Downton Abbey crockery on the way

At last - a range of Downton inspired crockery is coming out. There has never been anything Downton related in the Highclere gift shop - is this set to change?

T"he Telegraph writes

The makers of the ITV series Downton Abbey are planning to cash in on its success by launching a range of kitchen utensils and crockery bearing its branding.

The moves will mean that the fans of the Golden Globe, Emmy and Bafta award winning series cannot only watch their favourite characters but cook and dine like them too.

There could also be other more substantial furniture items including candlesticks and lamps.

Gareth Neame, producer of the series, revealed details of the plan for stores in an American interview.

He said:"We’re looking into merchandising. Homeware, crockery, pots and pans.

 

"Kitchen items. Merchandising takes time. It’s a slower burn but we’re not proud. We’re on message.
"We’ll even do household decorations like candlesticks.”

The merchandising, which will not include action figures based on Lord Grantham or even Bates, will be launched next year.

The move to produce official merchandise comes as the third series is about to be shown in the US where it has enjoyed critical success having been nominated for a record 16 Emmy TV awards.
Merchandising spin offs from successful films have proved very lucrative in the past.
Toys, clothing, books, video games, and anything associated with the Star Wars films has brought in more than £2bn since the film’s release in 1973.

Disney also make millions each year from merchandise linked to their animated films while toys based on the characters from the “Transformers” films have earned hundreds of millions.

Manufacturers have not been slow to try an capitalise on the success of Downton by producing goods that can be linked to the show.
But as they are not officially endorsed by the makers of the series they can only label them as “inspired by Downton Abbey".
The high street chain Past Times sells a range of goods inspired that includes mugs and cushions with the shows famously pithy one-liners written across them.
They include phrases such as “You’ll find there’s never a dull moment in this house” and “What is a weekend?” among them."

Colin Firth in Sequel to Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

We just loved this hit film, starring some of the best actors in the world today. After the huge success at the Box Office I guess it was inevitable that a sequel would be quick in coming.
The quote of the movie for me was 'Everything will be alright in the end... and if it isn't alright then it isnt the end.'

Showbiz 411 writes "The chief target audience of The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel was easy to spot from the blue rinse in their hair. Of course, the same is going to apply with the sequel, so I’m not the slightest bit surprised that Helen Mirren and Colin Firth are “likely” to join up. They make those blue hairs light right up.
Apparently there’s also an American actress required to round out the roles in Ol Parker’s screenplay – an original, based upon his first film which was, to be frank, also an original, despite ostensibly being based upon the novel by Deborah Moggach.
Roger Friedman at Showbiz 411 nominates Jane Fonda for the American role. I’d prefer Diane Keaton, maybe Swoosie Kurtz.
John Madden will be directing once again, with many of the original cast returning to India. I have a feeling this franchise could run and run. I at least expect a trilogy."

Downton Abbey Christmas Special 2012

The good old Radion Times has spilled the beans on the eagerly awaited Christmas Special. We loved the 2011 one and are holding our breath.
The RT writes "The Crawleys go off on their holidays! The servants are left to fend for themselves! And there's scandal, intrigue and romance in store!
Forget the upstairs/downstairs divide, this year’s Downton Abbey Christmas special will see the Crawleys and their servants living in different countries.
Lord Grantham and his family are heading north to the Scottish Highlands to join the Dowager Countess’s great niece Lady Rose and her parents at Duneagle Castle.
Initally, a warm welcome awaits, but the tensions between the family and their hosts soon become clear.
We’re promised “salacious scandals, clandestine courtships and heartbreaks of seasons past” will all come to a head during the feature-length episode.
And while it may well snow (it is Scotland, after all) don’t expect Christmas decorations or another stilted present-giving as the seasonal special is, in fact, set in September.
But what of those left back at Downton? What do servants do when there's no-one to serve? Will Lord Grantham return to find they’ve had a massive party and smashed up the Abbey? Carson is of course determined to prevent this, but with the excitement of the approaching country fair, it's possible some of the staff could be tempted to push their luck.
Speaking of luck, we hear a rumour that romance could be in the air for chirpy cook Mrs Patmore. And as far as we're concerned, that's better than any Christmas present."

DOWNTON ABBEY Christmas Special

At P AND P TOURS we're all on tenterhooks waiting for the Xmas special... will Lady Mary find herself pregnant... will Lady Edith be successful in love... will Branson stay on?
Here's a snippet from cartermatt.com who writes
"You have to give some serious credit to the producers of “Downton Abbey” season 3 at this very moment. Their Christmas special is now only a month and a half away from airing, but we still know so little about it that almost the entire ordeal is shrouded in mystery. This will likely stay that way until we get a week or two away from the show finally airing, and at that point producers may finally submit to giving us some more information just about what is happening via a promo or a press release.For now, what we can tell you is this: the special was taping in August using some of the same sort of locations that you would expect to see on the show, and that it will be a two-hour episode just as it was this past year. When you think about it, this more or less extends the past two years of “Downton Abbey” to ten episodes, which puts it at the same length as some HBO series such as “Game of Thrones” or “The Newsroom.” (That bit of trivia is for those of you constantly complaining that the show is too short.)

There are rumors floating around that suggest this special may not be set during the holidays, but these for the time being are not confirmed. Even if this is the case, the special is still expected to celebrate the spirit of the holiday; given that this special actually airs on Christmas Day, it’s hard to see it being overly depressing on the same level as Sybil dying during childbirth.
What we are a bit more curious about is whether or not we will be handed any answers pertaining to the show’s greatest mysteries in this special, including whether or not Dan Stevens and Maggie Smith are going to return to the show. If Julian Fellowes knew in advance that they were each not going to be back (though this is unlikely), he may have created something in the script to send Matthew or Violet away from the Abbey."

Firth and Fassbender double bill thrill

 
  According to www.examiner.com a new film is send our hearts into double-flutter when it hits our screens in 2014.
examiner writes; "Two phenomenal actors are set to star in what is likely to be an Oscar contender.
According to a press release today (via Collider), Academy Award winner Colin Firth (“The King’s Speech”) and Michael Fassbender (“X-Men: First Class”) have joined director Michael Grandage’s “Genius.”
Based on A. Scott Berg’s biography “Max Perkins: Editor of Genius,” and it tells the story of the relationship between Thomas Wolfe (Fassbender) and editor Max Perkins (Firth).
Perkins served as an editor for a number of literary greats, including Ernest Hemingway and F. Scott Fitzgerald, and his role as a devoted friend and surrogate psychoanalyst made him privy to the intricate details of these men’s lives.
The script was written by John Logan (“Hugo”) so you know it will have some excellent character development, but unfortunately we will not be able to see this epic team-up for more than 2 years as it doesn’t begin production until early 2014."

Early booking discount for all our tours

We are offering a 5% discount for all of our P&P Tours, and other full tours including Sense & Sensibility, for any booking made between now and 31st January 2013. This includes the special LADY CATHERINE places where you get to stay in film locations and have all the luxury of being a VIP client.
All our prices are on the website under the Itinerary page, contained within the relevant itinerary.
P&P runs first in May, and again in June, August and September, when you can combine the tour with a weekend with us at the world famous JANE AUSTEN FESTIVAL in Bath.
To take advantage of the offer just fill in the online booking form and we'll be in touch and sort the rest.
Note; the early booking discount doesn't apply to one day tours.

Is Dan Stevens leaving Downton?

The Daily Mail and many other media outlets have announced that Dan may be leaving as he has announced that he wants to stay in the US after his Broadway run in THE HEIRESS comes to an end. He was mobbed by fans of the period drama outside the theatre and seems to be loving all the attention...
The Mail says;
'He's a god,' said Meg Fox, a 51-year-old museum assistant, while writer Janice Wald said: 'He's Prince Charming.
I'm old enough to know better but he's a wonderful fantasy.' Asked how he felt about such adulation – which has earned him the nickname the 'Downton dreamboat' – the Cambridge-educated actor politely murmured: 'Lovin' it.'

Would the show be the same without him? What do we think?