13 Fascinating Behind-The-Scenes Facts About "Downton Abbey"

As you can see, we don't deserve this cast.

Alastair Bruce's work with Downton Abbey ranged from teaching cast members how to properly curtsey to correcting posture and walking speed. During an interview with Town & Country, Bruce attributed some of the show's success to its laser-focus attention to detail. 

"I think the attention to detail that I've been a part of, and getting history right, gives the viewer greater confidence," he said. "They feel they're being taken into a time legitimately, and that seals the deal." Bruce was also an advisor for other historical shows and movies, such as the Oscar Award-winning film, The King's Speech.

McShera also confirmed that there are removable underarm patches that do get washed — but this clearly doesn't work wonders for those long days on set. 

Stinky clothes weren't the only costume challenge for the show. Historical advisor Alastair Bruce shared that finding waistcoats for male actors proved difficult, as men during the 1910s were often of smaller stature. It was also his duty to ensure the actors playing noblewomen wore corsets and the correct type of jewelry. Sounds comfy.

In case you aren't bewildered enough that someone resides in this grandiose slice of heaven, you can actually visit the castle for a myriad of activities. Enjoy some afternoon tea, tour Downtown Abbey filming locations, book a stay on property, or (brace yourself) turn this historical site into your wedding venue. 

In case writing best-selling fiction wasn't enough, Fellowes put his knack for storytelling to use by writing all six seasons of Downton Abbey and both film installments. In addition to the new movie, his most recent accomplishment is executive producing HBO's historical drama, The Gilded Age.

Though her portrayal of Lady Grantham would surely be legendary, it's hard to picture anyone else but the iconic Elizabeth McGovern taking on this role. In fact, McGovern was no stranger to her on-screen husband once she was cast as Cora. Hugh Bonneville, who plays Lord Grantham, had already played her spouse twice prior to the series! 

According to Backstage, when the series was first created, there were a few actors the creative team already pictured in their respective roles. Casting director Jill Trevellick said that in addition to Maggie Smith (Violet Crawley), Michelle Dockery (Lady Mary), Dan Stevens (Matthew Crawley), and Hugh Bonneville (Robert Crawley) were at top of her mind from the get-go. 

Other roles were harder to fill — like John Bates — since there was such care to get the unique part right. In the end, Brendan Coyle fit the bill, and it's hard to picture anyone else in Bates' shoes.

The Sun speculates that the happy couple welcomed a baby boy together in March 2021, and if so, this child is a Downton legend. 

While Carmichael and Fox might be the only "upstairs-downstairs" love story, Rose Leslie, who played housemaid Gwen Dawson, found romance across the prime-time TV universe with actor Kit Harington from Game of Thrones.

Having to prep food for long, detailed shoots doesn't come without consequence. According to an interview with Rachael Ray, Sophie McShera (Daisy) and Lesley Nicol (Mrs. Patmore) revealed that some dishes were frozen to last longer which resulted in a bit of a smelly atmosphere. 

"We had a lobster, and it caused what we called 'Lobstergate.' It was beautiful and looked terrific on camera, and was very expensive," Nicol said. "They froze it, and then brought it out another day, and by the time it had thawed, it was bad."

The angel that was Matthew Crawley will forever hold a special place in Downton fans' hearts, but Stevens did go on to succeed in other TV shows and movies including Disney's Beauty and the Beast reboot.

The demise of Lady Sybil (played by Jessica Brown Findlay), however, was something that the showrunners anticipated from the beginning. Creator Julian Fellowes told Vanity Fair that when Findlay was cast, she requested to stay on the series for no more than three years. Since Stevens' departure was not planned, Fellowes laments that he should have killed off both characters in that horrendous Christmas special car crash. 

Powerhouses like Game of Thrones reached a whopping $15 million per episode by the end of its run, which makes Downton Abbey — in all of its lavish glory — seem pretty darn budgetary.

By the time the series reached its Super Bowl Sunday success in 2014, it had already ranked second to the NFL two years in a row. Sure, Downton doesn't include a half-time show, but like any good football game, it brought viewers plenty of edge-of-your-seat moments.

One of the most exciting parts of the franchise's expansive timeline is that we see glimpses into the real historical events of the day. The show kicks off just as the Crawleys learn the news of the Titanic sinking, and in Downton Abbey: A New Era, it seems that the family may be nearing the Great Depression.

Each character, depending on their social status and upbringing, did have to learn a specific way to speak, but it's not completely accurate to the dialect that would've been spoken by these types of people during the 1910s and 1920s. 

Even in its purposeful inaccuracies, Downton Abbey remains a carefully crafted world that will be deeply missed when the series is put to rest.