04x10 - Downton Abbey Rediscovered

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Bernadette Peters: Season four of Downton Abbey left us with so many burning questions.

Will Lady Mary pick Tony Gillingham or Charles Blake?

Let battle commence.

Peters: Did Mr. Bates k*ll Mr. Green, and if so, will he be caught?

You know me, when I do a thing, I like to have a very good reason for doing it.

Peters: Will Edith be able to see her daughter, and whatever happened to Gregson?

I want to know what's happened...

If he's trapped somewhere or falsely imprisoned...

Or even dead.

Peters: Will Carson and Mrs. Hughes finally walk down the aisle?

As a matter fact, I know there is a wedding in season five, but whose wedding?

[Laughs]

Ooh, I couldn't ever answer that.

Peters: So many questions. I need the answers.

Something to look forward to.

Please join me, Bernadette Peters, for a loving look back at the first four seasons of Downton Abbey and a tantalizing and exclusive peek at season five in Downton Abbey Rediscovered.

Hi, I'm Bernadette Peters. I'm a huge fan of Downton Abbey.

I just love the way they weave together romance, intrigue, and drama, so many great characters, wonderful writing, and marvelous acting, and so many urgent questions that need answers.

Season five holds those answers, but will there even be a Downton Abbey?

Take a look at this season five clip.

[Glass shatters]

Fire!

What?

Fire!

Oh, my God, George.

I got Sibby and George.

Thank God. Mary, you take them.

Tony, go with her.

Tom, come with me.

You know where the sand buckets are kept.

Good God! Barrow, is she all right?!

I think so, M'Lord.

We must get her outside!

Quickly, Tom!

Oh, my goodness, was that Edith's room, and was Thomas actually saving the day?

Looks like Downton Abbey is off to a dramatic start, and you know we all love the drama.

Our program is called Downton Abbey Rediscovered because there have been so many twists and turns after four seasons that looking back at the plots, characters, and spectacular locations is a little like rediscovering an old friend.

We just can't stop talking about its most memorable moments.

Yes.

I won't allow it!

Thank God.

Yes. Thank God.

In these moments, you can normally find an Italian who isn't too picky.

So much has happened both upstairs and downstairs during the first four seasons of Downton Abbey that I think a bit made a reminder of our favorite characters at the start of the series might he helpful.

Downton Abbey is the ancestral home of the Crawley family, which always seems to be on the verge of going under.

Robert, the current Earl of Grantham, marries an American heiress, Cora, to save Downton Abbey and has three lovely daughters, Lady Mary, Lady Edith, and Lady Sybil, and no direct heir.

Downstairs, we have tradition-bound butler Mr. Carson and kind head housekeeper Mrs. Hughes running the show.

Strict but caring cook Mrs. Patmore and her kitchen maid Daisy.

We should go out to greet them.

And me, Mr. Carson?

No, Daisy, not you.

Peters: Ambitious and evil Thomas the footman, handsome Irish chauffeur Branson, Anna, ladies' maid to the Crawley daughters, and the mysterious Mr. Bates, valet to Lord Grantham.

Of course, there's the dowager Countess of Grantham, Violet, played with so much breathtaking aplomb by Dame Maggie Smith.

Her quips are quite something and only getting better with each season.

Good heavens. What am I sitting on?

Uh, swivel chair.

Is this an instrument of communication or t*rture?

What... Hello?!

When you talk like that, I'm tempted to ring for Nanny and have you put to bed with no supper.

That is all I have to say on the subject.

Peters: One of the reasons we love Downton Abbey is the period and culture in which it's set.

An aristocratic family, the Crawleys, living large in an enormous English country house with a cadre of servants to tend to their every need.

Alastair Bruce: When William the Conqueror defeated the Saxons in 1066, he established a feudal system, and ever since that date, great families gained huge amounts of land and established power and influence through it.

And so the Crawleys, who emerged much, much later on had, in their own way, stepped into this tradition of having huge influence over a large amount of land, and it was rather like ruling a small country because not only did they have their own economy within that, they were, in their own sense, the rulers of the people who lived there.

You do not love the place yet.

Well, obviously, it's...

No, you don't love it.

You see a million bricks that may crumble, a thousand gutters and pipes that may block and leak, and stone that will cr*ck in the frost.

But you don't.

I see my life's work.

Gareth Neame: We picked the setting of the first series originally at the very height of the British empire, the very height of the aristocratic system.

It never got any better than that for those who were at the top, and then of course the First World w*r came and smashed everything, changed everything, the world would never be the same again.

Peters: Our story begins with the sinking of the Titanic in 1912 which kills a Crawley cousin and leaves Matthew Crawley, a more distant cousin, heir to the title.

It's from Lord Grantham.

Really?

What on earth does he want?

He wants to change our lives.

Peters: Matthew arrives at Downton with his mother, Mrs. Crawley.

The Great w*r changes the entire world and shakes the very foundation of Downton Abbey.

Women are training for work, technology advances, and the ancient social order begins to crumble upstairs and down.

Youngest Crawley daughter Lady Sybil scandalously falls for the family's Irish chauffeur, Tom Branson.

They elope, eventually return to Downton, and have a baby.

And tragically, Sybil dies from complications following childbirth.

Is there anything we should do, Mr. Carson?

Carry on, Daisy, as we all must.

Peters: After a lot of "will they, won't they," future heir to Downton, Matthew Crawley, marries eldest daughter Lady Mary, and they have a son, baby George.

Season three ends with Matthew's unexpected and tragic death.

In season four, we watched Mary transition from death to life as she dealt with the loss of her beloved husband Matthew.

We saw Edith take life by the horns and have to deal with the consequences.

And we saw new romances start to blossom from the most unexpected places.

But one of the most disturbing moments in season four was Anna's r*pe by Lord Gillingham's valet, Mr. Green.

I still have nightmares about that scene.

Now let me by please.

Peters: And Bates' response?

Did he k*ll Mr. Green? He has quite the temper.

We'll find out in season five.

Perhaps the most asked question is will Lady Mary find love again after losing the love of her life?

And will it be Charles Blake or Tony Gillingham?

Or perhaps even someone else?

Liz Trubridge: Season five starts nine months on from where we left it in the last episode, and it becomes quite clear that one of those two has certainly been seeing quite a lot of Mary in that time.

There was a time when you were torn between me and Charles Blake, but I think you've decided and I'm the winner.

Well, thank goodness that's settled.

But of course the thing about Mary is she wants it all, and she's used to having it all, so things are never quite plain sailing.

It never is simple with Mary.

She has a hard time deciding what her heart really desires.

Take a look at this season five clip.

Is Charles Blake trying to help Lady Mary, or is he just setting up his advantage for her hand?

Nothing will make me happier than seeing you happy, but please be absolutely sure before you decide.

Why do you say that?

Because you're cleverer than he is.

That might've worked in the last century when ladies had to hide their brains behind good manners and good breeding but not now.

I don't agree. I think Tony is quite as clever as I am.

Then one of us is right. And one is wrong.

Michelle Dockery: The thing is with Mary is that she...

She makes these impulsive decisions, and then, you know, she'll follow through with it, and then afterwards discovers that it probably wasn't a very good idea.

I can't wait to find out what happens with Lady Mary and her eligible bachelors, but what about Lady Edith?

Unfortunately, her life pales in comparison to Mary's.

Her situation leaves much to be desired.

That might be the understatement of the year.

After being jilted at the altar, Lady Edith falls in love with a married editor, Michael Gregson, and just when things seem to be working in her favor, she gets pregnant, and her suitor goes missing.

I was happy that Edith chose to have the child, a scandal still under wraps, but I doubt for long.

Poor Edith.

Laura Carmichael: She struck up a deal with Mr. Drew that he will take care of this child for her.

Trubridge: She's obviously going to be visiting the farmer's house a lot, and obviously, she has to find a way of doing that without raising suspicion.

And the more she sees her own daughter, of course, the more she wants to see, and that starts to give us problems.

We've almost forgotten she's not one of our own, haven't we, Tim?

She's just lovely.

How pretty your hair is, darling.

We sometimes wonder where she got her coloring, but I never knew her parents.

No?

No.

Julian Fellowes: I think that in series five, Edith is less inclined to be told no and to be made unhappy by other people's choices.

She takes a leaf out of Mary's book...

Although she would k*ll me for saying so...

And she actually starts to control her own life.

Carmichael: It's very dangerous. It's a very risky situation.

If someone guesses or if she's showing too much attention, then it could all... All go wrong.

So the potential for scandal is still very much hanging over Lady Edith.

Here's a look at a scene from season five.

It looks like her secret might not be as hidden as she hoped.

The real reason's a good reason to love a child, m'lady.

Mothers should love their children.

How long have you known?

Since you asked me to take her in.

But you're quite safe.

It's not my place to judge you, and I wouldn't anyway.

But I should control my feelings.

I could say yes, but I don't believe it's realistic.

I don't believe you could.

Then what are you saying?

We need a way for you to live the truth without telling the truth.

I'm not sure secret like that can be hidden for long.

Will the family find out?

And what will it mean for Edith and her reputation?

Oh, the scandal, the intrigue, it is intoxicating, isn't it?

And there's a so much more to look forward to in season five.

I can't wait.

Hugh Bonneville: You've got late-flowering love.

You have the choices in relationships.

You have relationships being tested by society at large.

You have scandal.

And you have a marriage that survives rough waters.

There is a theme in the fifth season of things from one's past and nothing being quite as you expect it to be.

So we have this, in my opinion, absolutely delicious storyline where Violet had a bit of a shady past that has been buried for a very long time.

I mean, one way or another, everyone goes down the aisle with half the story hidden.

Joanne Froggatt: We've got Sophie's character Daisy who's, you know, wanting to educate herself, which I think is great, and she's starting to sort of get her voice.

"Arithmetic part one, cost accounting"?

What is this?

I was rubbish at numbers at school.

Well, all the best people were rubbish at numbers at school.

But I don't know anything.

You talk about my working at Mr. Mason's farm, but how?

I couldn't balance the books if my life depended on it.

Why do you need to?

Because I want to be grown-up, Mrs. Patmore.

I want responsibility. I want to be an adult.

I can't just stand here following orders for the rest of my life.

What education and knowledge does for all these people is to give them choices.

And choices weren't something that people had before.

And that I think is what's the sort of running theme through series five.

There are suddenly more choices for people.

And series five definitely has even greater revelations for people in relation to the possibilities outside of Downton and within Downton as well.

Thomas comes to mind as one of the biggest ones.

He really takes his own life in hand and tries to... tries to make changes in his own life, and I think it's one of the most compelling stories we have this year.

It's a fantastic story because you sort of scratch the surface of Thomas more, and you realize that he's a person that just wants to find love and find somebody that accepts him for who he is.

If anyone had told me that I'd have been friends with a...

A man like you, I'd have not have believed them.

But we have been friends.

I hope you find some happiness.

I do, truly.

Trubridge: I think that what we're finding in season five is the world is changing and people are...

The younger generation, certainly, is saying, "no, we're not going to marry someone who's just suitable."

And that's the running story through the romance and the intrigue and the scandal in this is...

It's young people saying, "I'll marry for love and not because he's got all the right... He ticks all the right boxes for family."

Peters: The w*r and the changes that followed have created a younger, freer generation.

People want to be happy and live the life they want, not necessarily the one that has been laid out for them.

Even Lady Mary and Lord Gillingham are taking hold of these new ideas.

Here's a season five clip that's quite saucy.

I wonder what Mary will say.

I want you to come away, just for a week, maybe less, but on our own.

And I want to spend the days talking.

And the nights?

We'll spend those together, too.

I want us to be lovers, Mary.

What do you say to my scandalous suggestion?

Oh, my, what will Lady Mary say?

If she agrees, this has scandal written all over it.

I love it.

There are so many unanswered questions in season five still left to discuss.

One I am dying to find out is if Mr. Bates really did push Mr. Green in front of that car.

I never was 100% convinced that he was innocent in the death of his wife, Vera.

When we come back, we'll look at the men of Downton Abbey, Carson, Robert, Branson, and Bates, and the women they love, plus some more tantalizing moments from season five.

You just won't want to miss it, so stay tuned.

In the first part of our program, we brought you up to date with all the twists and turns at Downton Abbey during the first four seasons and let you in on some really exciting scenes from season five.

Now we'll look at the men of Downton and the women they love, of course.

This is Downton Abbey, after all.

Whether fighting in the w*r, romancing beautiful women, or battling to save the estate, the men of Downton upstairs and down are pivotal to the riveting plot lines of Downton Abbey.

Think of young Matthew coming to save the day in season one or Branson's transformation from chauffeur to estate manager or Thomas's evil, devious nature changing over four seasons into well, his evil, devious nature.

Hmm, this guy hasn't changed much at all, has he?

Or Mosley's amusing yet misfortunate life struggles.

Will he find love with Baxter?

Where will that go in season five?

I wonder if...

And then there's Bates.

Perhaps the most burning question of season four was did Bates k*ll Mr. Green to avenge his wife, and will that come back to haunt both he and Anna?

Such drama.

But let's start with Robert, Earl of Grantham.

No one is more central to Downton Abbey.

Robert is a man who has been born into a somewhat tricky position in that his destiny is mapped out from the day of his birth, which is to take over and manage and hand on the estate of Downton Abbey.

So he never goes out into the real world, so to speak.

He's served in the army. He's fought in the World w*r, but he's never really experienced life beyond the estate.

So his destiny really is to manage Downton to the best of his ability.

My fortune is the work of others who labored to build a great dynasty.

Do I have the right to destroy their work or impoverish that dynasty?

I am a custodian, my dear, not an owner.

I must strive to be worthy of the task I've been set.

Bonneville: I always say sort of woe betide him if Downton goes under on his watch.

You know, the shame would be immense.

Neame: Downton Abbey, if it were a real place, would probably not exist by the end of the 20th century, or if it did continue to exist, it would be a shadow of its former self.

Robert is not cut out to be wise enough to navigate his way through those waters.

He's not cut out for the world of business.

So his very role is att*cked from every possible quarter.

So people really could lose vast fortunes in speculation and because of scams and all manner of different things.

It wasn't just me. Everyone said we couldn't lose.

We knew hard times were coming for estates like Downton, and this investment would make it safe for the rest of time.

The fact is, the company is about to be declared bankrupt.

Are you really telling me that all the money is gone?

I'm afraid so.

The lion's share of Cora's fortune?

Bonneville: You can't have a good drama without jeopardy, and Robert seems to find pretty good ways of jeopardizing the whole situation.

It must be in the Crawley blood, because Robert's father also left Downton in dire financial circumstances, so much so that years earlier, Robert was forced to find an American heiress to save the day, Cora Levinson.

She has saved his bacon, and that's why when he loses her money, this is just the worst possible nightmare because he should never have had the money anyway, you know, he took her almost in a fast-handed way.

And that creates a kind of bond that I think is very, very strong between them.

And what we try to show, they are different.

Cora, again, is much more modern.

I mean, when Downton is threatened and they may lose it all and everything, she's sorry, but she's mainly sorry for him.

How terrible for you.

It's not so good for you.

Don't worry about me. I'm an American.

Have g*n, will travel.

Oh, thank God for you anyway.

Fellowes: The changes that the new century bring are far more in tune with her original American philosophies than Robert's old-school British stuff.

So actually, as the show has gone on, Cora is much more forthright in her beliefs of where she thinks they're wrong and the new way is right.

Neame: I think what happens by season five is the men really start to realize what their true place is, and I think Robert increasingly realizes that he has to have a more equal partnership with Cora.

Elizabeth McGovern: She's very good for Robert because she is the one that eases him into a changing world after the First World w*r and helps him to psychologically adapt.

Robert?

A world-famous singer is in our house, a great artist honored by the king, but you felt it beneath your dignity to eat with her?

I don't...

Am I the only member of this family who lives in the 20th century?

What room is she in?

Princess Amelia, my Lady.

You will have her next to you at dinner, and you will like it.

But what do I say to her?

What does one say to a singer?

Fellowes: There's never a moment when he says, "is it right that I should be an earl and I should own 20,000 acres and I should be living this life, and not through my own efforts at all, just because I was born in the right bed at the right time?"

So I feel that that, in a sense, is where Robert can be caught out is when people challenge that position.

Poor Robert.

The new world is challenging him in so many ways, and he has trouble moving with the tide.

It looks like in season five, his ego takes a few more hits.

Take a look at this clip.

But is that why you're here, to ask for a piece of land as the site for this thing?

That's why were here to see you, m'lord, but we'd also like to offer the position of chairman of our committee to...

I'll take over now.

You were saying?

We'd like Mr. Carson to be chairman of our committee.

But... Surely his Lordship...

No, Carson, they don't want me, they want you.

Yikes, I'm not sure who that was more shocking for, Robert or Carson.

This world certainly is moving in a new direction when a butler is chosen to lead over a lord.

In a way, this new world is even harder for Carson to wrap his head around.

He is the true keeper of traditions and lives and dies by the social rules that have been the foundation of these families and houses for generations.

Carson is definitely much more wedded to the structure and the necessary order of this little society than Robert is.

Carson really is reluctant to change in any way, shape or form, but he's the bedrock on which Robert relies, and he's the absolute pillar of the establishment.

He's like the 10 commandments in a person, do you know what I mean?

He's like that sort of... we know "Thou shalt nots," all the "thou shalt nots," and they're all embodied by him.

It's like he's the house in person.

You must remember that a good servant at all times retains a sense of pride and dignity that reflects the pride and dignity of the family he serves.

And never make me remind you of it again.

Carson is really the most establishment man in the house, including the family.

He believes in the system more than anyone, more than Robert does.

You mustn't take it personally.

I do take it personally, Mrs. Hughes.

Can't stand by and watch our family threatened with the loss of all they hold dear.

They're not our family.

Well, they're all the family I've got.

Fellowes: Mrs. Hughes is a wise and kind woman but who is unfettered by the class imprisonment.

She is not a revolutionary. She's not abusive or rude to them.

She quite likes them, really, but she doesn't worship them, and she doesn't worship the system, and so there is a real contrast, and together, Jim and Phyllis have created this duo.

I describe it as a marriage.

It's a nonsexual marriage, but it is a sort of marriage nonetheless.

There is a real warmth and mutual understanding.

I mean, she thinks he's a bit of an old fuddy-duddy and could loosen his braces a bit, you know, but they feel very warm towards each other, but they also respect one another's work ethic and everything like that, and so in many ways, they would be a perfect match.

Everybody wants Carson and Mrs. Hughes quietly to get together.

I knew I hadn't thrown it away.

Who is she?

Just a friend at one time.

What was she called?

Alice. Alice Neil.

And you were fond of her.

I was, but people drift in and out of your life, don't they?

Trubridge: You see, we get glimpses of Carson all the way through.

We know that underneath that exterior beats a very, very romantic heart.

And the very end of season four was a delicious moment where she finally thinks, oh, enough of this, come along, hold my hand.

Suppose I fall over.

Suppose a b*mb goes off. Suppose we're hit by a falling star.

You can hold my hand. Then we'll both go in together.

I think I will hold your hand.

It'll make me feel a bit steadier.

You can always hold my hand if you need to feel steady.

I don't know how, but you manage to make that sound a little risque.

[Laughs]

And if I did?

We're getting on, Mr. Carson, you and I.

We can afford to live a little.

Fellowes: Really, we, we the creators and we the audience, have to see if they do make that final furlong.

[Laughs]

And that's all you're gonna get.

I would love to see Carson and Mrs. Hughes get together, and it was so wonderful to watch them walk into the ocean hand in hand.

I have a feeling that we will see more of that in season five.

There are so many interesting men at Downton...

Thomas the footman with his deep secret, Matthew Crawley, who we lost so tragically at the end of season three, the missing Michael Gregson, Edith's paramour and father of her love child, and Tom Branson, the handsome Irish chauffeur, who woos the youngest daughter of the Crawley family, Lady Sybil.

Tom has been on such a journey throughout.

From series one to where we find him now at the end of four, and he has had to make a few sacrifices in relation to his political beliefs and then with his wife passing.

He's had to make huge sacrifices in relation to how we deals with the family.

He's constantly on a Kn*fe edge because he's not really part of either world anymore, and he is trying to fit in to this lifestyle which is not his and never really what he wanted.

He's sort of trapped in this bizarre world.

And these are your people now.

You must remember that. This is your family.

This may be my family, but these are not quite my people.

That sounds like a challenge.

Fellowes: Partly his plot in the fifth series is that suddenly he starts to remember who he really is and not to pull back from them in an emotional way but to kind of remember that he doesn't agree with a lot of this stuff that he's been nodding at, you know, as he ate his soup.

Don't call her "Your Grace."

I thought it was correct.

For a servant or an official at a ceremony, but in a social situation, call her Duchess.

But why?

I don't call you Countess.

Certainly not.

There's no logic in it.

Oh, no, if I were to search for logic, I should not look for it among the English upper class.

I think it'll be interesting to see in five where Tom ends up because I think we're getting to the point that Tom's either going to have to bed in and really become part of this family and just embrace it or I think he's going to have to maybe set off for distant shores.

As marvelous Irish actor Allen Leech just said, Branson's future may involve travel.

Wait a second, did he just reveal the plot from the upcoming season?

What about little Sibby?

I can't imagine that'll go over well with the family.

Uh-oh.

Uh-oh!

In all of Downton Abbey, one of the most fascinating, enigmatic, and complex characters is John Bates, valet to Robert Crawley.

A cloudy past, accusations of wrongdoing, and yet we really like him, don't we?

Maybe it's his pure and true love of Anna.

Fellowes: Bates is the man with the past.

He's a man who has suffered, but he's got a quality of being able to be very opaque and yet sympathetic.

You don't know what's going on, and yet you're on his side.

I still think it's funny given that he's a convicted m*rder*r.

May I remind you, Mr. Barrow, that in this house, Mr. Bates is a wronged man seeking justice.

If you have any problems with that definition, I suggest you eat in the yard.

Fellowes: All the way through, you have these situations, and you're not quite sure.

You know, I mean, even with Vera, we're not 100% sure he didn't do it, and yet we're really pleased he got off, you know.

There's a wonderful little moment in the prison where he just throws someone against the wall, and you see what the potential of this man can be.

You can see what a fighter he could be.

Don't ever thr*aten me.

I forgot I was sharing a cell with a m*rder*r.

Don't forget it again.

And yet 90% of the time, you're seeing a man of great gentleness and humility and dignity.

So the mystery is there.

Peters: Bates' better half is Anna.

I just love Anna, ladies' maid to Lady Mary.

She is kind, steadfast, and unwavering in her love of Mr. Bates.

Fellowes: She is one of those people who has found someone who they can love 100%, and he has found someone whom he can love 100%.

But where it becomes slightly frightening in the case of someone like Bates is that when you have someone who is potentially violent and expl*sive and a b*mb, of course in one way, it's lovely that they love you, but in another way, you're living with an unexploded b*mb, and Anna has this almost frightening awareness that when she is assaulted, part of her struggle has to be to conceal it from her husband.

We must tell someone.

No, no, no.

But you have to tell Mr. Bates.

Him least of all.

If you knew, he'd m*rder the man who's done it, and then he'll be hanged.

But surely...

He's a convicted felon.

Do you think they'd spare him second time?

No.

Maybe the doctor's still here.

Will you listen?

I need your help or I wouldn't have told you.

Nobody else must ever know.

You promise me?

Assaulted and afraid of what her husband might do, many tears were shed for poor Anna in season four.

Did Bates avenge her r*pe by k*lling the despicable Mr. Green?

Did Lady Mary help cover up a crime by burning his ticket to London?

Here's a season five clip that might just provide some answers.

Ah, how can I help you?

Well, it's an odd business, but we may as well get down to it.

A man stayed here last year, a Mr. Alex Green, worked for Lord Gillingham.

I remember him well.

Why wouldn't I when he d*ed so very tragically not long after?

Well, that's all I need. I've just been told to check that you remember him and...

Oh, thank you.

And to give warning that we might need to ask some questions.

I don't understand.

Well, something's turned up, and before they take it further, they're trying to establish its significance.

But what is that? What's turned up?

A witness.

Yikes, tell me it's not so.

Give this poor couple a few moments of happiness, will you please?

Anna and Bates have endured far more than their share of tragedy.

When we come back, we'll look at love, lies, and scandal at Downton Abbey...

So yummy...

And have some more exclusive scenes from the upcoming season, some real hum-dingers.

Don't miss it.

In the second part of our program, we looked at the men of Downton and the women they love... Robert and Cora, Bates and Anna, and Carson and Mrs. Hughes.

I do so hope that that one works out.

And we let you in on some marvelous moments from season five.

Now the juicy part. Without love, lives, and scandal, I'm not sure there would even be a Downton Abbey.

One of the hallmarks of a great family...

Certainly in Britain, and this is true today...

Is the one thing they hate is scandal.

You will figure in a scandal of such magnitude, it will never be forgotten until long after we're both dead.

I'll be ruined, Mama.

On the whole, the upper classes want to figure in the papers three times...

When they're born, when they marry, and when they die...

But that is a form of blackmail that is very potent.

Peters: Such as Lady Mary's predicament with ruthless newspaper proprietor and former fiance Richard Carlisle.

If you think you can jilt me or in some way set me aside, I tell you now you have given me the power to destroy you, and don't think I won't use it.

Dockery: Downton's very much about secrets and who knows what and who knows more than the other, and I think people like having knowledge of other people's lives.

It really is the heart of the show.

You see, if you don't come back to me, I'm going to the newspapers with a cracking story.

And I'd like to bet the Granthams won't survive it.

The public's bored with the w*r, you see.

They like gossip, and a diplomat dying in the bed of an earl's unmarried daughter, well, that takes the ticket for the tale of the year.

Our historical advisor, Alastair Bruce, sort of said to me one day on the set, he said, "All of this," and he was pointing to the castle, he said, "all of this relies on the fact that you behave in a certain way, that you are the upstanding members of this community and that people look to you as the lords and ladies, as sort of the pillars of the community."

And the more you have to present this front of a fully functioning family where everyone is perfectly marvelous and so on, I mean, there never was and never will be a fully functioning family.

That will never happen in any civilization on Earth.

When something bad happens, there's no point in wishing it had not happened.

The only option is to minimize the damage.

Peters: Violet, the Dowager Countess of Grantham is so very practical.

She knows that the Crawleys have had their share...

Maybe even more than their share... Of scandal.

We've already looked at the social disgrace of Lady Sybil marrying the Irish chauffeur and of Robert's nearly calamitous loss of Cora's fortune.

Here's a memorable scandal from season one that nearly brought down the walls of Downton Abbey.

Mr. Pamuk, the handsome Turkish attache, finds eldest Crawley daughter Lady Mary irresistible.

I have to say, I think probably Mr. Pamuk is my favorite of all those stories, purely because I think it is the epitome of Julian's skillful writing that, you know, he was only in a tiny amount, he was in a few scenes, but everybody remembers him, and I'm sure Theo, who played him, is very grateful for that.

He doesn't look Turkish at all.

Well, he doesn't look like any Englishman I've ever met, worse luck.

I think he's beautiful.

Trubridge: I mean, it was such a great storyline, and of course, based on true fact.

Mr. Pamuk!

What happened?

I don't know.

Heart att*ck, I suppose, or a stroke or...

He was alive, and suddenly he cried out, and then he was dead.

We must cover him up.

Mama!

Edith finds out, and when Mary scorns her one too many times, she decides to write to the Turkish embassy and tell them what happened to their diplomat.

Fellowes: Before mass communication, the letter was this incredibly powerful agent of scandal.

The love letters, the trysts, the arrangements, the notes that were left beneath pillows and slipped into handbags and tucked into gloves, all of them, you know, quite capable of blowing a marriage out of the water.

And that was a sort of ripple of danger they all lived with and of course indulged.

You know, there is something about human beings that they like to take risks, and I think we, you know, in Downton, we just sort of plug into that.

You know, my mother's always telling me never put anything in writing.

And now thanks to you, I never will again.

The first four seasons of Downton Abbey takes place between 1912 and 1923, and writer Julian Fellowes and the whole production team have taken great pains to get every period detail correct, including some cultural biases that today may seem politically incorrect or even abhorrent, such as the scandal of h*m*.

Remember this scene when Thomas, the man with a secret, misunderstands his fellow servant Jimmy's kindness?

What are you doing?! Why are you in here?!

Because of all there is between us.

There's nothing between us except my fist if you don't get out!

Rob James-Collier: We see some quite realistic and horrible attitudes towards Thomas, you know?

h*m* attitudes, because that's what it was like then.

To finally discuss that and see that and see Thomas completely destroyed and just at the end of it a vulnerable human being who just needs affection and has never been given it.

I cannot hide that I find your situation revolting, but whether or not you believe me, I am not entirely unsympathetic.

You have been twisted by nature into something foul, and even I can see that you did not ask for it.

I'm not foul, Mr. Carson.

I'm not the same as you, but I am not foul.

Carson would dearly love to get rid of Thomas, but when getting rid of Thomas means that there will be a family scandal and the scandal would reflect badly on the house, then the pragmatic side of Carson comes out, and he thinks, right, well I'll suppress my personal feelings for this loathsome person and for the good of the house, I will swallow my pride and accept him.

Carson's reluctant acceptance of Thomas's h*m* mirrors the feelings of society at large in this period.

Perhaps this has twisted Thomas into the nefarious character we love to hate.

Here, Thomas blackmails Baxter, Lady Cora's maid, to spy on members of the Crawley family.

What deep secret does he hold over her?

You've got to find out more.

But how?

You'll think of something.

James-Collier: Thomas and Baxter have history.

He has a dark secret that he knows about her, so he has a hold over her.

Basically, the situation that she has found herself in is one that would mean she would not be able to work in those times.

She would probably have to live in a poor house and maybe work as a prost*tute if she wanted to get any food, really.

So Thomas gets somebody who's very down on their luck and goes, "I can help, but you'll have to help me back."

So that's the carrot that he dangles, and then the stick is very much, "you don't get something for nothing, love.

"You're gonna be my eyes and ears on the ground upstairs, and you're going to tell me everything that goes on, and I can use this."

So he's very much got himself an upstairs spy.

Now listen...

What you have to decide is where your first loyalties are.

With her... Or with me?

All right.

Have it your own way.

Oh, I intend to.

Baxter does find a friend in Moseley, formerly valet to Matthew Crawley and currently a footman at Downton and one of my favorite characters.

I think they have a shared kinship between them.

Certainly, they have both seen their share of misfortune.

I think he feels with Baxter that there have been injustices in her life, and... And so I think he responds to that.

And he knows that Thomas has a history of manipulating circumstance and manipulating people.

And so he feels that Baxter is at the rough end of that and wants to put a sort of a comforting arm around her.

Leave her alone, Mr. Barrow.

We don't want any bullying brought back from overseas, do we, Ms. Baxter?

Now are there any stalls you'd still like to see?

Thomas doesn't take kindly to Moseley's interference in season five, and his patience grows thin with Baxter withholding valuable information which he could use to spread his misery and better his position in the house.

Will Thomas reveal Baxter's dark secret?

Will that crush the budding affections of Baxter and Mosley and send her away from Downton?

Take a look at this season five clip.

There's no point trying to find Mr. Mosley...

Because he can't help you now.

If that's how you want to play it, I'll give you until upstairs dinner has finished.

After which, I will ask to speak to her Ladyship, and I will tell her your story.

Do you hear what I'm saying?

I can't tell you what I don't know.

But you know something.

And I think it links Mr. Bates to the dead valet.

Um, I just don't like that Thomas Barrow.

Season five will reveal Baxter's secret, and it's a doozy.

I just can't wait.

In season four, we met many new characters, and one in particular was scandalous just to lay eyes on.

Is anyone there?

I think this is where we're supposed to be.

When he actually arrives at Downton, this is a complete shock.

The below stairs staff have perhaps almost never seen a black man.

I particularly enjoyed the scene below stairs when he arrives and Carson, as soon as he claps eyes on Jack, you know, he's completely shocked.

Welcome to Downton.

And this then follows, of course, this extremely awkward conversation.

Have you never thought of visiting Africa?

And why should I go to Africa, Mr. Carson?

I'm no more African than you are.

It's really interesting to see all the different characters' attitudes towards race, and certainly, some of the characters are more forward-thinking and open-minded than others.

Certainly, Cousin Rose is a character who is always forward-thinking, perhaps more so than any other.

To Rose, Jack Ross was not only a talented singer but an enticing eligible bachelor. Remember, this was the 1920s.

Interracial relationships were a rare thing, but cousin Rose is always breaking down barriers, isn't she, and seizing the moment?

Don't... Don't do that.

Rose is immature, and she's rash.

She follows her heart.

She doesn't think too carefully about things, and I think that any suggestion of a relationship there is completely out of the question and would be disastrous for Rose.

Rose, I like you very much. I want you to know.

But?

Well, what can we hope to come out of all this?

Can't we just be in the moment?

I don't know many men like you, and you don't know many girls like me.

Ain't that the truth?

Then let's enjoy it.

You know what the French say... vive la difference

[Both laugh]

I didn't want Jack to turn into someone we feel sorry for.

I mean, he's a very successful man.

He's a successful singer.

He's got a good career, but nevertheless, society at that time was comparatively r*cist in that even people who were perfectly normal would still have difficulty accepting that union.

And certainly, the color issue is a non-starter.

Jack knows that, really, and it doesn't take terribly much to persuade him.

Tell me honestly, do you think you can survive what they'll do to you?

Because I don't believe Rose could.

It may come as something of a relief for you to hear that I will not be marrying Rose.

You won't?

No.

I don't want to spoil her life.

Alas, Rose and Jack were not meant to be.

What will season five hold for our rebellious Rose?

Are there new taboo dalliances coming up?

I'll be keeping an eye on her.

Certainly Rose is not the only one to indulge in some scandalous love affairs.

My dear, this is... Isn't what it seems.

Is there room for misinterpretation?

Peters: Remember when Robert was caught kissing a maid or Lady Edith kissing the farmer and later falling in love with a married man and having his love child?

I suspect there will be much more about this in season five.

Since Matthew's unexpected death at the end of season three, we've all been wondering if Lady Mary will ever love again.

Well, season four certainly gave us two suitable candidates, Charles Blake and Tony Gillingham.

By the end of the season, Mary seems torn between the two.

But as we saw earlier in our program, Lord Gillingham proposed that he and Mary get to know each other while away for a weekend to see how they get on.

Let's see what Lady Mary decided.

It's mad not to give a false name.

Always make a lie as truthful as possible.

How did you manage to get the rooms connected?

Well, I'm not a complete half-wit.

Nor, happily, is the manager.

So, what's the plan?

It's a simple one.

We'll go down to Church Street for a scrumptious dinner, after which... We'll come back.

And make love.

Exactly.

We'll make love all night, and in fact, for as long as either of us has any stamina left.

And who can say fairer than that?

Oh, my, my, does this mean that Mary will marry Tony, Lord Gillingham?

What will happen if the family finds out?

I know there is a wedding in season five, but is it Mary's?

That's why Julian Fellowes always keeps us guessing.

Stay with us after this brief intermission, and we'll have another scene from season five that might give us a clue to who's getting married in our upcoming season.

You won't want to miss it.

Thank you for joining me, Bernadette Peters, for this loving look back at all things Downton Abbey.

It's been so much fun. As we've mentioned, here's an exclusive look at a few more moments from season five.

Isn't it absurd?

I don't know, might be rather fun for her to reinvent herself as a great lady of the county.

For the last time, are you certain you know what you're doing?

I believe so.

Fashionably late is one thing.

I'm fairly sure this was our very biggest day in the history of Downton Abbey in the sense that literally everybody in the town, everybody upstairs, everybody downstairs is all gathered for this big moment.

Need your help. If you see anyone that shouldn't be filming, if you see anyone with a phone, with a camera they shouldn't have, please report it to an A.D. straightaway. We want to keep this special for the British public, and that means not having a photo of our bride on the front page of a paper tomorrow.