'Downton Abbey' Season 5: 'Death-Defying Stunt' to Kick Off Premiere
British costume drama TV series "Downton Abbey" has been officially announced to premiere in the U.S. for its fifth season this coming Jan. 4 of next year. Rumors have already been circulating that season 5 will open with "death-defying stunt," an aspect which fans of the show found unlikely to happen in the period drama series.
Several websites like Vanity Fair and other UK-based TV news sites revealed that the premiere episode will commence with a life-threatening fire accident in one the main character's bedrooms. The publication quoted showrunner Liz Trubridge in an interview with unrealitytv.co.uk.
"The scenes were shot between the actual house and the studio. Because of the very nature of a stately home, you can't have smoke, because it can cause damage ... we actually had our designer rebuild the gallery on the stage at Ealing ... We did some of the sequences at Highclere, and some were done in a room that we could that we could set fire to and burn down at Ealing," she said.
Metro.co.uk also spilled out their speculations on what to expect in the forthcoming season. They indicated that there will be more scandals to happen along the storyline. There will also be a new character, an art historian, who will appear for a few episodes.
The site also mentioned that the rivalry between Lady Mary (Michelle Dockery) and Lady Edith (Laura Carmichael) could escalate into some serious situations.
"There is, I'm sure you will be thrilled to know, the great rivalry again between Edith and Mary," EP Trubridge revealed.
Downton Abbey, created by Julian Fellowes, is recipient to numerous accolades given by prestigious award-giving bodies including Golden Globe, Primetime Emmy, and Screen Actors Guild.