Drama

Good news for British mystery fans today – Acorn Media, ITV and Eleventh Hour Films have confirmed that detective drama Foyle’s War is set to return in 2013 with three new two-hour episodes.

Michael Kitchen will return as Christopher Foyle and writer Anthony Horowitz is also back on board. Also expected to return to the series is co-star Honeysuckle Weeks, who plays Samantha Stewart.

Click through for some early details on the plot of the new Foyle’s War episodes, which will take Foyle and his story into the post-World War II era.

Downton Abbey Season 2 officially concluded this weekend in wonderful fashion and I hope everyone is officially ready to wail and gnash their teeth with the rest of the world while we wait for word on Season 3. (As far as I’m aware it’s set to start filming any day now, which is some comfort, I suppose.)

This week’s finale brought us a little bit of everything – and I’m assuming that quite a few of you were possibly screaming over very pleased with the episode’s ending. So click through and let’s talk about it – the good, the bad, and the somewhat odd. And then we’ll figure out what we’re going to do while we wait for Series 3.

Series 2 of Downton Abbey concludes tonight with loads of drama, romance, and Christmas cheer. Yes, America, we’re wrapping up the season with the Downton Christmas special, and I can promise many exciting things are going to happen – including, unless I’m completely mistaken – a rather lot of cheering by the end.

We aren’t so much into Christmas television here in America – for us, our main TV season tends to take a bit of a rest between Thanksgiving and the New Year. But in the UK, Christmas telly is a beloved tradition and many of the country’s most popular programs put together special episodes for the holidays. (It is certainly a tradition I wouldn’t mind us adopting from the Brits, that’s for sure!)

Click through for a look at tonight’s finale, featuring gift exchanges and holiday traditions from both upstairs and downstairs.

The BBC has released the first official clip from Upstairs Downstairs Series 2! The thing most people will be excited about – I certainly am – is that this scene gives us our first look at Doctor Who’s Alex Kingston in action.

The clip features a few very mild spoilers – but nothing that feels too major. In this scene, Lady Agnes (Keeley Hawes) returns to 165 Eaton Place with her new baby and is greeted by Sir Hallam's Aunt, Dr. Blanche Mottershead (Kingston). Click through and take a peek for yourselves!

We officially finished the technical Series 2 of Downton Abbey last night – though, don’t worry, we’ve still got the Christmas special to come next Sunday – and I don’t know about you guys, but I am just having emotions all over the place about everything.

So all over the place that I feel the need to caveat going in to this installment of Downton Discussion – that despite some (major) problems with some (multiple) things that went down in this episode, it was all around supremely enjoyable television. I was glued to the screen for two hours and sorry when it ended and I just shamelessly loved watching it, even when I didn’t love everything (a lot of things) that happened. I imagine a lot of folks may have felt that way too.

There’s a lot to talk about, of the positive, negative and “Wow, did that really just happen?” variety, so just click right on through and we’ll get started on that. (I think I should probably apologize in advance for the length of this. It’s…not brief.)

Downton Abbey Series 2 continues tonight at 9pm on Masterpiece Classic. And remember – it’s a special two-hour episode this week!

Click through for a sneak peek clip from Episode 6 that features some fun pre-dinner conversation among the Crawleys about new post-war fashions, a couple great lines from the Dowager Countess, an awkward moment between Richard and Mary, and a surprising development surrounding Vera Bates’ death.

Hurrah, we’re finally starting to get more concrete information about Series 2 of Upstairs Downstairs!

Stars Emilia Fox and Sarah Lancashire have both signed on to appear in the new season. Details about their characters are slim, though executive producer Faith Penhale has confirmed that Fox will play a character called Portia who “makes a connection with” Alex Kingston’s Blanche, and that Lancashire’s character, named Violet, will be involved with butler Mr. Pritchard (played by Adrian Scarborough).

Fox is best known for her work on crime drama Silent Witness and, most recently, as evil sorceress Morgause in Merlin. And most of you will probably recognize Lancashire from her role on Lark Rise to Candleford. These ladies join several other new Series 2 cast members, including Doctor Who’s Kingston, Hotel Babylon’s Michael Landes and Made in Dagenham’s Kenneth Cranham.

In more good news, according to the Guardian, writer Heidi Thomas said that the second series will also feature Jean Marsh’s beloved Rose Buck, even though the actress’ ill health in the Fall looked like it would keep her out of the show.

And if that’s not enough, the BBC has released an official group shot for Series 2, gives us our second official look at Kingston’s Blanche, along with a couple of simply stunning dresses. Click through to take a look for yourselves!

The great author Charles Dickens turned 200 yesterday, and to celebrate this momentous anniversary Masterpiece Classic released the first American promotional trailer for the upcoming Great Expectations adaptation, featuring former The X-Files star Gillian Anderson.

Click through and take a look for yourself!

The second series of Downton Abbey rolled along through its fifth episode this week, bringing with it some good and some bad – but nevertheless all very major - plot twists. As we reach the end of the war, there are adjustments and consequences for all our favorite characters – and it will be incredibly interesting to see how these events shake out over the last few episodes.

Click through for a look at some of the big moments from Downton Episode 5 and a rundown of all my (occasionally run-on) thoughts on the night’s major developments. Chime in with your opinions in the comments – on some of these bigger plot twists, I would dearly love to hear how other people reacted!

Downton Abbey Series 2 continues tomorrow night at 9pm on Masterpiece Classic. After last week’s emotional tearjerker, what might we be in store for this week? Who knows, but it’s probably wise to basically prepare yourself for anything.

So, click through to take a sneak peek at a scene from tomorrow’s all new episode. This preview clip involving Mary and Matthew being, well, Matthew and Mary, and is heartbreaking and moving and frustrating and a little bit…ominous at the very end. What do you all think? Any predictions to share?