"Downton Abbey," the Emmy award-winning upstairs-downstairs drama, returns to American TV on Sunday, January 5, for its fourth season. The Crawley family has seen two additions to the family in the wake of some (spoiler alert) shocking deaths. Expect all sorts of new drama from the family now that they're heading into the Roaring '20s, and look out for some new faces walking the halls. Let's see where we left off.
From left, Penelope Wilton as Isobel Crawley; Maggie Smith as Violet, Dowager Countess; Dan Stevens as Matthew Crawley; Hugh Bonneville as Lord Grantham; Allen Leech as Tom Branson; Ruairi Conaghan as Kieran Branson; Michelle Dockery as Lady Mary Crawley; Elizabeth McGovern as Cora, Countess of Grantham; and Laura Carmichael as Lady Edith Crawley.
Newly widowed Lady Mary (Michelle Dockery) must deal with life as a single mom since Matthew's death, but how will she cope? It may not be long before our icy heroine is on the hunt for a new suitor.
Isobel Crawley (Penelope Wilton) will surely be reeling from the unexpected passing of her son, but will Matthew's mother play a large part in raising her grandson, or will this be the last we see of her?
Molesley (Kevin Doyle) is without an employer after Matthew's death last season. But we think we'll still be seeing the former butler. (Also pictured, Siobhan Finneran as O'Brien.)
Lady Edith (Laura Carmichael) has become a working woman, writing for a major newspaper. Will the other Crawley sister give in to her feelings for her older publisher?
Tom Branson (Allen Leech) has been spending the last year and a half as a widowed father since the death of Lady Sybil. Branson must now fend off the advances of new staffers at Downton.
Lord Grantham (Hugh Bonneville, left) is faced with the challenges of getting his widowed daughter back on her feet, as well as getting the estate in a financially sound place. (Jim Carter as Mr. Carson pictured, right.)
The Dowager Countess (Maggie Smith) continues her reign as the "Queen of Sass" at Downton, taking down everyone and everything in her path.
Mr. Carson (Jim Carter) must help the downstairs staff adjust to the changes being implemented around Downton, including a major change for O'Brien (Siobhan Finneran).
(Pictured, Joanne Froggatt as Anna, Rob James-Collier as Thomas, Phyllis Logan as Mrs Hughes, Jim Carter as Carson, Siobhan Finneran as Sarah O'Brien, Kevin Doyle as Molesley.)
With Mr. Bates (Brendan Coyle) out of prison, Lord Grantham's valet can begin his life in wedded bliss to Anna.
Anna (Joanne Froggatt) has worked to get Bates out of prison, and now she can finally enjoy having her husband back at Downton. (Also pictured, Matt Milne as Alfred, left and Rob James-Collier as Thomas).
With Daisy (Sophie McShera) gaining more responsibility in the kitchen, she will have to keep her personal feelings for footman Alfred at bay.
Cora (Elizabeth McGovern) must put aside her duties as Lady Grantham and help her eldest daughter in her time of need.
Shirley MacLaine returns as Cora's mother, Martha Levinson, to bring some much needed Yank zest to Downton.
Mrs. Patmore (Lesley Nicol) has more on her hands in the kitchen, continuing to deal with the drama of her young mentees Daisy and Ivy. Will the head cook get some well-deserved time for herself?
Diversity at Downton! Gary Carr joins the series this season as Jack Ross, a jazz singer who is described as both charming and charismatic.
Cousin Rose (Lily James) is back, and expect the rebellious teen to stay within trouble's reach. (Also pictured, Edward Baker-Duly as Margadale)
- At least 10.2 million viewers tune in Sunday to season 4 premiere
- That's up from 7.9 million at the start of "Downton's" season three
- PBS executive says the show has become a post-holiday tradition
(CNN) -- The "Downton Abbey" phenomenon just keeps getting bigger.
Sunday's season four premiere of the upstairs-downstairs drama on PBS broke the ratings record that was set by the premiere of season three. According to Nielsen data, at least 10.2 million viewers tuned in on Sunday night, up from 7.9 million at the start of season three.
This was more than a "personal best" for "Downton." The season four premiere outperformed every other drama on Sunday night, too. CBS's "The Good Wife," for instance, had 9.2 million viewers; ABC's "Revenge" had 6.7 million. (All these totals will increase once several days of digital video recorder viewership is factored in.)
PBS isn't rated like a traditional network because it doesn't carry traditional commercials.
But even last season's "Downton" premiere was described as one of the highest-rated events in the history of the public broadcasting network; analysts said PBS hadn't seen numbers this high since the premiere of the "Civil War" documentary series in 1990. An apples-to-apples comparison is impossible because of changes in ratings methodology. But the season four premiere affirms that "Downton" is making history for the network.
Season four, of course, debuted several months ago in the United Kingdom. PBS has received no small amount of criticism for its decision to delay the episodes in the United States, and the network's executives are aware that some fans get a sneak peek by finding the episodes illegally on the Internet. But they say the sky-high ratings two seasons in a row are proof that their scheduling strategy is a wise one.
Paula Kerger, the chief executive of PBS, said in a statement on Monday, "I'm so pleased that millions of viewers have returned to 'Downton Abbey' on their local PBS stations for what has become a post-holiday tradition."
Rebecca Eaton, the executive producer of "Masterpiece," added, "Julian Fellowes has written every word of all four seasons of 'Downton,' and I toss him a huge bouquet on behalf of his American fans."
The premiere ratings suggest "Downton" could grow to be even more popular as the season progresses. Last year 8.2 million viewers tuned in on the night of the season three finale, and more than 4 million tuned in later, for a total of 12.3 million. That's the next "personal best" for the drama to beat.
