00:00A moving picture at Downton.
00:02But the Big Little Stars famous one.
00:04Three, two, one, action!
00:10How are you both today?
00:13Good, thank you.
00:14It's wonderful to be talking to you about Downton Abbey, a new era.
00:18As always, returning to Downton just looks so effortless for everyone,
00:22but obviously it's a movie.
00:25There's going to be long, grueling days on set,
00:27and I wanted to ask you both, what was the hardest day to get through?
00:35The longest day on set, probably, I think,
00:38one of the dining room scenes we had in France.
00:41That was, it wasn't that the day was any longer than it normally was,
00:46it was just that it was 32 degrees, and we were surrounded by seafood.
00:50It's not the best choice, and it was all sitting out for two days,
00:54or three days, actually.
00:55And I had the great idea of saying that I was happy to de-shell one of the lobster tails
01:01in every take.
01:02And just a couple of times that didn't go well,
01:04and I got spattered with some entrails.
01:05So for me, that was definitely the longest day of filming.
01:09Yeah, and also, I felt like that, the dance that was supposed to be in France,
01:14there was only one bit that we did a bit of doubling.
01:16But the party at the end of France, that was a night shoot,
01:22and we were doubling some parts of the UK for the South of France.
01:27And so it was pretty freezing, actually, and raining.
01:31So that felt like a pretty long day.
01:33Yeah, you're right.
01:35Always those night dances.
01:37I know.
01:39Especially because, Alan, you had the night dance at the end of Downton One.
01:44That's right.
01:45And that led to a bet between the producers.
01:48Did that bet ever get paid off?
01:51To the best of my knowledge, Gareth Meem has not yet paid Liz Trubridge
01:54for her great idea of having me dance outside.
01:57What?
01:57To the best of my knowledge, yes.
01:59He also said he was joking.
02:01He also said it wasn't 500 quid, that it was a fiver,
02:03and someone misunderstood him.
02:06But I believe it hasn't been paid.
02:08Yeah, we should get him.
02:09Someone needs to grill him on that.
02:11Yeah, definitely.
02:13Well, for me, I think it was probably...
02:17Mrs. Hughes ends up in a rather bizarre outfit,
02:22which you would not expect to see her in,
02:25in normal circumstances.
02:27And I literally couldn't get into the toilet with it.
02:33I didn't know that.
02:35No, no, I couldn't.
02:37I tried every which way, and so I had to...
02:41I think I went in the field in the end.
02:44I don't know what I did, but we worked it out.
02:46In some way, but it was quite a challenge.
02:49Trust me.
02:49That is not fun.
02:50That is not fun.
02:53For me, what was the hardest day?
02:56To be perfectly honest,
02:57I don't think I really had a hard day.
03:00No.
03:00Like, in all honesty, I mean, yeah, it's just,
03:03it's just so much fun.
03:05We had such a giggle.
03:06It's a privilege to be...
03:07Yeah, we all know each other so well,
03:09and we slot back into those roles,
03:10and, you know, to have new cast members with us,
03:13and who were great fun and brilliant at what they did.
03:18And it was just, it was great.
03:20I mean, the whole, it was just great fun.
03:22You know, it wasn't, there was no hardship for me.
03:26I'm just the mourner, the complete, the morning minute.
03:29That's pretty hard going if you can't go to the loo.
03:31Hardcore, yes.
03:33There's trouble in paradise.
03:35You don't need me to tell you that marriage is a novel
03:37full of plot twists along the way.
03:39There were rumors surrounding an iconic character
03:42dying in the sequel.
03:44However, the film does sort of misdirect us
03:46with a whole plot involving Korra.
03:49What inspired you to throw that curveball into the script?
03:54No, I mean, I don't know what I have to say about it, really.
03:58I mean, this is what we came to as a story.
04:02And with Korra and Robert,
04:06who both have quite emotional storylines this time,
04:12I felt that in the earlier film,
04:15although they were, you know, in it a lot,
04:18I mean, they were on screen,
04:19but they didn't have their own particular emotional journey.
04:23And so I did want to give them both something
04:26with sort of meat on the bones
04:28for them to get their teeth into, you know.
04:30So that was conscious.
04:33And apart from that, you know, I do my research
04:37and I, you know, I was looking for a certain kind of condition
04:43and that sort of thing.
04:45And then I get advice from people
04:47who know far more about it than I do.
04:49Laura, Edith has gone from strength to strength
04:52throughout the entire history of Downton.
04:54And now, you know, she's back to writing.
04:56She has such a wonderful, thriving family life.
04:59What do you think is the greatest difference
05:01between the Edith you met and the pilot
05:03and the Edith we see in a new era?
05:05Oh, wow, that's a good question.
05:06I think she really has grown and evolved.
05:10I mean, she was very traditional, I think, when you met her.
05:14I think she really thought she was going to have
05:16a very similar life to that of her grandmother's very well
05:20and lived in a big house.
05:21And even though she did end up doing that,
05:24she took a more interesting route.
05:26And I think, you know, she really found her voice
05:31and became a writer and that has given her
05:33this amazing self-confidence, I think.
05:37And I think you see that in this movie with her and Bertie.
05:40She seems just in a really good place.
05:42So, yeah, she's much happier than the Edith we met in season one.
05:47Women like us fall into two categories, dragons and fools.
05:52You must make sure they think of you as a dragon.
05:56So, the new era is indeed dawning.
05:59New developments, dear friends are leaving.
06:01If Downton 3 happens, do either of you have ideas
06:04for where you would like it to go?
06:08Maldives.
06:11Funny you mentioned that because, Phyllis,
06:14when we spoke for Home Video,
06:15you and Jim Carter pitched the Carsons going to the Maldives.
06:20Did you?
06:20Well, he would, of course,
06:22because he's quite an aficionado of the Maldives, is he not?
06:25But yes, he probably did, yes.
06:27So, I think it's a no-brainer.
06:31We've all got to move the castle there.
06:35Absolutely.
06:36Exactly. Brick by brick. It could work.
06:39And how do I help you get co-writing credit for this film?
06:43Because, obviously, Mr. Carson gets to go to the south of France
06:46and he burned like he said he would.
06:48So, do you want me to talk to Julian about this?
06:52If you would, that would be great.
06:54That's great.
06:55I would be much appreciated, yes.
06:59In relation to the whole idea or plot we've been talking about,
07:03we love the idea of Downton coming to New York
07:07just before the crash of Wall Street
07:09to come visit Shirley MacLaine's character.
07:12Let's go see Cora's family.
07:15Yeah.
07:16I think if we're carrying on our excursion trend...
07:19Yeah, now they've realised they can go on a boat
07:21and it's not going to sink,
07:23that they can possibly go to New York.
07:27Oh, all the boats have sank before that point, so you're good.
07:30Absolutely every single one at some point.
07:32Or been sunk.
07:33Yeah.
07:35They'd better be warned.
07:36The British are coming.
07:38Great job.
