History of Downton Abbey in Timeline
Downton Abbey is a British historical drama series created by Julian Fellowes, set in the early 20th century. It premiered on ITV in the UK in 2010 and PBS in the US in 2011, running for six series and featuring Christmas specials. The show portrays the lives of the aristocratic Crawley family and their domestic servants at their Yorkshire country estate, Downton Abbey, depicting significant historical events such as the sinking of the Titanic, World War I, and the Spanish flu pandemic, and the social changes of the era.
April 1912: Sinking of the RMS Titanic
On April 15, 1912, news reaches Downton Abbey of the sinking of the RMS Titanic, in which both James and Patrick Crawley perished. This event sets the stage for the introduction of Matthew Crawley as the new heir presumptive.
1912: Setting of Downton Abbey
In 1912, the series is set on the fictional Yorkshire country estate of Downton Abbey where it depicts the lives of the Crawley family and their domestic servants.
August 1914: Outbreak of the First World War
In August 1914, the series ends just after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and the outbreak of the First World War.
1916: The Battle of the Somme
In 1916, the second series takes place during the Battle of the Somme. Downton Abbey is temporarily converted into an officers' convalescent hospital.
1918: Spanish flu pandemic
In 1918, the second series takes place during the Spanish flu pandemic.
1920: Preparations for Mary and Matthew's wedding
In 1920, preparations are underway for Mary and Matthew's wedding. Tom and Sybil Branson arrive from Ireland, where they now live, to attend the wedding. Cora's mother, Martha Levinson, also arrives from America.
1921: Preparations for Mary and Matthew's wedding
In 1921, preparations are underway for Mary and Matthew's wedding. Tom and Sybil Branson arrive from Ireland, where they now live, to attend the wedding. Cora's mother, Martha Levinson, also arrives from America.
1922: O'Brien leaves Downton Abbey
In 1922, O'Brien leaves Downton Abbey to serve Lady Flintshire in Bombay. Cora hires Edna Braithwaite.
1923: Edna is replaced by Phyllis Baxter
In 1923, Edna is eventually replaced by Phyllis Baxter.
1923: Crawleys attend a shooting party at Brancaster Castle
In 1923, the Crawleys are invited to Brancaster Castle for a shooting party, where Lady Rose helps defuse a personal disaster for Lord Sinderby. Following the 1923 general election results, the Crawleys auction off a della Francesca painting and hire a second footman. Tom announces he is moving to Boston, and Mr. Carson proposes to Mrs. Hughes.
1923: British general election of 1923 and the Beer Hall Putsch
In 1923, the fifth series covers the British general election and the Beer Hall Putsch and their effects on the lives of the Crawley family and their domestic servants.
1924: Events of series five
In 1924, Prince Kuragin wishes to renew his past affections for the Dowager Countess, Violet reunites the Prince and his estranged wife, Scotland Yard investigates Green's death, Violet learns that Marigold is Edith's daughter, News of Gregson's death in the Beer Hall Putsch reaches Downton, and Robert throws Simon Bricker out for showing his true intentions toward Cora.
1925: Events of the series finale
In 1925, Lord Merton is diagnosed with terminal pernicious anaemia but is later found to have a non-fatal form. Henry and Tom start a used car business, Mary announces her pregnancy, Molesley accepts a teaching position, Daisy and Andy acknowledge their feelings, Carson develops palsy and retires, and Edith and Bertie are married. Anna goes into labour and gives birth to a son.
1926: Downton Abbey Setting End
In 1926, the Downton Abbey series is set on the fictional Yorkshire country estate of Downton Abbey.
1981: Most successful British costume drama since Brideshead Revisited
Since the 1981 television serial of Brideshead Revisited, Downton Abbey became the most successful British costume drama.
February 2009: Success of Whitechapel on ITV
In February 2009, Whitechapel was launched on ITV and was the most successful new drama on any channel since that time.
2009: PBS's highest ratings since 2009
In 2009, the second series of Downton Abbey gave PBS its highest ratings since 2009.
September 2010: First airing on ITV
On September 26, 2010, Downton Abbey first aired on the ITV network in the United Kingdom.
September 2010: Downton Abbey first airs in the UK
On September 26, 2010, Downton Abbey, created and co-written by Julian Fellowes, first aired in the United Kingdom on ITV.
2010: Alastair Bruce hired as historical advisor
In 2010, Alastair Bruce, an expert on state and court ritual, was hired as the historical advisor for Downton Abbey.
January 2011: Downton Abbey airs in the United States
In January 2011, Downton Abbey aired in the United States on PBS, supported by its production as part of its Masterpiece Classic anthology.
January 2011: First broadcast in the United States on PBS
In January 2011, Downton Abbey was first broadcast in the United States on PBS, as part of the 40th season of Masterpiece.
February 2011: First Britain-wide broadcast on ITV3
In February 2011, Downton Abbey received its first Britain-wide broadcast when shown on ITV3.
February 2011: First series aired in Ireland
In February 2011, the independent television channel TV3 concluded airing the first series of Downton Abbey in Ireland, which began in January.
May 2011: First series broadcast in Australia
In May 2011, the first series of Downton Abbey was broadcast on the Seven Network in Australia.
July 2011: STV announces it will show Downton Abbey
In July 2011, STV announced that it would show the first and second series of Downton Abbey as part of its autumn schedule.
September 2011: Release of The World of Downton Abbey
In September 2011, "The World of Downton Abbey", a behind-the-scenes book by Jessica Fellowes, was released.
September 2011: Highest selling DVD boxset
In September 2011, Amazon.com reported that the first series of Downton Abbey had become the highest selling DVD boxset of all time on their website.
September 2011: Soundtrack released
In September 2011, a Downton Abbey soundtrack was released by Decca, featuring music from the series and new songs by John Lunn and Don Black, with vocals from Mary-Jess Leaverland and Alfie Boe.
September 2011: Premiere of second series in Britain
In September 2011, the second series of Downton Abbey premiered in Britain on ITV1, attracting an average audience of 9 million viewers.
September 2011: Airing on VisionTV in Canada
On September 7, 2011, Downton Abbey began airing on VisionTV in Canada.
October 2011: Second series broadcast in New Zealand
In October 2011, the second series of Downton Abbey began airing on Prime in New Zealand.
December 2011: Downton Abbey broadcast on TMC in France
In December 2011, Downton Abbey began broadcasting on TMC in France.
December 2011: Soundtrack release in the US
On December 13, 2011, the soundtrack for Downton Abbey was released in the US, including a suite version and a song performed by Mary-Jess Leaverland with lyrics by Don Black.
2011: Guinness World Record for "Highest critical review ratings for a TV show"
In 2011, Downton Abbey received a Guinness World Record for "Highest critical review ratings for a TV show", achieving an average score of 91 on Metacritic, making it the critically best received TV show in the world. Later in 2011, Season 4 of Breaking Bad surpassed Downton Abbey's record with a score of 96, making the first series of Downton Abbey the second highest rated show of 2011.
2011: Guinness World Records recognition
In 2011, Downton Abbey was recognised by Guinness World Records as the most critically acclaimed English-language television series.
2011: Daily Telegraph profile of Alastair Bruce's role
In 2011, The UK's Daily Telegraph published a profile of Alastair Bruce's role as historical advisor for Downton Abbey, stating that "Downton's authenticity, it seems, is in safe hands."
January 2012: PBS premiere of second series in the US
In January 2012, the PBS premiere of the second series of Downton Abbey attracted 4.2 million viewers, more than doubling the network's average primetime audience.
May 2012: Second series broadcast in Australia
In May 2012, the second series of Downton Abbey began broadcasting on the Seven Network in Australia.
September 2012: Release of The Chronicles of Downton Abbey
In September 2012, "The Chronicles of Downton Abbey", a guide to the show's characters by Jessica Fellowes, was released.
September 2012: Third series premiere in the UK
In September 2012, the third series of Downton Abbey premiered in the UK, drawing an average of 9 million viewers.
October 2012: Third series broadcast in New Zealand
In October 2012, the third series of Downton Abbey began airing on Prime in New Zealand.
November 2012: Release of Downton Abbey: The Essential Collection
In November 2012, a second soundtrack entitled "Downton Abbey: The Essential Collection" was released.
2012: Criticism over Matthew Crawley's Death
In 2012, the death of Matthew Crawley in the Christmas special, following the departure of actor Dan Stevens, drew criticism. Julian Fellowes defended the decision, and Stevens expressed regret that his character died on Christmas Day.
2012: Inveraray Castle used as Duneagle Castle
In the 2012 Christmas special, Inveraray Castle in Argyll, Scotland, doubled as "Duneagle Castle".
January 2013: Third series premiere in the US
In January 2013, the third series of Downton Abbey premiered in the US, averaging 11.5 million viewers.
February 2013: Third series finale in the US
In February 2013, the finale of the third series of Downton Abbey drew 12.3 million viewers in the US, becoming the night's highest-rated show.
February 2013: Third series broadcast in Australia
In February 2013, the third series of Downton Abbey began broadcasting on the Seven Network in Australia.
September 2013: Fourth series premiere in the UK
In September 2013, the fourth series of Downton Abbey premiered in the UK, drawing an average audience of 9.5 million viewers.
October 2013: Viewer complaints over violent scene
In October 2013, the third episode of series four, which aired on October 6, included a warning about violent scenes, specifically the rape of Anna Bates, leading to over 200 complaints to Ofcom and 60 directly to ITV.
November 2013: Ofcom's decision on viewer complaints
In November 2013, Ofcom announced it would not take action over complaints regarding the violent scenes in the third episode of series four. They cited the warning given, the episode's late screening time, and the fact that the rape occurred 'off-screen'.
2013: Ranked as one of the best-written TV shows
In 2013, Downton Abbey was ranked the 43rd most well-written TV show of all time by the Writers Guild of America.
2013: "Downton Abbey law"
In 2013, the Equality (Titles) Bill, nicknamed the "Downton Abbey law", was introduced in the UK Parliament to allow equal succession of female heirs to hereditary titles and peerages.
2013: Lancaster House used as Buckingham Palace
In the 2013 Christmas special, Lancaster House in London stood in for Buckingham Palace.
January 2014: Fourth series premiere in the US
In January 2014, the fourth series of Downton Abbey premiered in the US to an audience of at least 10.2 million viewers, outperforming every other drama that night.
2014: Alnwick Castle filming location for Brancaster Castle
In 2014, Alnwick Castle in Northumberland was the filming location used for Brancaster Castle in the Christmas special.
March 2015: Resignation of Aaron Schock
In March 2015, US Representative Aaron Schock resigned following scrutiny of his expenses, including redecorating his congressional offices in a style inspired by Downton Abbey.
March 2015: Announcement of the sixth series as the last
On March 26, 2015, Carnival Films and ITV announced that the sixth series of Downton Abbey would be the last.
September 2015: Airing of the sixth series on ITV
The sixth series of Downton Abbey aired on ITV between September 20, 2015, and November 8, 2015.
November 2015: Airing of the sixth series on ITV
The sixth series of Downton Abbey aired on ITV between September 20, 2015, and November 8, 2015.
December 2015: Broadcast of the final episode
On December 25, 2015, the final episode of Downton Abbey, the annual Christmas special, was broadcast.
2015: Alnwick Castle filming location for Brancaster Castle
In 2015, Alnwick Castle in Northumberland was the filming location used for Brancaster Castle in the Christmas special.
January 2016: Release of Downton Abbey: The Ultimate Collection
In January 2016, the "Downton Abbey: The Ultimate Collection" soundtrack, featuring music from all six seasons, was released.
2016: Airing of the final season on PBS
In 2016, the final and sixth season of Downton Abbey aired on PBS in the United States.
July 2018: Feature film confirmed
In July 2018, a feature-length Downton Abbey film was confirmed, with production commencing mid-2018.
July 2018: Confirmation of a film adaptation
On July 13, 2018, a film adaptation, a continuation of the Downton Abbey series, was confirmed.
September 2019: The Guardian ranks Downton Abbey 50th on list of 100 best TV shows
In September 2019, The Guardian ranked Downton Abbey 50th on its list of the 100 best TV shows of the 21st century, describing it as "TV drama as comfort blanket" offering solace during a time of austerity.
September 2019: Release of the first Downton Abbey film
In September 2019, the Downton Abbey film adaptation was released in the United Kingdom on September 13 and in the United States on September 20.
2019: Publication of Downton Abbey cookbooks
In 2019, "The Official Downton Abbey Cookbook", featuring Edwardian dishes, and "The Official Downton Abbey Cocktail Book" were published.
2019: Filming locations for the Downton Abbey film
In 2019, the film of Downton Abbey uses many of the television locations such as Highclere Castle and Bampton, as well as exterior shots filmed at Beamish Museum. The North York Moors Railway was used for railway scenes.
2020: NBC Universal takes over US broadcasting rights
In 2020, NBC Universal took over the US broadcasting rights for Downton Abbey for its streaming service Peacock.
2020: Publication of additional Downton Abbey cookbooks
In 2020, two more cookbooks were published: "The Official Downton Abbey Christmas Cookbook" by Regula Ysewijn, and "The Official Downton Abbey Afternoon Tea Cookbook".
April 2021: Filming of sequel begins
In April 2021, filming began for the sequel to the Downton Abbey film.
June 2021: Series available on Netflix
In June 2021, the entire Downton Abbey series was made available on Netflix.
2021: Repeat of the whole series on CBC Television
In 2021, CBC Television repeated the whole Downton Abbey series in Canada.
2021: Availability on Netflix
In 2021, Downton Abbey became available on Netflix.
April 2022: Release of Downton Abbey: A New Era in the UK
In April 2022, Downton Abbey: A New Era, was released in the UK.
May 2022: Release of Downton Abbey: A New Era in the US and Canada
On May 20, 2022, Downton Abbey: A New Era was released in the United States and Canada by Focus Features.
2022: Airing on the E! network
In 2022, Downton Abbey also aired on the E! network in the United States.
2022: Debut of The Gilded Age
In 2022, Julian Fellowes's "The Gilded Age" debuted on HBO, portraying New York in the 1880s. It was hinted that some Downton Abbey characters could appear in the new show.
March 2024: Imelda Staunton Reveals Plans for Third Film
In March 2024, Imelda Staunton revealed on BBC Radio 2 that a third Downton Abbey film is in development.
May 2024: Announcement of third film cast
On May 13, 2024, it was announced on social media and the Focus Films website that a third Downton Abbey film is planned, with new cast members joining.
June 2024: Release date announced for third film
On June 26, 2024, it was announced that the third Downton Abbey film would be released in cinemas on September 12, 2025.
September 2025: Release date for third Downton Abbey film
The third Downton Abbey film is set to be released in cinemas on September 12, 2025.
Mentioned in this timeline
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Christmas is an annual festival celebrated on December th commemorating...
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The Guardian is a British daily newspaper founded in as...
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