10 little-known facts about the show "Abbey Downton"

For six seasons, viewers around the world gathered at the screens to enjoy the beauty and grace, and plunge into the world of the past, which opened for them the series "Abbey Downton". This series offered people to get away from the modern high-tech world and see how things were a hundred years ago. The audience fell in love with the heroes and could not wait for what will happen in the next series, sorrowing from loss and acquiring a positive or negative attitude to this or that character. This series received the highest rating in the history of the channel, which broadcasts it, it received 69 nominations for the Emmy Award and won as many as 15 times. Every spectator was upset when the last episode was shown. Quite possibly, you will want to review the whole series, but before that you should familiarize yourself with some interesting facts.

The real family lives in the estate where the "Downton Abbey" was filmed

Most of the series was shot in the castle of Hickler, located in Hampshire, England. This castle is the home of the Earl and Countess of Carnarvon. Of course, most people are already accustomed to seeing the beautiful frames of this kind of castle, shown in the series, but the interior can also be seen in the Downtown Abbey, including a library, a dining room, a living room and a large hall. But most of the scenes with the servants were filmed in a studio in London.

The shooting was very expensive

The image of the life of the British aristocracy of the twenties was not cheap. Since the costumes, some of which were original, and ending with a refined atmosphere and star cast, the budget of the series was very impressive. For each series, more than one million dollars was spent.

The structure of the series "Abbey Downton" takes its roots in American television projects

This may surprise many, but the creators of the structure of the series "Abbey Downton" were inspired by American works, such as "Madmen", "Choir" and "Sex and the City." In an interview in 2013, the creator of the series Julian Fellowes admitted that he is a fan of many American TV series.

The food used on the show was real

One of the pseudo-characters of the series is food. In this or that moment of each series one can observe how Mrs. Patmore, Daisy and their team of chefs prepare delicious dishes. Spectators can see how food travels to the top floor with Mr. Carson and other lackeys. And viewers can also watch with envy how actors enjoy eating. As with other aspects of the series, the team struggled to recreate the atmosphere of that time, and the food on the show was real.

Maggie Smith did not watch any episodes

Maggie Smith, who was nominated for an Emmy Award five times for the role of Dowager Countess Grantham, admitted that she had not seen a single episode of the Downtown Abbey series. The 81-year-old actress said that she does not watch the series because she could not get rid of thoughts about how she could have played better in this or that moment.

Jessica Brown Findley (in the TV series Lady Sybil) professionally engaged in ballet dances

Before you steal the hearts of the fans of the Downton Abbey series, Jessica Brown Findlay, whom you know as Lady Sybil Grantham, was a professional ballerina. Her love of dancing began when she was three years old. She performed with the National Youth Ballet and the Royal Ballet Association, after which she even danced with Kirov's ballet, until the ankle injury forced her to retire.

The scandal involving the Turkish diplomat is based on real events

One story from the first season, which then pursued Lady Mary throughout the narrative, tells of her romantic relationship with Mr. Pamuk, a Turkish diplomat who died in her bed. The episode in which the women of the whole house, including Mary's mother, Kor, returned the diplomat's body to his own bed, became almost comic. According to the creator of the series, Julian Fellowes, this story takes its roots from a recording in the diary of one of his friends' grandmother. It tells a similar story about how a diplomat crept into a room to a single woman just to die in the middle of the night, after which the women in the house had to carry him to his room.

The dog Isis was not withdrawn from the series because of her name

It was a sad day when the faithful companion of Lord Grantham, the dog Isis, died in the fifth season. In the original, the dog's name is Isis, which is written in exactly the same way as the name of the terrorist group, so the death of the hairy character caused a wave of rumors that the dog was killed by the creators of the series because of her name. However, the rumors were put to an end when Hugh Bonneville, acting as Lord Grantham, clarified the situation. He said that in the first season there was a dog named Pharaoh, and from the second season a dog appeared, which was called in accordance with the Egyptian theme Isis. Therefore, Bonneville said that people who believe that the name of the dog is some sort of reaction to events taking place in the world are deeply mistaken.

Gillian Adreson was offered the role of Cora, but she declined the offer

The former star of the famous series "The Secret Materials" Gillian Anderson could play the role of Cora, Countess Grantham, but she declined the offer.

Queen Elizabeth is a fan of the series, but likes to point out mistakes

Some members of the royal family, including the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, are big fans of the Downtown Abbey series. Even Queen Elizabeth admitted that she likes watching this show, but at the same time she gets the most satisfaction from finding errors in it.