PBS has some good news for fans of dramas that are large, lush and (of course) British.
The movie version of “Downton Abbey” (shown here) will air twice – on Christmas Day and on Jan. 2. It will be alongside two other favorites (“Call the Midwife” and “All Creatures Great and Small”) and something new – David Tennant in an eight-part mini-series, “Around the World in 80 Days.”
The movie came out in 2019, with the usual stately “Downton” feel, plus a few plot extras: The king was visiting and some schemes were surfacing. The result was a box-office success, making $97 million in the U.S. and Canada and about the same in the rest of the world.
Now it’s part of PBS’ plan for winter drama:
– Dec. 25: The movie at 7 p.m. and a “Midwife” Christmas special – complete with a wedding and the usual medical crises – at 9.
– Jan. 2: “Around the World” debuts at 8 p.m., with the “Downton” movie repeating at 9.
– Jan. 9: “All Creatures” starts its second season at 9 p.m., after the second “Around the World” episode at 8.