Downton Abbey onMasterpiece Season 3 Premiere - WGBH

Downton Abbey Is Back!Just in time for the new year, Downton Abbey is returning on WGBH’sMasterpiece, with seven new episodes that take you back inside themajestic and melodramatic English country estate. Last season closedwith the reluctant heir to Downton, Matthew Crawley (Dan Stevens),recovered from his war wounds and ready to tie the knot with theeldest of Lord and Lady Grantham’s daughters, Lady Mary (MichelleDockery). Meanwhile, Mary’s youngest sister, Sybil (Jessica Brown-Findlay), had eloped to Ireland with the political-minded chauffeur,Branson (Allen Leech), and was expecting a child.A tantalizing glimpse ahead: Downton’simpeccable butler, Carson (Jim Carter),breaks in a new footman, who happens tobe the nephew of the scheming lady’smaid O’Brien (Siobhan Finneran). FollowingMatthew and Mary’s engagement, LordGrantham sticks to his duty to maintainDownton more firmly than ever—even as other great houses arecrippled psychologically and financially in the wake of World War I.In this changing landscape nothing is assured. Could it be that eventhe war-weary Crawleys must fight a new battle to safeguard theirbeloved Downton?Masterpiece Classic/Downton Abbey Season 3Sun, 1/6, 1/13, 1/20 & 1/27 at 9pm on WGBH 2Premiere on 1/6 is two hours; episodes 2–4 are one hour each.The season concludes with three episodes in February.Crossing the PondWhen producers sought an actress toplay the formidable American motherof Downton Abbey’s New York-bredCountess of Grantham (ElizabethMcGovern), they had to look nofurther than the legendary ShirleyMacLaine. With six Academy Awardnominations, more than 50 featurefilms and a current one-woman showto her credit, the Hollywood veteran was the perfect fit for the part.Her character, Martha Levinson, arrives just before the nuptials of LadyMary and Matthew Crawley, and in no time raises the hackles of herBritish counterpart, the indomitable Dowager Countess of Grantham(Dame Maggie Smith). Step back, and let the parrying begin!5pm 2 This Old House Hour44 Great PerformancesPaul Simon’s GracelandJourney: Under African Skies (See 1/4at 9pm)6pm2 Masterpiece ClassicDownton Abbey Season 2(Pt. 7)7pm 44 Affair to RememberEngaged to others, twopeople (Cary Grant, Deborah Kerr)meet aboard a cruise-ship and thenplan to reunite six months later atopthe Empire State Building.8pm 2 Keeping UpAppearances8:30 2 As Time Goes By9pm 2 Vicar of Dibley44 No Time for SergeantsA naive and stubbornGeorgia rube (Andy Griffith) joins thepeacetime Air Force and talks back tohis sergeant (Myron McCormick).9:30 2 Antiques Roadshow UKMontacute 210pm 2 Antiques RoadshowOrlando, Florida (Pt. 3)11pm 2 Basic Black44 Front Row CenterCheap Trick11:30 2 Ask This Old HouseSunday 66am 44 Antiques RoadshowOrlando, FL (Pt. 2)7am 44 Religion & EthicsNewsWeekly7:30 44 To the Contrary withBonnie Erbe8am 44 Moneytrack (d)8:30 44 Consuelo MackWealthTrack9am 44 Need to Know9:30 44 Greater Boston10am 44 Inside Washington10:30 44 McLaughlin Group11am 2 Neighborhood Kitchens44 The Victory GardenInspired Gardens11:30 2 Rick Steves’ EuropeLondon: Historic andDynamic44 Theater Talk12pm 2 Art Wolfe’s Travels tothe Edge Kenya: MasaiMara and El Karama44 The Lawrence WelkShow Movie Songwriterswith Henry Mancini12:30 2 Basic BlackAdvertisement10 Full schedules: wgbh.org | Get more from the free digital edition of Explore! at wgbh.org/Explore