Yesterday was Jane Austen’s 236th birthday. I did not write a post on the big day itself because I was out with my local JASNA chapter celebrating it. A good time was had by all.
I don’t need to repeat what I wrote last year, but the fact remains that Jane is still popular with a wide variety of people. It’s still pretty amazing that the younger daughter of a country rector is remembered (and revered) for 6 novels and several unfinished stories 194 years after her death.
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Let’s fast-forward a little bit from the Regency era to the years after World War I. Yes, the Downton Abbey Christmas Special is due to air on ITV in the UK at 21:00 (9 p.m.) on Christmas night. Here is the press pack: http://www.itv.com/documents/pdf/DOWNTON_ABBEY_PRESS_S2_XMAS_Lores.pdf
As you will see, Sybil and Branson will not be around. That makes sense — they’re not fabulously wealthy and can’t pop back and forth between Ireland and Downton on a whim.
Here are some stories about what may and may not happen:
http://www.cultbox.co.uk/news/headlines/2545-downton-abbey-christmas-special-story-details-revealed
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/showbiz/tv/3997101/Downton-Abbey-Christmas-special.html
And here (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-tZVGdZoEM&feature=player_embedded) is a trailer for the Christmas special. I am dying to find out what happens to Mr. Bates and, by extension, to Anna.
