It’s been virtually 15 years to the day since “Downton Abbey” first aired on British community ITV.
Six seasons, 5 Christmas specials, 69 Primetime Emmy nominations, 11 Golden Globe nominations and a massively profitable movie trilogy spin-off later, and the heavy picket door to the Crawleys’ now-famed stately house is lastly being closed for good. As Carnival Films CEO Gareth Neame notes, “Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale” — being launched globally on Friday by way of Focus — “undoubtedly is the tip.”
Or is it?
Neame was already a profitable TV producer earlier than he took an concept he says had been “percolating in my thoughts for a few years” concerning the waning energy of the British aristocracy within the early twentieth century and gave it to his good friend Julian Fellowes. “Downton” would develop into the present to cement each their legacies and, as Neame explains, present an important basis for at this time’s U.Ok. TV trade, changing into the primary British drama collection to “obtain a Hollywood worth in world gross sales” and lure studios and streamers throughout the Atlantic. As he claims: “There wouldn’t have been ‘The Crown’ with out ‘Downton’ and there wouldn’t have been ‘Bridgerton’ with out ‘Downton.’”
Carnival has since made quite a few hit reveals — most lately “The Day of the Jackal” reimagining starring Eddie Redmayne and the Colin Firth-led “Lockerbie: A Seek for Fact” — and is retaining its toes within the historic “haves and have nots” waters with U.S.-focused “Downton” prequel “The Gilded Age” (which Neame acknowledges was a “slower burn” however is now coming into its personal on HBO).
However for all the corporate’s success elsewhere, its small and massive display adventures with the Crawley household and their array of butlers, chauffeurs and cooks will perpetually be its calling card. It’s maybe why, regardless of Neame’s declare that the “The Grand Finale” is strictly what it says it’s, he admits a return — particularly on this period of reboots — can by no means actually be “dominated out.”
So is this positively, undoubtedly the tip of “Downton”?
It’s undoubtedly the tip and the clue’s within the title. However I reserve my proper to alter my thoughts.
“Downton” has triumphantly closed its doorways earlier than, solely to swing them again open once more…
The TV present got here to a particular finish. As a result of though I already had the ambition to take it to the massive display at that time, there was no assure that may work. So there was an ending for the TV present, for certain. However that is the complete cease on all of those characters. As a result of the second movie, I felt was Violet’s story, Maggie Smith’s character, however it didn’t actually have a conclusion for any of the opposite characters. So that is the tip level for all of them.
I hope it’s not an abrupt, unlucky finish?
No! It’s simply the final time we’ll see these characters and we can have a way of the place they’re all going to.
Once you began making the primary movie, did you propose for it to have sequels or develop into a trilogy? Or did you resolve film-to-film relying on the field workplace?
I used to be fairly assured about how “Downton” would translate to the massive display. I don’t know why, I simply all the time felt there was one thing fairly theatrical concerning the present. And it had fairly cinematic manufacturing values. And that first movie was so profitable within the field workplace and by far and away Focus’ highest grossing movie ever of their whole historical past. So then there was the concept to maintain rolling the factor out. And I feel a trilogy of movies on the again of six seasons of the TV present and 5 Christmas specials is fairly good innings. So we had been able to do one movie and that may be it, however we responded to how effectively it did.
It’s clearly a sprawling ensemble. Was it simple to get the solid again collectively for this ultimate hurrah?
It’s by no means simple. However there was goodwill on their half to do it. It was simply form of the proper time, the proper cash, getting the script we had been all proud of and a director that we wished to work with.
You’re clearly carrying on the “Downton” legacy with prequel collection “The Gilded Age.” It feels prefer it had a slower begin however has actually began to come back into its personal, particularly now in its third season.
It’s actually fascinating, as a result of “Downton” was an in a single day hit — it was an enormous hit from Episode 1 within the U.Ok. And it was an enormous hit within the U.S., however it saved rising throughout the primary three seasons till it actually hit its apex. And “Gilded” has been a slower burn, however it’s a really vital hit for HBO now.
Why do you suppose it took longer to get going?
There’s such a special relationship that People have with their very own historical past in comparison with us on this facet of the Atlantic. The concept for the present happened often because when “Downton” was such an enormous hit within the U.S., we saved saying to everybody: you’ve obtained your individual model of the aristocracy and the ins and outs and the haves and haves nots and the upstairs and downstairs. And it was within the Gilded Age and the late nineteenth century. It was simply one thing that’s so not often depicted on display, partly as a result of folks didn’t find out about it, partly as a result of it was technically very troublesome to execute earlier than visible results. So I believe that the viewers has simply develop into extra accepting of the concept there was an Americana of “Downton” as effectively.
Would you wish to see “Gilded Age” take pleasure in an identical trajectory to “Downton”? Possibly six or so seasons after which a number of movies?
I haven’t actually considered it. “Downton” going to the massive display was one thing I solely began actually planning for round Season 5. It was so profitable that ITV would have wished it to go on for years. However I knew that, creatively, that wouldn’t have been proper, and I knew that I couldn’t maintain that solid collectively for for much longer. I assumed, we’re not fairly prepared to finish “Downton,” however I’m undecided how for much longer we will preserve going with the TV collection. So it solely actually began to take form when the legacy of “Downton” grew to become clear. And I don’t suppose we’re fairly in that place but with “Gilded.”
In a approach, “Downton” might be credited with giving rise to high-end TV within the U.Ok. It was one of many first large British reveals to have such a rare success around the globe.
It was completely key. From a enterprise perspective, it was a very important second within the evolution of British tv. I made the choice to promote the corporate to Common as a result of I wished to have an enormous, highly effective studio behind the corporate. I feel I used to be the primary British producer to make that form of transfer. Inside a 12 months or so, “Downtown” got here out and was an enormous hit within the U.Ok. At Mipcom that autumn in 2010, I had varied conferences with patrons who mentioned they undoubtedly wished the present, however had been used to purchasing that form of style from BBC Worldwide or ITV International and, with Common distributing, had been apprehensive what it was going to price. And that’s precisely why I moved to Common. The gross sales group did an exceptional job and their view was, if a broadcaster goes to pay us, say, $100,000 for an episode of the medical present “Home,” we’re not going to offer you “Downton” for any much less. And so they obtained their quantity.
So this was the primary time a British TV present achieved a Hollywood worth in world gross sales. And it offered to each territory on the earth. On a U.S. community tv metric, it was at that time that I feel everybody within the trade thought: we should be within the U.Ok. And that’s while you noticed Netflix arrange within the U.Ok. and different studios sending executives to London and everybody realizing that it’s doable to make some huge cash from a profitable British present. So I really feel that there wouldn’t have been “The Crown” with out “Downton” and there wouldn’t have been “Bridgerton” with out “Downton.” And plenty of, many different reveals. I don’t suppose it’s overstating it to say that “Downton” spearheaded a cost of British TV drama globally.
We’re within the age of reboots of beloved British IP. HBO’s “Harry Potter” reboot is filming proper now some 25 years after the primary movie. So if “Downton” began in 2010, would you be open to coming again to it, possibly round 2035? Have there been any discussions in any respect with Common?
It’s a totally affordable query, as a result of, as you say, you have a look at these main bits of IP and there’s a tradition now and an urge for food to revisit these items. So it definitely couldn’t be dominated out all through the longer term. We’ll see whether or not it will get made once more inside my lifetime or not.
