Tag: Masterpiece

Count the Days to January 5 for Masterpiece: Downton Abbey

Celebrate the return of Downton Abbey and dust off your favorite lucky charm–the 2014 Masterpiece Sweepstakes is here! As in previous seasons, this year’s sweepstakes offers one person the chance to win a trip for two adults from the U.S. to Britain. And new this year—four monthly prizes of a $500 shoppbs.org gift certificate. 

Enter the 2014 Masterpiece Sweepstakes daily through March 15, 2014, for a chance to win a trip for two adults from the US or Canada to Great Britain! This 5-day, 4-night trip features a VIP reception at Highclere Castle (setting of Downton Abbey), hosted by Lord Carnarvon and Lady Carnarvon, author of Lady Catherine, the Earl, and the Real Downton Abbey. The trip also includes VIP tours of the Museum of London’s forthcoming Sherlock Holmes exhibit and the famous Selfridges & Co. department store. You will also attend the Tower of London’s evening Ceremony of the Keys and enjoy the annual “Battle Proms” concert with fireworks on the grounds of Highclere Castle. Travel must be from July 30-August 4, 2014. You may also win 1 of 4 monthly prizes—gift certificates to purchase PBS merchandise. No purchase necessary; winners will be selected by random drawing. Enter at http://www.pbs.org/sweepstakes

Downton Abbey, Season 4, begins with a two-hour premiere on January 5, 2014 on West Virginia PBS.

Viewership and social media buzz have been soaring since the series launched in January 2011. Season 3
reached a record 24.1 million viewers, more than any other drama in the history of PBS, and the season
had the highest Twitter buzz ever for public television. Join the conversation on Twitter at #DowntonPBS

The returning cast includes Hugh Bonneville, Laura Carmichael, Jim Carter, Brendan Coyle,
Michelle Dockery, Joanne Froggatt, Rob James-Collier, Lily James, Allen Leech, Phyllis Logan,
Elizabeth McGovern, Sophie McShera, Lesley Nicol, Dame Maggie Smith, Penelope Wilton, and a host of
others, joined by Shirley MacLaine (Oscar® for Best Actress, Terms of Endearment), who reprises her role as Martha Levinson, the forthright American mother of Cora, Countess of Grantham (McGovern). Martha again battles wits with Cora’s wickedly acerbic mother-in-law, Violet (Smith).

Among the new faces are Paul Giamatti (Sideways) as Cora’s playboy brother, Harold, who appears in
the season finale; Dame Harriet Walter (Little Dorrit) as Violet’s old friend Lady Shackleton; Gary Carr
(Death in Paradise) as jazz singer Jack Ross; Joanna David (Bleak House) as the Duchess of Yeovil; Tom
Cullen (World Without End) as the dashing Lord Gillingham, and Julian Ovenden (Smash, Any Human
Heart) as an unexpected houseguest.

Win a Trip to London with Masterpiece!

Enter the 2014 MASTERPIECE Sweepstakes daily thru 3/15/14, for a chance to win a trip for 2 adults from the US or Canada to Great Britain! 

Trip includes VIP reception at Highclere Castle (setting of Downton Abbey), private tour of the Museum of London’s forthcoming Sherlock Holmes exhibit, a behind-the-scenes tour of Selfridges & Co. department store, and more! 

Travel must take place July 30-August 4, 2014.

You may also win 1 of 4 monthly prizes—gift certificates to purchase PBS merchandise.

Enter at: http://goo.gl/vQeEUC

What's next for Downton Abbey? Here's a little peek.

Join Host Susan Sarandon for favorite moments from past seasons and a sneak peek at Season Four

A welcome treat for millions of viewers eagerly awaiting the debut of the new season of “Downton Abbey.” Return To Downton Abbey savors fond memories from the past three seasons and offers a tantalizing taste of Season 4. Hosted by Academy Award-winning actress Susan Sarandon — a devoted fan of the series who especially admires the writing of fellow Julian Fellowes — the program includes a mix of behind-the-scenes footage, interviews with creators and cast members, and video clips of favorite moments.

Return To Downton Abbey premieres Sunday, Dec. 1 9 p.m. WV PBS.

“Downton Abbey” has captivated viewers worldwide, each season building on the love affair with the series that began three years ago. Over the years audiences have witnessed the Crawley family gripped by wrenching social change, romantic intrigues and personal crises. Last season saw the family experience great joy and profound sadness, leaving viewers to ponder these and other questions:

  • How will Lady Mary cope now that Matthew is gone? Will she find love again?
  • How will cousin Rose affect the social order at the majestic English country estate?
  • What’s in store for Anna and Bates?
  • How does Branson adjust to his new role as agent of the estate?

Structured around three themes, Return To Downton Abbey explores “The Changing World of Downton Abbey,” “The Women of Downton Abbey,” and “Love and Other Relationships at Downton Abbey.” Cast members interviewed include Michelle Dockery, Hugh Bonneville, Joanne Froggatt, Elizabeth McGovern, Jim Carter, Shirley MacLaine, Sophie McShera and Laura Carmichael.

Interviews with creator and writer Julian Fellowes and executive producer Gareth Neame provide an overview and context for the series and the upcoming season, which is sure to include more drama, rivalry, intrigue, jealousy, ambition and romance. Also interviewed is Rebecca Eaton, Masterpiece executive producer, who comments on the phenomenal success of “Downton Abbey” in America.

Masterpiece: Downton Abbey, Season 4

The most-watched drama in PBS history enters its fourth gripping season with the whole world waiting to learn how the beloved characters deal with a shocking tragedy.

See a preview from Season 4:

http://video.wvpubcast.org/video/2365089408/

The acclaimed ensemble is back, together with returning guest star Academy Award®-winner Shirley MacLaine and new guest star Paul Giamatti. Also joining the cast are Harriet Walter, Gary Carr, Joanna David, and Tom Cullen, as the legend continues on Downton Abbey, Season 4, airing over eight Sundays beginning with a two-hour premiere on January 5, 2014 on West Virginia PBS.

The returning cast includes Hugh Bonneville, Laura Carmichael, Jim Carter, Brendan Coyle, Michelle Dockery, Joanne Froggatt, Rob James-Collier, Lily James, Allen Leech, Phyllis Logan, Elizabeth McGovern, Sophie McShera, Lesley Nicol, Dame Maggie Smith, Penelope Wilton, and a host of others, joined by Shirley MacLaine (Oscar® for Best Actress, Terms of Endearment), who reprises her role as Martha Levinson, the forthright American mother of Cora, Countess of Grantham (McGovern). Martha again battles wits with Cora’s wickedly acerbic mother-in-law, Violet (Smith).

Among the new faces are Paul Giamatti (Sideways) as Cora’s playboy brother, Harold, who appears in the season finale; Dame Harriet Walter (Little Dorrit) as Violet’s old friend Lady Shackleton; Gary Carr (Death in Paradise) as jazz singer Jack Ross; Joanna David (Bleak House) as the Duchess of Yeovil; Tom Cullen (World Without End) as the dashing Lord Gillingham, and Julian Ovenden (Smash, Any Human Heart) as an unexpected houseguest.

All who tuned in last season know that Matthew Crawley—heir to Downton Abbey, husband to Lady Mary (Dockery), and brand new father to a baby boy and successor—lies dead on a country road next to his overturned roadster. On top of this, the family is still grieving over the death in childbirth of Sybil, Mary’s youngest sister, who also left a baby behind.

Season 4 opens six months later. Although it is the 1920s, Britain still observes mourning rituals that are almost Victorian in their solemnity. Nonetheless, the Crawleys are beginning to snap out of it: Robert, Lord Grantham (Bonneville), must manage the estate without his canny son-in-law; Cora suddenly faces a staffing crisis; Violet, who has seen enough tragedy, knows how to recoup quickly; Isobel (Wilton), Matthew’s mother, may never recover; Edith (Carmichael), who was jilted at the altar, tempts scandal with a new beau; and Mary now finds herself the most desirable widow in Yorkshire.

The servants also pick up, buck up, and get on with it—with new arrivals, departures, rivalries, and betrayals among the downstairs staff. Life goes on at Downton Abbey.

Written and created by Julian Fellowes, the series has won many accolades include nine Emmys®, two Golden Globes®, and a coveted Screen Actors Guild Award® for the ensemble cast.

Last Tango in Halifax featuring Derek Jacobi

The critically acclaimed British drama LAST TANGO IN HALIFAX premieres Sunday, September 8, 2013 at 8 p.m. on West Virginia PBS.The six-part series leads…

The critically acclaimed British drama LAST TANGO IN HALIFAX premieres Sunday, September 8, 2013 at 8 p.m.  on West Virginia PBS.

The six-part series leads into the finale of the MASTERPIECE MYSTERY! courtroom drama “Silk” as part of the continuing Sunday night destination for drama on PBS. LAST TANGO is an uplifting comedy/drama about romance and second chances. Full of zesty humor, authentic characters and glorious dialogue, it’s about timeless love in a very modern setting.

http://video.wvpubcast.org/video/2365074513/

Written by Sally Wainwright (“Scott and Bailey,” “Unforgiven,” “At Home with the Braithwaites”) and directed by Euros Lynn (“Black Mirror,” “Sherlock”) and Sam Donovan (“Skins,” “Secret Diary of a Call Girl”), LAST TANGO IN HALIFAX completed its first season in the UK in 2012. The premiere ranked within BBC One’s top ten highest-rated drama series in 2012, attracting 7.3 million viewers. A second series has been commissioned in the UK. A Red Production for the BBC, LAST TANGO IN HALIFAX is produced by Karen Lewis and Nicola Shindler, with Sally Wainwright and Matthew Read as the executive producers.

“LAST TANGO IN HALIFAX comes to life through its heartfelt storytelling,” said Beth Hoppe, Chief Programming Executive and General Manager, General Audience Programming, PBS. “We hope viewers connect with the characters’ ups and downs and experience the timeless nature of love with them. We are so pleased to add this series to the great collection of drama on Sunday nights.”

Childhood sweethearts Alan and Celia, both widowed and in their 70s, fall for each other a second time when they are reunited on the internet after nearly 60 years. As their lives collide, the couple laments what might have been as they begin a life-affirming journey together. While their relationship is a celebratory tale of the power of love at any age, it is also a story about family and the complications the relationship causes, especially for their grown daughters.

Executive producer Nicole Shindler said, “‘What if’ is a question that haunts all of us, but in the hands of Derek Jacobi and Anne Reid, and the larger cast of LAST TANGO IN HALIFAX, it becomes a hugely thoughtful and funny look at love and loss and hope. Making the series was a complete joy for all of us involved, and Sally Wainwright and I are of course thrilled that we can share the series with viewers in the U.S. The themes and stories are completely universal, so we’re hopeful that PBS viewers will enjoy the series as much as those in the UK.”

LAST TANGO IN HALIFAX stars Derek Jacobi (The King’s Speech, “The Borgias,” My Week With Marilyn) as Alan, Anne Reid (“Upstairs, Downstairs,” “Marchlands”) as Celia, Sarah Lancashire (“Five Daughters,” “Wuthering Heights,” “Inspector George Gently”) as Caroline, Nicola Walker (“Inside Men,” “Spooks,” “Being Human”) as Gillian, Tony Gardner (“Fresh Meat,” “My Parents Are Aliens”) as John, Dean Andrews (“Life On Mars,” “Ashes To Ashes,” “Marchlands”) as Robbie, Nina Sosanya (“Silk,” “Five Days,” “Hustle”) as Kate, Ronni Ancona (“Skins,” “Big Impression”) as Judith and Josh Bolt (“Shameless,” Nowhere Boy) as Raff.

Full episodes of LAST TANGO IN HALIFAX will be available for viewing on the PBS Video Portal for a limited time after each national broadcast.

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