STLE’S EDWARDIAN YEARS, LADY ALMA AND THE REAL DOWNTON ABBEY, AND IS AT WORK ON ANOTHER HISTORIL BOOK, A HIGHCLERE OKBOOK (ALBE, DISAPPOTGLY, NOT THE MRS. PATMORE COOKBOOK), AND A PRODUCT LE OF HIGHCLERE BATH SOAPS AND HOEHOLD GIFTS. LADY VLET’S PLUMED HEAD WOULD NO DOUBT WOBBLE ON S BASE DISAPPROVAL, BUT, THE DAYS, A HOME N NO LONGER BE JT A HOME.WHEN THE DOORBELL MA S BRRRG-BRRRG SOUND, DITG THAT MY B HAD ARRIVED AND WAS TIME FOR ME TO LEAVE HIGHCLERE, WAS NOT A LATTER-DAY CARSON BUT LADY CARNARVON HERSELF WHO HOPPED TO HER FEET, OPENED THE ONT DOOR TO GREET THE DRIVER, AND, THE VERY SPOT ON THE PEBBLED DRIVE WHERE THE FOOTMEN STAND AT ATTENTN ON TELEVISN, BA ME GOOD-BYE.REALY TELEVISNPEOPLE WH HO AND TL, FELLOW MATAS, ARE DUTIFUL, NSTCTIVE MEMBERS OF SOCIETY. “THEY ACCEPT THAT, IF THEY ARE TO HAVE THIS POSN, THEY HAVE TO JTIFY ,” HE SAID. “NOT BY VENTG THE WHEEL BUT BY TAKG ON RPONSIBILY AND DOG THEIR STUFF. POPULAR FICTN NEEDS THE PEOPLE TO BE HORRIBLE RATS, LIVG THEIR STL. BUT THE REALY OF IS THAT MOST OF THE ON I’VE EVER E ACROSS—THE NICE ON AND THE NOT-SO-NICE ON—ALL FEEL THAT THEY HAVE TO DO THEIR STUFF AS A SORT OF EXPRSN OF WHO THEY ARE.”TTH, FELLOW’S VIEW, IS NICER THAN FICTN. “MY OWN BELIEF,” HE SAID, “IS THAT MOST PEOPLE ARE TRYG TO DO THEIR BT. IT DON’T MEAN THEY HAVE NO NASTY SI, OR THAT THEY DON’T HAVE A BAD TEMPER, OR THAT THEY HAVE NEVER DONE ANYTHG THEY FEEL ASHAMED OF. BUT FICTN OPERAT ON PEOPLE WAKG UP TRYG TO BE HORRIBLE, AND I DON’T THK MOST PEOPLE ARE TRYG TO BE HORRIBLE.”DOWNTON ABBEY IS, EFFECTIVELY, THIS BELIEF PUT TO PRACTICE. IN THE NEW SEASON, EVEN THE SHOW’S MOST VILLAO CHARACTER, THOMAS, PLAYED BY ROB JAM-COLLIER THROUGH RPSE-LD EY AND BLUISH CURLS OF CIGARETTE SMOKE, SHOWS A SOFTER SI. “FOR ME, THE FACT THAT THOMAS IS GAY MAK HIM SLIGHTLY SYMPATHETIC,” FELLOW SAID, “BEE BEG GAY THAT PERD WAS A CRIME. HIS NASTS IS HIS WAY OF REVENGG HIMSELF ON A WORLD THAT HAS ALT WH HIM UNJTLY.”WHOUT GETTG TO SPECIFICS, FELLOW EXPLAED THAT “THOMAS HAS A DIFFERENT SHAKE THE THIRD SERI A B,” AND THAT HIS HOMOSEXUALY, WHICH DIDN’T FIGURE MUCH TO SEASON TWO, HAS SOMETHG TO DO WH .THE NEW SEASON OF DOWNTON ABBEY, S CREATOR SAID, “HAS RONANCE WH TODAY, THAT ’S ABOUT FALLOUT: SOCIETY TRYG TO SEE IF N STILL WALK AFTER S LEG WAS BROKEN.” THE 20S HAVE ARRIVED, BUT THEY DO NOT YET ROAR; AS FELLOW SAID WH CHARACTERISTIC THORY AND PRECISN, “THE YEAR OF THE CHARLTON WAS ’26.”HOW MUCH LONGER THE PROGRAM SELF WILL NTUE IS UNROLVED. ONE THG FELLOW IS CERTA OF IS THAT HE DON’T WANT THE PLOT TO RRY OVER TO WORLD WAR II, WHICH HE FEELS IS WELL-TROD TERRORY. GOSFORD PARK WAS VERY REFULLY SET NOVEMBER 1932, HE SAID, “BEE BOB ALTMAN DIDN’T WANT CHRISTMAS AND NEHER OF WANTED THE NAZIS.”THERE WILL FELY BE A FOURTH SEASON AND PROBABLY A FIFTH, BUT KG A SHOW FOR ALL ’S WORTH IS NOT THE TENTN. “WHAT WE DON’T WANT,” FELLOW SAID, “IS TO GO TOO FAR AHEAD AND HAVE THE ACTORS DOG WOBBLY-STICK ACTG WH TALCUM POWR THEIR HAIR.” IT WOULDN’T BE, HE MIGHT HAVE OBSERVED, THE DONE THG.DAVID KAMP

“For me, the fact that Thomas is gay mak him slightly sympathetic, ” Fellow said, “bee beg gay that perd was a crime. ”Whout gettg to specifics, Fellow explaed that “Thomas has a different shake the third seri a b, ” and that his homosexualy, which didn’t figure much to Season Two, has somethg to do wh new season of Downton Abbey, s creator said, “has ronance wh today, that ’s about fallout: society tryg to see if n still walk after s leg was broken. ”On the portrayal of gay life 1920s Bra“There's no reason to believe there's any smaller percentage of people were gay 1927 than there are now.

And I hope that through the film, that was very very difficult to be gay and to live a life.

THE GILD AGE GIV DOWNTON ABBEY FANS A DOSE OF AMERIN OPULENCEJULIAN FELLOW OFFERS UP ANOTHER GUILTY-ISH GLIMPSE OF LUDICRO WEALTH.BY RICHARD LAWSONJANUARY 20, 2022PHOTO BY ALISON COHEN ROSA/HBO MAXSAVE THIS STORYSAVESAVE THIS STORYSAVEWE ALL LOVED DOWNTON ABBEY. OR AT LEAST MANY OF WERE ENTHRALLED BY JULIAN FELLOW’S SOAPY MAIDS-AND-MANOR-BORNS DRAMA, A SURPRISE SMASH H THAT RAN FOR SIX SEASONS AND SPAWNED A MOVIE, WH ANOTHER ON THE WAY. BUT THERE WAS A BIG PROBLEM WH THE SHOW, ONE THAT WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO PE: NOT ENOUGH AMERINS! CORA, THE YANKEE HEIRS WHO MARRIED TO BRISH ARISTOCRACY, WAS PRETTY MUCH . BUT EVERYONE, EVERYWHERE, WANTS TO SEE MORE AMERINS THGS, WHICH IS WHY FELLOW HAS SOUGHT TO RECTIFY THE ISSUE.HE’S DONE SO WH THE GILD AGE (HBO, JANUARY 24), A NEW SERI ABOUT THE WORLD CORA LEFT BEHD TO MOVE ACROSS THE OCEAN. IT’S 1880S NEW YORK CY, WHERE OLD, PRE-REVOLUTNARY MONEY MGL, AND CLASH, WH THE GDY ARRIVIST MA FABULOLY RICH BY STEEL AND RAILROADS AND OTHER THGS THAT LURCHED THE PLA TO THE MORN ERA. IT IS BOTH PREQUEL, OF A SORT, AND PLEMENT TO DOWNTON ABBEY, MORE NCERNED WH LARGER SYSTEMS OF INDTRIAL AGE WEALTH AND PRIVILEGE THAN WH ONE LORDLY FAY. THAT’S FASCATG, AND DAMNG, HISTORY TO EXPLORE. BUT FELLOW ISN’T ONE TO DO TOO MUCH CRIL VTIGATN OF THE LAVISHNS HE SO ADOR. SO THE GILD AGE IS MOSTLY OTH AND LIGHT, A B OF PARLOR TRIGUE THAT FLS BY ENTERTAGLY AND WHOUT MUCH NSEQUENCE. THAT MAK MUCH LIKE DOWNTON ABBEY, THOUGH THAT SERI DID VEER TO HEAVY MELODRAMA ON OCSN.IN THE FIVE GILD AGE EPISOS I’VE SEEN, SUCH ATH OR MISERY ONLY BARELY OCCURS. THE MA TENSN OF THE SERI IS BETWEEN THE OLD MONEY VAN RHIJN FAY AND THE RSELLS, NEW MONEY RAILROAD TYONS WHO’VE MOVED TO A RECENTLY BUILT PALACE ACROSS THE STREET. ORPHANED AND PENNILS, YOUNG MARIAN BROOK (LOUISA JABSON) TO LIVE WH HER NTS AGN (CHRISTE BARANSKI) AND ADA (CYNTHIA NIXON), CUR ABOUT CENTRAL PARK EAST SOCIETY BUT SKEPTIL OF , TOO. AGN MARRIED TO THE VAN RHIJN FAY TO SAVE HERSELF AND HER SISTER OM , AND JEALOLY GUARDS THEIR FORTABLE PLACE THE CY’S HIERARCHY; SHE IS TERMED THAT MARIAN MARRY REFULLY AND WELL. ON THE RSELL SI OF THGS, CARRIE COON PLAYS AMB CLIMBER BERTHA, WIFE TO THLS ROBBER BARON GEE (MAN SPECTOR). SHE IS ROUTELY SHUNNED BY WOMEN LIKE AGN, WHO SEE BERTHA’S AMBN AND OPULENT LIFTYLE AS GDY TERLOPG. FELLOW IS EPLY VTED THIS NFLICT; EPISO AFTER EPISO SE BERTHA TRY AND FAIL TO BREAK TO THE NER CIRCLE OF MRS. ASTOR’S FOUR HUNDRED WHILE AGN AND OTHERS TURN UP THEIR NOS, OR WORSE. THE REPETN MAY GROW A B TIROME, BUT COON AND BARANSKI ARE MAGIC ENOUGH TO KEEP VTED.FELLOW TRI TO WORK SOME MORE PROBG SOCIAL MENTARY WH A CHARACTER, PEGGY, PLAYED BY DENéE BENTON. RACE WAS HARDLY MENTNED ON DOWNTON ABBEY, WHEREAS THE NEW WORLD OF THE GILD AGE PROV UNAVOIDABLE. PEGGY IS TED AND CLEVER, AN ASPIRG WRER. SHE SOON FDS HERSELF WORKG AS AGN’S SECRETARY (AGN WR A LOT OF LETTERS) AND BE THE EQUENT PANN AND NFIDANT OF MARIAN. AS A BLACK WOMAN A STRGENTLY WHE ENVIRONMENT, PEGGY IS CERTALY AN OUTSIR, AND IS TREATED AS SUCH BY SOME. BUT THE GILD AGE IS TOO NCERNED WH GENTILY TO GO HARD ON PEGGY’S OTHERNS AND ALIENATN. HER WELL-HEELED PARENTS, PLAYED BY AUDRA MACDONALD AND JOHN DOUGLAS THOMPSON, ARE MORE DISAPPROVG OF PEGGY’S ENTREE TO THIS UPTOWN ESYSTEM (THEY LIVE AMONG BLACK SOCIETY BROOKLYN) THAN ARE THE PEOPLE WH , WHICH DON’T RG QUE RIGHT. PEGGY’S CHOICE IS AMED AS A BRAVE AND PENNT ONE, AS IF IS ONLY NATURAL THAT SOMEONE SHOULD CRAVE CLOSENS TO THIS GLOWG NEX OF POWER.THAT ARHMETIC SEEMS A LTLE OFF, BUT AS THE SERI GO, PEGGY’S MANVERG OF HER BIFURTED LIFE GROWS MORE PLEX AND TERTG. MY HOPE IS THAT HER ARC IS ACTUALLY RRYG HER AWAY OM ALL THIS OLIGARCHIC AWFULNS, NOT TRYG TO GRATIATE HER TO . AS WAS TE OF DOWNTON ABBEY, THERE IS A MA-ISH GAY CHARACTER ON THE GILD AGE, ONCE AGA A MOSTLY CLOSETED SCHEMER AND HALF VILLA—BEE, I SUPPOSE, FELLOW IS GOG TO FELLOW. THIS CHARACTER AT LEAST IS SHOWN MOMENTS OF TIMACY WH ANOTHER MAN, GNIZANT THAT HE MT MARRY A WOMAN TO KEEP UP APPEARANC, BUT STEADFASTLY TERMED TO MATA HIS DISCREET LIFTYLE ALL THE WHILE. IS THAT PROGRS? MAYBE, THOUGH I HOPE HE DON’T GET STUCK THE SAME EDDY OF SECRECY AND NNIVG THAT TRAPPED DOWNTON’S THOMAS. MOST POPULAROUR FLAG MEANS DEATH SEASON 2: EXCLIVE FIRST LOOKBY SARAH CATHERALLNEW ON NETFLIX: SEPTEMBER 2023'S BT NEW MOVI & SHOWSBY CHRIS MURPHYFLORENCE PUGH SAYS CHRISTOPHER NOLAN “APOLOGIZED” FOR HER SMALL OPPENHEIMER ROLEBY SAVANNAH WALSHTHOMAS WAS A SERVANT OF THE TATE, PART OF THE DOWNSTAIRS HALF OF THE ENSEMBLE. THE GILD AGE ISN’T SO EQUALLY DIVID, THOUGH THERE ARE A VAST NUMBER OF DOMTIC CHARACTERS WHO BTLE AND OUT OF EPISOS ON THEIR OWN LTLE PLOT URS. THEY ARE, ALMOST TO A PERSON, PLAYED BY BIG NAM OM THE NEW YORK THEATER WORLD OF TODAY, ONE OF THE PLEASUR OF WATCHG A SHOW THAT’S BEEN ST BY BERNIE TELSEY. MOST OF THE ENTIRE TROUPE, HAV AND HAVE-NOTS, IS MA UP OF ACTORS YOU MIGHT HAVE SEEN ON BROADWAY OR OFF, ALL TUCKG TO SOME CHY TV WORK WH ELAN. MICHAEL CERVERIS AND DEBRA MONK ARE HOEHOLD STAFF! KATIE FNERAN AND KELLI O’HARA ARE MEAN-GIRL ENEMI OF CARRIE COON! DONNA MURPHY IS MRS. ASTOR! AND SO ON AND SO ON. I DOUBT MY EXCEMENT ABOUT THOSE FOOTLIGHT NOTABL WILL BE SHARED BY THE MAJORY OF THE PEOPLE WATCHG THE SHOW, BUT THE THEATER EASTER EGGS ARE CERTALY THERE FOR THOSE WHO RE TO ENJOY. SIMPLE ENJOYMENT IS ALL ONE N REALLY GLEAN OM THIS SERI. THE GILD AGE IS NOT SEEKG TO PAT A HORRIFYG PORTRA OF AMERIN PLUTOCRACY, NOR IS OFFERG ANY SORT OF SEARCHG TREATISE ON THE EQUI OF RACISM, SEXISM, AND HOMOPHOBIA. THOSE SOCIAL ILLS ARE THERE—MORE THAN WDOW DRSG, LS THAN FOC—BUT THE MA DRIVE OR TENT OF THE GILD AGE IS TO TILLATE LIKE A GOOD GOSSIP SSN MIGHT. TO MAKE THE DIENCE FEEL THE GIDDY TGLE OF WHISPERED SNDAL, TO BE LULLED BY THE FORMALY OF UPPER CST M. IF THAT STUFF DIDN’T WORK FOR YOU WHEN DOWNTON REIGNED SUPREME, LIKELY WON’T AGA WHEN THE GILD AGE ARRIV ON MONDAY. AND THAT’S JT FE. THOSE NOT TERTED ARE PROBABLY BETTER OFF—AND MAYBE EVEN MORALLY SUPERR—FOR NOT FALLG PREY TO THE FANTASI OF WEALTH, THE SYMPATHETIC PICTNS OF PAMPERED IDTS WHO HAVE NOTHG BETTER TO DO THAN ET OVER WHO GETS VED TO A LUNCHEON. BUT IF YOU ARE LOOKG FOR THE IMMERSIVE DISTRACTN OF A TRIP TO THE WELL-APPOTED CLIM OF YTERYEAR, THE GILD AGE SERV THAT UP WH EAGER LARGSE. CONSUMG THE RICH ISN’T QUE EATG THEM, BUT ’LL DO UNTIL THE RECKONG .MORE GREAT STORI FROM VANY FAIR— TV STAR SARAH WYNTER’S BATTLE WH POSTPARTUM PSYCHOSIS— CARíONA BALFE’S CELTIC CONQUT, FROM OUTLANR TO BELFAST— THE BT MOVI AND SHOWS STREAMG ON NETFLIX THIS MONTH— 21 WARDROBE WNERS INSPIRED BY AND JT LIKE THAT…— WHAT VIVIAN VANCE DIDN’T LOVE ABOUT I LOVE LUCY— THE LIFE AND DEATH OF ROSANNE BOYLAND, A CAPOL RTER— INSECURE’S NATASHA ROTHWELL CAN DO IT ALL— FROM THE ARCHIVE: JOAN DIDN, OUR LADY OF L.A.— SIGN UP FOR THE “HWD DAILY” NEWSLETTER FOR MT-READ DTRY AND AWARDS VERAGE—PL A SPECIAL WEEKLY EDN OF “AWARDS INSIR.”RICHARD LAWSON

Durg this week’s podst, hosts Lley Goldberg and Daniel Fienberg s down wh the Emmy and Osr wner to discs the HBO show’s -long velopment procs and the perd drama’s exploratn of Black and gay characters. As was te of Downton Abbey, there is a ma-ish gay character on The Gild Age, once aga a mostly closeted schemer and half villa—bee, I suppose, Fellow is gog to Fellow.

IS JULIAN FELLOW GAY?

” There are ocsnal flash of Downton-que absurdy: A French chef is a walkg wheel of Gallic chee; a hoemaid schem wh a closeted gay man an alliance ripped right out of the Crawley hoehold. As much as some voic the field of munitn and ter have speculated if Julian Fellow is gay, there is no kd of evince that n rroborate this. However, you will fd people that say Julian Fellow is gay, but their ments have no nsistency or accuracy of any type.

Although Julian Fellow has refed on numero ocsns to beg homosexual, mors are nstantly found on-le.

JULIAN FELLOW ON GAY STORY LE AND MATTHEW CRAWLEY'S DEATH DOWNTON ABBEY

Although Julian Fellow has never said to be homosexual, beg a famo artist and homosexual is somethg unrstood as normal by the society. Vooxpopuli manag thoands of famo celebri and 's possible we missed some tails about the qutn - Is Julian Fellow gay? In particular, the revelatn that the servant Thomas is gay is somewhat radil for the perd.

" Ined, was a dangero time for homosexuals, the attus of other characters to which Fellow chose not to soften.

" Thomas' homosexualy wasn't the only shock for Downton the fal episo, as Matthew Crawley, heir to the tate, father to a newborn and hband to Lady Crawley, died right at the end a r crash. And while several characters have obv “Downton” unterparts (cludg life the closet for gays durg this era), the Yankee flavor distguish the seri enough to stand apart om .

Julian Fellow on Gay Story Le and Matthew Crawley's Death Downton Abbey |

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IS JULIAN FELLOW GAY?

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Julian Fellow on Gay Story Le and Matthew Crawley's Death Downton Abbey |

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IS JULIAN FELLOW GAY?

JULIAN FELLOW ON GAY STORY LE AND MATTHEW CRAWLEY'S DEATH DOWNTON ABBEY

*BEAR-MAGAZINE.COM* IS JULIAN FELLOWES GAY

BEAR-MAGAZINE.COM IS JULIAN FELLOWES GAY