BBC brings Downton Abbey to SA screens

Cape Town – No, it's not Downtown. It's Downton.

The BBC has secured British drama Downton Abbey for South African viewers which is coming to BBC Entertainment (DStv channel 120) from February 19 at 20:30.

The sumptuous costume drama with a lavish budget of £1m per episode – a kind of delicious Dynasty meets Gosford Park – has captivated British and American TV audiences with its pleasurable parallel stories between the stiff upper class living at the Downton Abbey mansion sipping champagne and the gossiping servants who take it to them.

Multiple schemes, dastardly plots and torrid love affairs in this new love story for the ages have viewers enthralled. The first season, with stars such as Dame Maggie Smith who throws delicious sarcastic one-liners, has seven episodes.

The second season of nine episodes just started in the US and the show has been renewed for a third.

100 years ago

Downton Abbey, created and written by Julian Fellowes, starts exactly 100 years ago in April 1912 with the news of the sinking of the Titanic.

Because an heir has died, it sets in motion major scheming and upheaval at the superficially stately Downton mansion lorded over by the Earl of Grantham.

Downton Abbey is filled with diverse and intriguing characters such as three ambitious sisters looking for men who can support their old-moneyed existence, a scheming gay footman, a limp valet with a dark history, a blubbering kitcken cook with a secret, Mr Carson, the butler and Mrs Hughes, the housekeeper, as well as new visitors who are going to upset the status quo at the country house.

Downton Abbey has already won numerous British awards and last year took home five Primetime Emmy Awards after it started airing in the US.

Watch the promo for Downton Abbey here: