Downton Abbey: The London Season (Christmas Special 2013) [DVD]

Product Information

Matthew Reginald Crawley (played by Dan Stevens) (1885–1921) is a middle-class distant cousin of the Crawleys who becomes the heir to the estate in the first episode and soon after moves to Downton. He finds it difficult to reconcile the traditionalist, aristocratic lifestyle of Downton with his middle-class upbringing, but he is eventually accepted into the family and becomes something of a surrogate son to Lord Grantham. Matthew and Mary fall in love, but circumstances separate them, and Matthew becomes engaged to Lavinia Swire. Matthew is paralysed from the waist down while serving in the First World War, but, after a miraculous recovery and difficulty moving past Lavinia's death from Spanish flu, he and Mary wed in 1920. After a financial scare, Matthew becomes a co-owner of the estate, and begins working on plans to modernise it with the new agent, brother-in-law Tom Branson. In September 1921, Mary gives birth to their son George, but Matthew is killed in a car crash while driving home from the hospital. [4] Following his death, his son George becomes the heir to the earldom, and a letter is found that serves as a will for Mary to inherit Matthew's share of Downton. Weekly Top 10 Programmes: ITV HD w/e 29 September 2013". Broadcasters' Audience Research Board. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016 . Retrieved 13 October 2013. With the possibility of Alfred leaving to pursue his dreams of being a chef, Mr Carson offers Molesley a job as second footman if Alfred leaves. Molesley is not happy with the prospect, thinking it degrading to become a footman when he has been trained as a valet and butler. In the end, when Alfred does leave, Molesley seeks the job but Carson refuses, citing his great reluctance. But Mrs Hughes and Mrs Patmore intervene and Carson eventually gives in and takes Molesley on as a second footman. Even so, the family still call him by his last name. He finds himself mutually attracted to Lady Grantham's new maid, Baxter. By the end of the series, Molesley finds work as a schoolteacher. Weekly Top 10 Programmes: ITV1+1 w/e 30 October 2011". Broadcasters' Audience Research Board . Retrieved 7 November 2011. Ethel Parks (played by Amy Nuttall) was the new maid introduced in the second series as Gwen's replacement. Outspoken, Ethel does not like being told what to do by anyone, which often has her in conflict with Anna or Mrs Hughes. She says that she does not want to be in service for the rest of her life and often complains about her surroundings.

Alfred's largest rival is fellow footman Jimmy Kent, who is shorter than Alfred, but quite handsome. They are both in competition for the top position of first footman, which Jimmy is constantly sabotaging Alfred for. But because Ivy has a crush on Jimmy, Alfred decides to confront Jimmy about the fact that he's not interested in her. When he pushes into Jimmy's room, he catches Thomas Barrow in the act of trying to kiss Jimmy. Horrified, Alfred is pressured by his aunt, O'Brien, to report the incident to Carson, as homosexuality is considered a crime at this time. Poor Alfred is used as a pawn in his aunt's scheming, which eventually comes to nothing. In the series three Christmas Special, he tries to call Jimmy off his aggressive streak towards Thomas, and then spends the rest of the episode talking about his interest in cooking. In series Four, Alfred pursues that interest and leaves Downton to become a chef at the Ritz. In the first feature film, Bertie is asked by King George V to accompany him on a three-month tour of Africa. However, Edith reveals to him that she is pregnant, and the child's birth will coincide with Bertie's departure date. Unable to get out of his commitment himself, Bertie's mother-in-law Cora and Queen Mary intercede on his behalf. In the second film, Bertie and Edith's infant son is named Peter, presumably after Bertie's cousin. Weekly Top 10 Programmes: ITV1+1 w/e 4 November 2012". Broadcasters' Audience Research Board. Archived from the original on 13 January 2013 . Retrieved 14 December 2012. John Drake (played by Fergus O'Donnell) is a tenant farmer on the estate of the Earl of Grantham. He is married and has several young children. In March 1913, he is diagnosed as suffering from dropsy of the heart and is certain to die. Isobel Crawley knows of a cure, but as a modern medical technique it is unfamiliar to Dr Clarkson, who is reluctanBeryl Patmore (played by Lesley Nicol) is the cook at Downton. Mrs Patmore is in charge of the kitchen and kitchen staff. She takes great pride in her cooking and is a perfectionist in the kitchen. When the food does not meet her exacting standards, she takes her frustration out on the maids, especially Daisy. Throughout the first series she is often seen bossing around and shouting at Daisy while working but cares for her like a daughter and often offers her advice. She also seems to have protective feelings towards Daisy when she suspects that some of the other staff such as Thomas or Miss O'Brien are trying to make a fool or take advantage of her. Occasionally her caring attitude may become even counterproductive, as when she advises that Daisy should not sacrifice that much of her spare time to try to self-educate herself, as she sees that hopes for that kind of lifestyle which would justify such efforts are set too high considering Daisy's chances to move in the social hierarchy of that era. Downton Abbey film confirmed to shoot this summer with series cast returning". The Guardian. 13 July 2018. Archived from the original on 15 November 2020 . Retrieved 14 July 2018. Weekly Top 30 Programmes: ITV1 w/e 28 October 2012". Broadcasters' Audience Research Board. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016 . Retrieved 14 December 2012. Weekly Top 10 Programmes: ITV1 HD w/e 14 October 2012". Broadcasters' Audience Research Board. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016 . Retrieved 29 October 2012. Weekly Top 10 Programmes: ITV HD w/e 6 October 2013". Broadcasters' Audience Research Board. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016 . Retrieved 14 October 2013.

Herbert "Bertie" Pelham (played by Harry Hadden-Paton) first appears in the 2014 Christmas special "A Moorland Holiday" as the land agent of the Brancaster estate. He encounters Edith during a round of grouse shooting and keeps company with her during afternoon tea and the evening festivities. A quiet, unassuming and sensitive man devoid of any real ambition, he is a distant cousin to the current Marquess of Hexham, to whom he is very close. Bertie later encounters Edith in London and helps her with her all-night push to get her magazine to the printer. The pair see each other often in London during series six and they fall in love, Andrew is hired by Carson on a temporary basis to work the week of Lady Rose MacClare's wedding at Grantham House in London. He formerly worked as a hall boy, but wants to become a footman. The Dowager Countess's Lady's Maid Gladys Denker takes advantage of him to go out drinking, but Thomas Barrow comes to his rescue, teaching Denker a lesson in the process. In the third series, she grows to like Alfred but resents Ivy, the new kitchen maid, who steals Alfred's attention. By series four the love triangle is getting nowhere until Alfred decides to leave after catching Ivy kissing Jimmy. Daisy is devastated and blames Ivy. She decides to avoid seeing him when he comes to say final goodbyes, but her father-in-law, whom she goes to see, convinces her she must say goodbye to him. When she does, Alfred apologises to her, regretting being blinded by his infatuation for Ivy and failing to see how good and true Daisy had been to him. Daisy admits she loved Alfred, but that is gone and they need to go their separate ways. They agree to be friends forever. In 1923 Harold Levinson apparently takes a liking to Daisy's cooking, and his valet Ethan Slade offers Daisy a position so she can come to America and work for him. She declines.Weekly Top 10 Programmes: ITV1+1 w/e 25 December 2011". Broadcasters' Audience Research Board . Retrieved 3 January 2012. Baxter and Molesley become very close in the course of the final series and the two films; in A New Era, Baxter accepts Molesley's marriage proposal. Late Summer of 1923 - "The American Contingency" - namely Martha and Harold Levinson - arrive earlier than expected to Grantham House, and Cora misses their arrival. Martha has expressed a desire to, in Robert's words, "see another London season before she dies." Harold expresses how uncomfortable he feels in England. He has "never seen the need to leave his country." Weekly Top 10 Programmes: ITV1+1 w/e 9 October 2011". Broadcasters' Audience Research Board . Retrieved 21 October 2011.