A star-studded musical parody gives us a (hilarious) glimpse of what may (not) be in store for Downton Abbey season 4.
Though the soapy British drama Downton Abbey is currently on hiatus on both sides of the Atlantic, fans in the U.K. and in the U.S. can indulge their libretto-filled fantasies in a new musical spoof of the season 4 premiere.
Directed by John Walton West, “Downton Abbey at 45 Below” offers a “sneak peak” at the fictional development and real performance of the the Downton Abbey season 4 premiere – as a musical episode.
The 10-minute video was filmed at the very real Studio 54 in New York, and fills its jam-packed cast with Colin Mochrie as Julian Fellowes, Catherine Charlebois as Michelle Dockery/Lady Mary, Craig Schulman as Hugh Bonneville/Robert Crawley, and Jennifer Smith as Dame Maggie Smith. (Repeatedly observed to be absent is any stand-in for Dan Steven’s departed Matthew Crawley, though Mary’s confirmed new love interest is giving a saccarine starring moment.)
Check out the lyrical hilarity right here:
As wacky and far-fetched as a Downton Abbey musical episode might seem (good heavens, tea bags!) the supposed season 4 premiere does get a few things exactly on the nose. As mentioned above, the introduction of Lord Anthony Gillingham is confirmed, as are jazz singer Jack Ross and real-life opera star Kiri Te Kanawa.
All that being said, there has been no indication that Jessica Brown Findlay will return to breathe life into a ghostly Sybil, and it also appears that Siobhan Finneran’s scowling O’Brien has said farewell to Downton Abbey for good. (No last solo for you, dear.)