Downton Abbey hits UK screens

Downton Abbey writer Julian Fellowes has revealed that the Crawleys and their servants will embrace the new sexual and social freedoms of the early 1920s.

He said: “There is a feeling, among the young people in particular, that they have survived the horrors of war and are not going to go back to the Downton of 1913. The world was loosening up and we reflect that.”

In tonight’s episode to be aired in the UK Lady Mary starts returning to a normal life after the loss of her husband – while his failure to leave a will means tensions over Downton’s future. It also embraces Valentine’s Day and Fellowes promised: “I think this is going to be a particularly romantic series.”

Lady Mary soon finds herself being chased by would-be suitors including the dashing Viscount Gilingham, played by Tom Cullen, and Charles Blake, played by Julian Ovenden. Fellowes said: “When someone is beautiful and eligible and sexy and back on the market, than the wooers will show up. But when you go wooing someone who is widowed you have to go very warily. There is a degree of them walking on egg shells around her.”

Fellowes said the headstrong Lady Rose MacClare, played by Lily James, and the once dowdy Lady Edith, played by Laura Carmichael, are particularly keen to embrace the new age. He said: “We can expect a lot of action from Lady Rose.”

The writer revealed that scheming valet Thomas is back to his old tricks, saying: :He feels he needs to know something other people don’t. He has to have something he can put over on people.”

But Fellowes is adamant that the show’s first black character Jack Ross, who is played by Gary Carr and who arrives in episode four, should be a role model.

He said: “Black kids always see black characters as victims of violence and horror and anything going wrong. I think its good to have some positive characters who are black.”

The problems facing Downton this series – including crippling death duties and whether Lady Mary should run the house – echo real-life concerns, both past and present, at Highclere Castle, the Berkshire stately home where the show is set.

The current Earl of Carnarvon, who runs Highclere, recently voiced concerns about possible changes to inheritance laws which would allow daughters to inherit historic estates.

His predecessor, the sixth Earl who took over the running of the estate in 1923, sold off prized paintings and items of jewellery to meet the cost of death duties.