Downton Abbey Season 3 Eagerly Awaited

Local interest remains great in the PBS miniseries Downton Abbey and starting Sunday Abbey enthusiasts will again immerse themselves in the drama and intrigue of British estate life.

Season 3 runs on Sunday nights at 9 from Jan. 6 through Feb. 17.

Watch the New World and Old World, tradition and change clash in the wake of WW I.

Swampscott Library Director Alyce Deveau said DVDs from Season 1 and 2 remain very popular. The library has ordered Season 3 on DVD, she said.

The director told us in a library column last year that the series has a great following and its DVDs are constantly being checked out.

"Many Americans love to watch the “Austen-like” family drama complete with castles, upstairs and downstairs maids and seemingly great opulence," she said.

The director also told us that Downton's popularity generated interest in a biography related to Downton.

The biography is: Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey : the lost legacy of Highclere Castle / by The Countess of Carnarvon.

"This book tells the story behind Highclere Castle which is the  real-life inspiration and setting for Julian Fellowes's Emmy Award-winning PBS show," the director said." It details the life of one of its most famous inhabitants, Lady Almina, the 5th Countess of Carnarvon."

For more information about Season 3, check out the Masterpiece website on Downton Abbey.

Here is a Masterpiece summary of Season 3 drama:

"Aside from the sparks upstairs, a very real crisis threatens the foundation and future of Downton. Great houses have been crippled psychologically and financially in the wake of World War I, and Downton may not be exempt. In response, Robert clings decisively to his duty to maintain the home at all costs. But in this changing landscape, nothing is assured, and even the Crawleys may be faced with a new battle to safeguard their beloved Downton.

Amidst sweeping social change, budding romances and surprising betrayals, Downton Abbey returns with a riveting third season starring Maggie Smith, Hugh Bonneville, Elizabeth McGovern, Shirley MacLaine and the rest of stellar cast in the award-winning series from Julian Fellowes."