The Crawley family is set to return for the third series of Downton Abbey this fall  (unless you live in the States, in which case you have to wait until the New Year).  Two new trailers have dropped in anticipation of the hit series’ return: one from Britain’s ITV and one from PBS.  The Golden Globe-winning series from Julian Fellowes stars Hugh Bonneville, Maggie Smith, Laura Carmichael, Jim Carter, Brendan Coyle, Michelle Dockery, Joanne Froggatt, Rob James-Collier and many more in this outstanding ensemble cast.  Downton Abbey returns September 16th on ITV and on January 6th, 2013 on PBS.  Hit the jump to watch the two trailers.

Edwardian soap opera Downton Abbey, which will air first on Britain’s ITV next month and then later this year in America on PBS, has added a new character to its third season sure to shake things up — Cora’s (Elizabeth McGovern) mother Martha Levinson, played by Shirley MacLaine.

For those not up on Downton history, Cora married the Earl of Grantham (Hugh Bonneville) for position while he married her for money.  Though it turned out to be a good match in the end (as they are actually affectionate with one another), there are clearly mixed feelings by the Earl’s mother, Violet, Dowager Countess (Maggie Smith) about an American having rescued their estate.  Now, several decades later, with Downton’s fortunes again on the downturn, it seems that Martha is in town for a visit (to pay some bills?) but she’ll be up against Violet’s distain and sharp barbs.  For a preview of their deliciously devilish discourse, hit the jump.

After an uneven second season (that was mercifully saved by a stunning Christmas Special), PBS’s exceptionally successful series Downton Abbey is ready to return.  The series is co-produced with Britain’s ITV, who will air Downton first in September, followed by a second run on PBS in January.  The new season will feature all of the principle cast, plus the addition of Shirley MacLaine as Lady Mary’s other grandmother.  Things are sure to get heated between the American (MacLaine) and the Queen of Quips, The Dowager Countess (Maggie Smith), as the trailer already suggests.  To view the trailer and read more about the series, hit the jump.

Returning for Season 3 in September in the UK and January 2013 on Masterpiece on PBS, the hit drama series Downton Abbey will see wrenching social changes, romantic intrigues, and personal crises that grip the majestic English country estate, now that the Great War is over and a long-awaited engagement is on.  Written and created by Julian Fellowes, the show has become a worldwide cultural phenomenon, breaking records with all of its nominations for the Primetime Emmy Awards.

While at the PBS portion of the TCA Summer Press Tour, co-stars Joanne Froggatt (who plays head housemaid Anna Smith) and Brendan Coyle (who plays currently incarcerated head valet John Bates) talked about how all of the Emmy nominations feel, what it’s been like to have the show become such a cultural phenomenon, how surprised they were when they learned the fate of Mr. Bates, and the possibility of working in the U.S., once the show is finished.  Check out what they had to say after the jump.

Returning for Season 3 in September in the UKand January 2013 on Masterpiece on PBS, the hit drama series Downton Abbey will see wrenching social changes, romantic intrigues, and personal crises that grip the majestic English country estate, now that the Great War is over and a long-awaited engagement is on. Written and created by Julian Fellowes, the show has become a worldwide cultural phenomenon, breaking records with all of its nominations for the Primetime Emmy Awards.

While at the PBS portion of the TCA Summer Press Tour, Fellowes talked about how this season will be about the recovery from the war, the advantages of being able to create a story set in the past but with a modern mind-set in writing it, what actress Shirley MacLaine will add to this season, how amused he is by the people who wrongly point out inaccuracies in the show, and how far he’d like to take the story. Check out what he had to say after the jump.

The 2012 Emmy nominations are here, and there are plenty of predictable results, a few pleasant surprises, and a slew of snubs (I hear you, Parks and Rec and Community fans, I hear you!).  I mentioned in my piece on underrated series and performances this year that there were plenty of shoo-ins from shows I shouldn’t even bother mentioning, most especially Justified and the aforementioned comedies.  Apparently I was dead wrong.  But there were a few nice additions, including Michelle Dockery for Downton Abbey(what’s with all of the Downton noms this year?  It had a lackluster second season aside from Dockery) as well as Christine Baranski for The Good Wife and Mark Margolis for Breaking Bad (ding ding ding!).  For the list of nominees, hit the jump.

Before the 2012 Emmy Nominations are officially announced (July 19th), I wanted to jump in and highlight some of what I believe to be some of the best underrated performances on television this year.  Putting aside some of the perennial winners, the following discussion for each of the major categories is likely to mention plenty of names who won’t get Emmy mentions this year, but certainly should (and others who may get a nod, but likely won’t win).  Hit the jump for the (spoiler-free!) list that is not meant to be exhaustive (after all, I do watch an unhealthy amount of TV but I’m not caught up on everything), but hopefully brings at least a few of those dark horses to light with the recognition they deserve.

Yesterday we brought you the Critics’ Choice Award nominees.  Tonight belongs to the Television Critics Association.  Homeland tops the list with 4 nominations.  While it got the extra boost over established veterans in the Outstanding New Program category, the taut thriller earned its spots in Best Drama and Program of the Year as well as the nod to Claire Danes for her stellar performance.  The critics understandably still love Breaking Bad and Bryan Cranston, Mad Men and Jon Hamm, Louie and Louis C.K., Game of Thrones and Peter Dinklage, Parks and Recreation and Amy Poehler.  Creator/star Lena Dunham is the freshest face in the bunch, representing in both Individual Achievement in Comedy and Outstanding New Program with Girls.  But as always, there are a few head-scratchers.  Jessica Lange for American Horror Story is a legacy vote, and while her scenery-chewing was very entertaining—for Individual Achievement in Drama?  No.  And Smash somehow sneaked into Outstanding New Program rather than, say, Veep or Awake.

Still, the TCA always gets more right than they do wrong, especially with their neat Heritage Award.  (This year’s eclectic contenders are Cheers, Lost, Saturday Night Live, Star Trek, and Twin Peaks.)  Read the full list after the jump.

Despite 30 Rock often cracking wise about how NBC is barely a network anymore, the broadcaster lead the Critics’ Choice Awards nominations with 14 recognitions (although 30 Rock, unfortunately, received none). NBC’s low-rated but much beloved jewel Community picked up six nominations on its own, including five for acting (Joel McHale, Jim Rash, Alison Brie, Gillian Jacobs, and Danny Pudi), solidifying its place in the canon of widely under-appreciated series with deeply rooted critical and cult followings.

Hit the jump for the full list of nominees, along with who got snubbed.

For nearly 40 years, Masterpiece on PBS has captivated audiences with the works of the finest classic and contemporary writers, interpreted by the world’s foremost actors.  In 1985, Rebecca Eaton took over the helm and oversaw the highly successful relaunch in 2008, with three distinct programs strands – Classic, Mystery! and Contemporary.  Under her watch, the series has presented such high-profile titles as Prime Suspect, Inspector Morse, The Complete Jane Austen, Wallander and the recent hits Sherlock (returning for Season 2 on May 6^th), Upstairs Downstairs and Downton Abbey.  With 34 Primetime Emmy Awards, 17 Peabody Awards, a Golden Globe and two Academy Award nominations, her distinguished career has earned her the official recognition of Queen Elizabeth II.

During this exclusive interview with Collider, executive producer Rebecca Eaton talked about what her job at Masterpiece entails, the gut feeling that she goes with when it comes to determining programming, which aspects of her job she enjoys most and dreads most, and what keeps her coming back, year after year.  She also talked about the overwhelming success of Sherlock and Downton Abbey, why audiences have responded so strongly to the pairing of Benedict Cumberbatch as Sherlock Holmes and Martin Freeman as Dr. Watson, and why they only do three 90-minute movies per season.  Check out what she had to say after the jump.

The Artist has yet again taken home a major Oscar precursor award. The black-and-white silent film was recognized for Outstanding Producer of Theatrical Pictures at the 23rd Annual Producers Guild Awards last night. This is yet another notch in the column that points to a very big night for The Artist at the upcoming 84th Academy Awards. In a slight surprise, The Adventures of Tintin was the winner among animated films, besting critical favorite Rango. On the television side of things, Boardwalk Empire won for excellence in dramatic series (beating out fare like Mad Men and Game of Thrones), Modern Family was the winner for the comedies, and the fantastically addictive Downton Abbey won in the movies of the week/mini-series category.

Hit the jump to see the full list of winners.

The American Cinema Editors have announced their list of nominees for the 62nd Annual Eddie Awards. Before you brush editing off as an insignificant category, take note that no film has won the Best Picture Oscar without at least a Best Editing Eddie nomination in 20 years. Martin Scorsese’s longtime collaborator Thelma Schoonmaker was nominated for her work on Hugo, as were last year’s Oscar winners Angus Wall and Kirk Baxter for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Other films singled out include The Artist, The Descendants, Midnight in Paris, Moneyball, and Young Adult.

On the television side of things, Breaking Bad, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Friday Night Lights, and Game of Thrones all landed nods. Hit the jump to see the full list of nominees. ACE’s 62nd awards ceremony, hosted by Patton Oswalt, will be held February 18th.

I’ve just spent the past three hours watching and live-blogging the 2012 Golden Globe Awards.  My brain feels mushy.  After the jump and presented without comment is a list of this year’s winners. If you don’t even want to hit the jump, The Artist and The Descendants won Best Comedy/Musical and Best Drama, respectively.  If you want to awards prognosticate, I’ll save you the trouble: both were nominated for a Best Picture Oscar.  Those nominations haven’t been announced yet, but they were nominated.  Trust me.  I’m a professional.

Also, feel free to sound off on the winners and losers.  Lord knows I’ve been doing it for the past three hours.

On Season 2 of Downton Abbey (returning to PBS on January 8, 2012), it is 1916 and World War I has shaken the Crawley family estate to its very foundations. As a way of life is forever blasted apart, alliances are tested as both heroes and villains struggle to survive and forge ahead.

During this interview to promote the return of the popular period drama, actress Michelle Dockery, who plays the clever but cold oldest daughter, Lady Mary Crawley, talked about where things are at with the story in Season 2, what it’s like to play such a complex character, if she could live as emotionally repressed as Lady Mary, and the costume envy that goes on with this show. She also talked about her role in Joe Wright’s next film, an adaptation of Anna Karenina, and her desire to do more modern-day work. Check out what she had to say after the jump.

The American Society of Cinematographers announced their nominations for the best-photographed TV of 2011.  Boardwalk Empire topSthe list with 2 nominations in the one-hour drama category.  HBO also had a presence in the movie/miniseries category with Mildred Pierce and the half-hour series category with Bored to Death.  (This is the first year the ASC introduced a half-hour category.)  I am happy to see Pan Am among the nominees, because the pilot was gorgeous.  Due to the specific nature of the awards, there are a few curious selection that won’t get awards attention anywhere else, like Chase and Man Up.  Reminds me of my surprise at discovering that Home Improvement won 7 Emmys, all of which were awarded to apparent lighting guru Donald A. Morgan for Outstanding Lighting Direction.

Hit the jump for the full eclectic list of ASC nominees.