Exclusive interview with author Jessica Fellowes and a review of her best-selling companion book to Downton Abbey, the TV series premiering season 2 on PBS Masterpiece on January 8th
Rating: 4 Stars
By Gabrielle Pantera
“It’s been a real delight to catch a ride on the Downton Abbey train, just being caught up in the general wave of positive feeling,” says The World of Downton Abbey author Jessica Fellowes. “At signings you meet the real fans of the show and you realize just what a broad spectrum of people the series appeals to…specifically, that it manages to cross generations. Mothers say they’ve been able to sit down with their daughters for the first time in years to really enjoy something together.”
Season 2 of Downton Abbey, produced by the British production company Carnival Films and aired on England’s ITV network, premieres to great anticipation from American fans on PBS Masterpiece on January 8th. As with Pride & Prejudice, the Downton Abbey story traces the life of a family with only daughters as they attempts to find a suitable husbands, and figure out how the family’s way of life will survive in a world revolutionized by war.
The World of Downton Abbey, a book featuring a behind-the-scenes look at Downton Abbey, was released in England on September 15th, 2011, where it became a #1 bestseller. It’s a mixture of history of the manor house and actor quotes. Fans of the TV series have already made the book a bestseller. The beautiful pictures make it a keepsake and very pretty on your coffee table.
The TV series is set at the fictional manor house Downton Abbey during the reign of King George V. The exterior of the house is actually Highclere Castle, residence to the Earl of Carnarvon. It was the 5th Earl with archaeologist Howard Carter who discovered the tomb of the Egyptian Pharaoh Tutankhamun. The castle was redesigned and renovated by Sir Charles Barry after he had built the Houses of Parliament. Highclere is open to the public in April, July and August. It’s home to the Egyptian Exhibit.
In researching the book, Jessica Fellowes interviewed the cast and crew for the series, as well as visiting Highclere Castle and the built set at Ealing Studios. “I talked to Julian Fellowes, the series creator and writer, as well as being my uncle. His knowledge of the time is almost unparalleled. Plus, I have always had an interest in that time, so I was already familiar with the history and the mood, if you like, from memoirs written by people who lived at the time, from both above and below stairs. There’s a surprising number of them and I’m delighted that the interest in the period generated by Downton Abbey has led to the rediscovery and republication of many of those memoirs.”
Fellowes says the biggest challenge writing The World of Downton Abbey was that there were so many stakeholders in the Downton Abbey brand. “I had to be careful that I kept them all happy. It’s obviously a very strong, authentic brand, with a lot of integrity and I had to ensure that every part of my process, from the research to the shortest caption, stayed true to that. Making sure that everything was completely accurate and yet keeping to the almost insanely tight deadline. We had just six months to produce the book and we were writing about the second series before they had finished filming it.”
In addition to The World of Downton Abbey, Fellowes has written two other books: Mud & the City: Dos and Don’ts for Townies in the Country (based a collection of columns she wrote for The London Paper) and Is There A Psycho In Your Life? co-written with the forensic psychologist Kerry Daynes. Her next book will be a business guide written with the co-founders of notonthehighstreet.com, Sophie Cornish and Holly Tucker.
Fellowes has been a journalist since 1999, starting at the Mail on Sunday. She became Deputy Editor of Country Life magazine and a freelancer four years ago. She’s written for many newspapers and magazines. She’s based in London, the city where she was born.
Fellowes says she’s had wonderful feedback from the people who’ve read the book. The TV series has been renewed for a third season. It will start production in early 2012 and premiere on ITV in September 2012. In addition to the eight episodes of season two, there’s a Downton Abbey Christmas Special that recently aired in England.
The World of Downton Abbey by Jessica Fellowes. Hardcover, 304 pages, Publisher: St. Martin’s Press (December 6, 2011), Language: English, ISBN: 9781250006349 $ 29.99
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