Sketch comedy comprises a series of short, amusing scenes or vignettes , called "sketches", commonly between one and ten minutes long, performed by a group of comic actors or comedians. The form developed and became popular in vaudeville , and is used widely in variety shows , comedy talk shows , and some sitcoms and children's television series . The sketches may be improvised live by the performers, developed through improvisation before public performance, or scripted and rehearsed in advance like a play. Sketch comedians routinely differentiate their work from a “skit", maintaining that a skit is a (single) dramatized joke (or "bit") while a sketch is a comedic exploration of a concept, character, or situation. Sketch comedy is a genre within American television that includes a multitude of schemes and identities.
94-736: The Keith Lemon Sketch Show is a British television impressions/character sketch show that aired on ITV2 from 5 February 2015 until 10 March 2016. It stars Leigh Francis ' character Keith Lemon portraying several celebrities. The first series aired from 5 February until 12 March 2015 on ITV2 . Paddy McGuinness , Bill Oddie and Fearne Cotton appeared in all episodes in this series. Official Viewing Figures are from BARB. The second and final series of The Keith Lemon Sketch Show aired from 4 February until 10 March 2016 on ITV2 . Paddy McGuinness , Jessica Hynes , Vernon Kay , Ruth Langsford and Eamonn Holmes made regular appearances in this series. Official Viewing Figures are from BARB. This
188-416: A commoner . Lady Flintshire employs underhanded schemes to derail Rose and Atticus's engagement, including announcing to everyone at the wedding that she and her husband are divorcing, intending to cause a scandal to stop Rose's marriage to Atticus; they are married anyway. When Anna is arrested on suspicion of Green's murder, Bates writes a false confession before fleeing to Ireland . Baxter and Molesley,
282-530: A cast of recurring characters. In North America , contemporary sketch comedy is largely an outgrowth of the improvisational comedy scene that flourished during the 1970s, largely growing out of The Second City in Chicago and Toronto , which was built upon the success in Minneapolis of The Brave New Workshop and Dudley Riggs . Notable contemporary American stage sketch comedy groups include The Second City,
376-517: A crime fighting duo similar to Batman and Robin , who try to foil plots against them by known supervillains and crazed enemies. Fearne Cotton presents a spoof spin-off from show entitled The Gossip (which in itself is a parody of Take Me Out: The Gossip ) in which Lemon and a number of guests sit in a posh bar and talk about the show. Lemon and Joe Swash parody the BBC2 series The Trip , starring Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon , whereby they visit
470-665: A deathbed marriage to Daisy, the kitchen maid . While Daisy does not believe she loves William, she marries him in his last hours as his dying wish. It is not until a brief encounter with the Dowager Countess that she begins to realise that her love was real, but she could not admit it to herself. Matthew is now paralysed from the waist down by his battle injury, and seemingly unable to father children. Lavinia remains true to him despite his attempts to set her free, and he finally accepts her devotion. Mary, while acknowledging her feelings for Matthew, becomes engaged to Sir Richard Carlisle,
564-461: A footman and Matthew's former valet, are able to prove that Bates was in York at the time of the murder. This new information allows Anna to be released. Cora eventually learns the truth about Marigold, and wants her raised at Downton; Marigold is presented as Edith's ward , but Robert and Tom eventually discern the truth. Only Mary is unaware. When a war memorial is unveiled in the town, Robert arranges for
658-406: A footman, offers to help Mr Mason so he can learn about farming, but Andy is held back by his illiteracy. Barrow offers to teach him to read, but Andy soon trades his help for that of a teacher at the local school. Robert suffers a near-fatal health crisis. Previous episodes alluded to health problems for Robert; his ulcer bursts and he is rushed to the hospital for emergency surgery. The operation
752-469: A gift, Matthew and Robert reach a compromise in which Matthew accepts that the inheritance will be used as an investment in the estate, giving Matthew an equal say in how it is run. However, as time goes on Robert repeatedly resists Matthew and Tom's efforts to modernise the running of the estate to make it profitable. Tragedy strikes when Sybil dies from eclampsia shortly after giving birth. Tom, devastated, names his daughter Sybil after his late wife. Bates
846-454: A government take-over of the local hospital is considered. Mary begins seeing Henry Talbot, a racing driver, and Edith begins seeing Bertie Pelham, a cousin of the owner of Brancaster Castle. Meanwhile, Anna suffers repeated miscarriages. Mary takes her to a specialist, who diagnoses a treatable condition, and she becomes pregnant again. Mr Carson and Mrs Hughes disagree on where to hold their wedding reception, but eventually choose to have it at
940-538: A hospital meeting. Henry and Tom go into business together selling used cars, while Mary announces her pregnancy. Molesley accepts a permanent teaching position and he and Baxter promise to continue seeing each other. Daisy and Andy finally acknowledge their feelings; Daisy decides to move to the farm with Mr Mason, her father-in-law. Carson develops palsy and must retire. Following Robert and Mary's suggestion, Barrow happily returns to Downton as butler, with Carson in an overseeing role. Edith and Bertie are finally married in
1034-402: A job elsewhere. Having formed a close bond with young George, Barrow realises that Downton has become the first real home he has ever had, but feels unwanted. Mary defies a blackmailer, who is thwarted by Robert. With Tom's departure to Boston, Mary becomes the estate agent . Edith is more hands-on in running her magazine and hires a female editor. Violet and Isobel once again draw battle lines as
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#17331145749011128-611: A larger programme. In Britain , it moved to stage performances by Cambridge Footlights , such as Beyond the Fringe and A Clump of Plinths (which evolved into Cambridge Circus ), to radio, with such shows as It's That Man Again and I'm Sorry, I'll Read That Again , then to television, with such shows as Not Only... But Also , Monty Python's Flying Circus , Not the Nine O'Clock News (and its successor Alas Smith and Jones ), and A Bit of Fry and Laurie . An early, perhaps
1222-469: A mentally incapacitated sister. The Crawleys' cousin, Lady Rose, daughter of Lord and Lady Flintshire, becomes engaged to Atticus Aldridge, son of Lord and Lady Sinderby. Lord Sinderby strongly objects to Atticus's marrying outside the Jewish faith . Lord Merton proposes to Isobel Crawley (Matthew's mother). She accepts, but later ends the engagement due to Lord Merton's sons' disparaging comments over her status as
1316-417: A number of spinoff films, including The Blues Brothers (1980), Wayne's World (1992) and Superstar (1999). The idea of running characters was taken a step further with shows like The Red Green Show and The League of Gentlemen , where sketches centered on the various inhabitants of the fictional towns of Possum Lake and Royston Vasey , respectively. In Little Britain , sketches focused on
1410-588: A parody of Dickinson's Real Deal , hosted by David Dickinson portrayed by Lemon. This version sees viewers bring in everyday rubbish in order to make a few pence. Such items include half a bottle of bleach spray, adult magazines and a jacket potato with coleslaw and cheese. For some reason, this David Dickinson blows raspberries and makes bizarre noises after every other sentences. Lemon's version of Dickinson later appears in Keith Lemon - Coming In America . A Springwatch -style programme following Ed Sheeran , who
1504-436: A powerful and overbearing newspaper mogul, but their relationship is rocky. Bates's wife, Vera, repeatedly causes trouble for John and Anna, who are now engaged. Vera threatens to expose Mary's past scandalous indiscretion, but Carlisle agrees to purchase and kill her story. Embittered, Mrs Bates mysteriously commits suicide with an arsenic pie after a visit by Bates, and he is arrested on suspicion of her murder. Matthew regains
1598-487: A separate plaque to honour the cook Mrs Patmore's late nephew, who was shot for cowardice and excluded from his own village's memorial. The Crawleys are invited to Brancaster Castle, which Lord and Lady Sinderby have rented for a shooting party. While there, Lady Rose, with help from the Crawleys, defuses a personal near-disaster for Lord Sinderby, earning his gratitude and securing his approval of Rose. A second footman, Andy,
1692-644: A series of run-down restaurants and talk about their languishing careers. Lemon portrays a contemporary version of Miss Marple , who turns up at crime scenes, only to be told to "f**k off" by the local police who claim that the general public have no right to investigate murders. Olly Murs (Lemon) and Caroline Flack present a behind-the-scenes look at The X Factor , alongside judges Nick Grimshaw (Lemon), Rita Ora (Davis) and Simon Cowell (also portrayed by Lemon). Sketch show Sketch comedy has its origins in vaudeville and music hall , where many brief humorous acts were strung together to form
1786-538: A similar format to The Great British Bake Off , this sees six people trying to get as drunk as possible in the space of an hour. This sees a well-meaning fox (Lemon) terrorising his neighbourhood and in most episodes, clashes with a local dog (Davis). In one episode, it is revealed that The Urban Fox's real name is Russell and that he lives with his mother. He reappeared in the 2018 series Keith Lemon - Coming In America , where he has shown to have migrated to America. A bizarre take on Embarrassing Bodies . The host of
1880-450: A surprise meeting for Edith and Bertie with Bertie proposing again. Edith accepts. Edith tells Bertie's moralistic mother Mirada about Marigold; initially appalled, she is won over by Edith's honesty. Barrow, having decided to turn over a new leaf and become a kinder person, finds a position as butler and leaves Downton on good terms, but he is unhappy at his new post; the family and other servants also find themselves missing him. Lord Merton
1974-521: A talk with Robert, Mary realises that she must break off her engagement to Carlisle; he and Matthew fight in the drawing room, but in the end Carlisle goes quietly and is never heard from again. The annual Servants' Ball is held at Downton, and Mary and Matthew finally find their way to a marriage proposal on a snowy evening outside the Abbey. Lady Sybil, the youngest Crawley daughter, beginning to find her aristocratic life stifling, falls in love with Tom Branson,
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#17331145749012068-417: A thing for elderly women quoting "I love sweet wrinkly vag me" and Hank Osasuna plays Zayn Malik . In a parody of similar prime time series, Mick Hucknall (Lemon) is accused of being a "nightmare neighbour", but goes out of his way to protest his innocence. Other "nightmare neighbours" include Paul Weller . Taylor Swift (Lemon) tries to make friends with complete strangers while on vacation in
2162-536: A variety of cartoon characters, including the Care Bears . Martin Clunes (Lemon) presents a spoof animal documentary series in which he proceeds to wish to ' bum ' every animal that he comes into contact with. Lemon plays a variety of celebrities who engage in weird or unexpected activities, such as Prince going to a car boot sale and Russell Brand learning to ride a skateboard. Lemon stars as Minty Cat , one half of
2256-549: A witness from testifying to Bates's innocence of the crime for which he is incarcerated). At Downton, Mrs Hughes finds out she may have breast cancer , which only some of the household hear about, causing deep concern, but the tumour turns out to be benign . Tom Branson and Lady Sybil, now pregnant, return to Downton after Tom is implicated in the burning of an Anglo-Irish aristocrat's house. After Matthew's reluctance to accept an inheritance from Lavinia's recently deceased father and then Robert's reluctance to accept that inheritance as
2350-514: Is Bates who extracts the letter from Sampson's overcoat, and it is returned to Mrs Dudley Ward. The family hold a debutante ball for Lady Rose following her presentation at court, and the grateful Prince makes an appearance at the ball. In series five, covering the year 1924, a Russian exile , Prince Kuragin, wishes to renew his past affections for the Dowager Countess (Violet). Violet instead locates his wife in British Hong Kong and reunites
2444-417: Is Lavinia Swire, the niece of a Liberal minister. William Mason, the second footman, is drafted, even after attempts by the Dowager Countess of Grantham to save him from conscription . William is taken under Matthew's protection as his personal orderly . Enduring trench warfare and charging against machine guns and artillery, both are injured by an exploding shell. William dies from his wounds, but only after
2538-510: Is Robert Crawley's mother Violet, Dowager Countess of Grantham. Samantha Bond portrays Lady Rosamund Painswick, Robert's sister who resides in Belgrave Square , London. Dan Stevens portrays Matthew Crawley, the new heir, along with Penelope Wilton as his mother, Isobel Crawley, who are brought to Downton. Allen Leech as Tom Branson begins the series as the family chauffeur , but falls in love with Lady Sybil, marries her and later becomes
2632-608: Is an amalgamation of Big Fat Gypsy Weddings and Keeping Up with the Kardashians . During the series, we follow Kim 's marriage to Kanye . The whole sketch shows how trivial both programmes are. They later reappear in Keith Lemon - Coming In America . Characters This is a cruder take on the Hairy Bikers . He-Man and Skeletor star in this episode of Come Dine with Me . Mark Wright and Michelle Keegan are seen doing boring, uninteresting, everyday things. Lemon plays
2726-490: Is diagnosed with terminal pernicious anaemia and Amelia blocks Isobel from seeing him. Goaded by Violet, Isobel pushes into the Merton house and announces she will take Lord Merton to her house to care for and marry him, to his delight. Later, Lord Merton is correctly diagnosed with a non-fatal form of anaemia . Robert resents Cora's frequent absences as the hospital president, but comes to admire her ability after watching her chair
2820-532: Is hired on Barrow's recommendation. During the annual Downton Abbey Christmas celebration, Tom announces he is moving to America to work for his cousin, taking daughter Sybil with him. Mr Carson proposes marriage to Mrs Hughes and she accepts. In series six, changes are once again afoot at Downton Abbey as the middle class rises and more bankrupted aristocrats are forced to sell off their large estates. Downton must do more to ensure its future survival; reductions in staff are considered, forcing Barrow to look for
2914-526: Is in production. The first series, comprising seven episodes, explores the lives of the fictional Crawley family, the hereditary Earl of Grantham, and their domestic servants. The storyline centres on the fee tail , or "entail", governing the titled elite, which endows title and estate exclusively to male heirs . As part of the backstory, the main character, Robert Crawley, Earl of Grantham, had resolved his father's past financial difficulties by marrying Cora Levinson, an American heiress. Her considerable dowry
The Keith Lemon Sketch Show - Misplaced Pages Continue
3008-504: Is killed in a London street accident. A local school teacher, Sarah Bunting, and Tom begin a friendship. In the Christmas special set mainly in London, Sampson, a card sharp , steals a letter written by Edward VIII , then Prince of Wales , to his mistress, Rose's friend Freda Dudley Ward , which if made public would create a scandal; the entire Crawley family connives to retrieve it, although it
3102-505: Is living in a forest. The voiceover is provided by Bill Oddie , former presenter of BBC Two 's Springwatch programme. Keith Lemon and Paddy McGuinness reenact famous movie scenes but the scenes are normally ruined by Keith who tends to go too far. Movies Viewed A cooking show hosted by Sloth from The Goonies . Fearne Cotton talks with One Direction who tells her silly bits of work on their music videos (e.g. pretending to play instruments). Lemon plays Harry Styles - who has
3196-447: Is not interested. Edith, who has begun writing a weekly newspaper column, and Michael Gregson, a magazine editor, fall in love. Due to British law, he is unable to divorce his wife, who is mentally ill and in an asylum. Gregson travels to Germany to seek citizenship there, enabling him to divorce, but is killed by Hitler's Brownshirts during riots. Edith is left pregnant and decides to have an illegal abortion, but changes her mind at
3290-511: Is now contractually incorporated into the committal entail in perpetuity; however, Robert and Cora have three daughters and no son. As the eldest daughter, Lady Mary Crawley had agreed to marry her second cousin Patrick, the son of the then- heir presumptive James Crawley. The series begins the day after the sinking of RMS Titanic on 14/15 April 1912. The first episode starts as news reaches Downton Abbey that both James and Patrick have perished in
3384-761: Is offered a teaching position at the school. Mary breaks up with Henry, unable to live with the constant fear he could be killed in an accident like Matthew was. Bertie proposes to Edith, but she hesitates to accept because of Marigold. Violet, upset over Cora replacing her as hospital president, abruptly departs for a long cruise to restore her equanimity. Bertie unexpectedly succeeds his late second cousin as 7th Marquess of Hexham and moves into Brancaster Castle; Edith accepts him. Mary spitefully exposes Marigold's parentage, causing Bertie to walk out. Tom confronts Mary over her malicious behaviour and her true feelings for Henry. Despondent over his inability to find another job and his sense of being unloved, Barrow attempts suicide , and
3478-600: Is part of the heritage Bluebell Railway . St Pancras station in London doubled for King's Cross station in episode one of series four, in the scene where Lady Edith Crawley meets her lover Michael Gregson. The restaurant scene where Lady Edith meets Michael Gregson and where they share their kiss was filmed at the Criterion Restaurant in Piccadilly Circus which was originally opened in 1874. Bridgewater House in
3572-425: Is pregnant. She has a baby boy and names him Charlie after his father, but Major Bryant refuses to acknowledge his paternity. The filming location, Highclere Castle , in reality served as a convalescent home during World War I. In episode one of the third series, covering 1920 to 1921, preparations are underway for Mary and Matthew's wedding. Tom and Sybil Branson arrive from Ireland, where they now live, to attend
3666-434: Is released from prison after Anna uncovers evidence clearing him of his wife's murder. Tom becomes the new land agent at the suggestion of Violet, the Dowager Countess. Barrow and O'Brien have a falling out, after which O'Brien leads Barrow to believe that Jimmy, the new footman, is sexually attracted to him. Barrow enters Jimmy's room and kisses him while he is sleeping, which wakes him up shocked, confused, and very angry. In
3760-426: Is right, Cheryl shrugs this off as having "been under a lot of pressure recently". An overenthusiastic, stereotypical American plastic surgeon whose approach is rather lazy. A typical 90s kids' art programme but with a presenter resembles Pat Sharp or Neil Buchanan who continually makes sexual references. In series two, the format is changed slightly, whereby presenter Dicky Doodles is seen "out and about". With
3854-492: Is saved by Baxter and Andy. Realising the extent of Barrow's pain for the first time, Robert and Carson allow Barrow to stay at Downton while he recovers and searches for new employment. Mary and Henry reunite and are married. Edith returns to Downton for the wedding; she and Mary agree to work on improving their relationship. Mrs Patmore's new bed and breakfast business is tainted by scandal, but saved when Robert, Cora and Rosamund appear there publicly to support her. Mary arranges
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3948-402: Is successful, but Mary and Tom must take over Downton's operations. Larry Merton's fiancée, Amelia, encourages Lord Merton and Isobel to renew their engagement, but Violet rightly becomes suspicious. Violet discovers that Amelia wants Isobel, and not her, to be Lord Merton's caretaker in his old age. Daisy and Molesley score high marks on their academic exams; Molesley's are so exceptional that he
4042-511: Is used for exterior shots of Downton Abbey and most of the interior filming. The kitchen, servants' quarters and working areas, and some of the "upstairs" bedrooms were constructed and filmed at Ealing Studios . Bridgewater House in the St James area of London served as the family's London home. Outdoor scenes are filmed in the village of Bampton in Oxfordshire . Notable locations include
4136-656: Is used for the interior scenes of Lady Rosamund ( Samantha Bond )'s London residence in Belgrave Square . A house in Belgrave Square is used for exterior shots. The farm scenes in series two in which Lady Edith learns to drive a tractor as part of the war effort were filmed on location at the Chiltern Open Air Museum in Buckinghamshire. Inveraray Castle in Argyll , Scotland, doubled as "Duneagle Castle" in
4230-780: The Spanish influenza pandemic and the Marconi scandal (second series); the Irish War of Independence leading to the formation of the Irish Free State (third series); the Teapot Dome scandal (fourth series); and the British general election of 1923 and the Beer Hall Putsch (fifth series). The sixth and final series introduces the rise of the working class during the interwar period and hints at
4324-516: The United Kingdom , but ends up alienating more people than she befriends with her impatience and rudeness. Lemon plays a fictitious Hollywood reporter known as "George Clooney's Pig" in a spoof of the breakfast show Lorraine , which in turn is instead presented by Kate Garraway . Characters Lemon fronts a fictitious charity campaign in which he is trained by Eamonn Holmes and Ruth Langsford to have sex non-stop for ten days whilst travelling
4418-592: The Upright Citizens Brigade , and The Groundlings . In South Bend, Indiana , area high school students produced a sketch comedy series called Beyond Our Control that aired on the local NBC affiliate WNDU-TV from 1967 to 1986. Warner Bros. Animation made two sketch comedy shows, Mad and Right Now Kapow . Australian television of the '80s and '90s featured several successful sketch comedy shows, notably The Comedy Company , whose recurring characters included Col'n Carpenter , Kylie Mole and Con
4512-549: The agent for the estate. David Robb portrays Dr Richard Clarkson, the local town doctor. Joining the cast in series three is Lily James as Lady Rose MacClare, a cousin whose mother is Violet's niece Susan, the Marchioness of Flintshire, and who is sent to live with the Crawleys because her parents are serving the empire in India and, later, remains there because of family problems. In series three and four, Shirley MacLaine portrays
4606-634: The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and the outbreak of the First World War in August 1914. The second series comprises eight episodes and runs from the Battle of the Somme in 1916 to the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic . During the war, Downton Abbey is temporarily converted into an officers' convalescent hospital . Matthew, having left Downton, is now a British Army officer and has become engaged. His fiancée
4700-636: The butler , and Phyllis Logan as Mrs Hughes, the housekeeper . Tensions rise when Rob James-Collier , portraying Thomas Barrow, a footman and later a valet and under-butler , along with Siobhan Finneran as Miss O'Brien, the lady's maid to the Countess of Grantham (up to series three), plot against Brendan Coyle as Mr Bates, the valet to the Earl of Grantham, and his love interest and eventual wife, Anna ( Joanne Froggatt ), lady's maid to Lady Mary. Kevin Doyle plays
4794-435: The butler . During the outbreak, Thomas attempts to make up for his inability to find other employment after the war by making himself as useful as possible and is made Lord Grantham's valet after Bates is arrested. Lavinia dies abruptly, which causes great guilt to both Matthew and Mary. Bates is found guilty of murder and sentenced to death but the sentence is commuted to life in prison due to Lord Grantham's influence. After
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#17331145749014888-557: The cook , and Sophie McShera as Daisy, the scullery maid who works her way up to assistant cook having earlier married William Mason. Cara Theobold portrays Ivy Stuart, a kitchen maid, joining the cast for series three and four. The series is set in Downton Abbey, a Yorkshire country house , which is the home and seat of the Earl and Countess of Grantham , along with their three daughters and other family members. Each series follows
4982-526: The 2012 Christmas special. Greys Court near Henley-on-Thames in Oxfordshire was used as the family's secondary property, which they proposed moving into and calling "Downton Place" due to financial difficulties in series three. Also in the third series, Bates's prison scenes were filmed at Lincoln Castle in Lincolnshire . Horsted Keynes railway station in Sussex is used as Downton station. The station
5076-751: The Church of St Mary the Virgin and the library, which served as the entrance to the cottage hospital. The old rectory in Bampton is used for exterior shots of Isobel Crawley's house, with interior scenes filmed at Hall Place near Beaconsfield in Buckinghamshire . The fictional Downton Abbey is said to be located in Yorkshire . The towns of Easingwold , Kirkby Malzeard , Kirkbymoorside , Malton , Middlesbrough , Ripon , Richmond and Thirsk , each mentioned by characters in
5170-498: The Drewes and relocates to London. Simon Bricker, an art expert interested in one of Downton's paintings, shows his true intentions toward Cora and is thrown out by Robert, causing a temporary rift between the couple. Mrs Patmore's decision to invest her inheritance in real estate inspires Mr Carson, Downton's butler, to do likewise. He suggests that head housekeeper Mrs Hughes invest with him; she confesses she has no money due to supporting
5264-486: The Fruiterer . An early British example is the influential The Running Jumping & Standing Still Film (1959). Sketch films made during the 1970s and 1980s include If You Don't Stop It... You'll Go Blind and the sequel Can I Do It... 'Til I Need Glasses? , The Groove Tube , Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex* (*But Were Afraid to Ask) , The Kentucky Fried Movie and its sequel Amazon Women on
5358-548: The Grantham family disapproves of the match, and at the altar announces that he cannot go through with the wedding, devastating Edith. Strallan flees the church and is never heard from again. Meanwhile, Bates's cellmate plants a small surgical knife in his bedding, but Bates is informed by a fellow prisoner allowing him time to find and hide it (this same small knife is later used by Bates to threaten his cellmate when he had been using his connections through corrupt prison guards to keep
5452-586: The Moon , and Monty Python 's And Now for Something Completely Different and The Meaning of Life . More recent sketch films include The Underground Comedy Movie , InAPPropriate Comedy , Movie 43 and Livrés chez vous sans contact . Many of the sketch comedy revues in Britain included seasons at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival . Since 1999, the growing sketch comedy scene has precipitated
5546-479: The Prince and his estranged wife. Scotland Yard and the local police investigate Green's death. Violet learns that Marigold is Edith's daughter. Meanwhile, Mrs Drewe, not knowing Marigold's true parentage, resents Edith's constant visits. To increase his chances with Mary, Charles Blake plots to reunite Gillingham and his ex-fiancée, Mabel. After Edith inherits Michael Gregson's publishing company, she removes Marigold from
5640-566: The St James area of London served as the family's London home. Outdoor scenes are filmed in the village of Bampton in Oxfordshire. Notable locations include St Mary's the Virgin Church and the library, which served as the entrance to the cottage hospital. The old rectory in Bampton is used for exterior shots of Isobel Crawley's house, with interior scenes filmed at Hall Barn , Hall Place near Beaconsfield in Buckinghamshire, featured as Loxley House,
5734-578: The annual Christmas special, was broadcast on 25 December 2015. A film adaptation , a continuation of the series, was confirmed on 13 July 2018 and released in the United Kingdom on 13 September 2019, and in the United States on 20 September 2019. A second feature film, Downton Abbey: A New Era , was released in the United Kingdom on 29 April 2022 by Universal Pictures , and in the United States and Canada on 20 May 2022 by Focus Features . A third film
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#17331145749015828-473: The bookies. Miley Cyrus and her father are touring Britain. Miley's father is hoping some of the British politeness will turn Miley into a lady, however she normally ends up getting her breasts out and doing something inappropriate. A tongue-in-cheek look at how Downton Abbey would look if written by the writers of Geordie Shore in order to appeal to a younger audience. This is a typical auction programme
5922-588: The development of sketch comedy festivals in cities all around North America. Noted festivals include: Downton Abbey Downton Abbey is a British historical drama television series set in the early 20th century, created and co-written by Julian Fellowes . It first aired in the United Kingdom on ITV on 26 September 2010 and in the United States on PBS , which supported its production as part of its Masterpiece Classic anthology, on 9 January 2011. The show ran for fifty-two episodes across six series, including five Christmas specials. The series, set on
6016-595: The end, Lord Grantham (familiar with homosexuality from Eton) defuses the situation. The family, except Branson, visits Violet's niece Susan, her husband "Shrimpie", the Marquess of Flintshire ; and their daughter Rose, in Scotland , accompanied by Matthew and a very pregnant Mary. The Marquess confides to Robert that his estate is bankrupt and will be sold, making Robert recognise that Downton has been saved through Matthew and Tom's efforts to modernise. At Downton, Edna Braithwaite,
6110-478: The eventual decline of the British aristocracy . Downton Abbey has received acclaim from television critics and numerous accolades , including a Golden Globe Award for Best Miniseries or Television Film and a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Miniseries or Movie . It was recognised by Guinness World Records as the most critically acclaimed English-language television series of 2011. It earned 27 Primetime Emmy Award nominations after its first two series,
6204-464: The fictional Yorkshire country estate of Downton Abbey between 1912 and 1926, depicts the lives of the aristocratic Crawley family and their domestic servants in the post- Edwardian era , and the effects the great events of the time have on their lives and on the British social hierarchy . These events include news of the sinking of the Titanic (first series); the outbreak of the First World War ,
6298-548: The first, televised example of a sketch comedy show is Texaco Star Theater aka The Milton Berle Show 1948–1967, hosted by Milton Berle . In Mexico, the series Los Supergenios de la Mesa Cuadrada , created by Mexican comedian Roberto Gómez Bolaños under the stage name Chespirito , was broadcast between 1968 and 1973, creating such famous characters as El Chavo del Ocho and El Chapulín Colorado . While separate sketches historically have tended to be unrelated, more recent groups have introduced overarching themes that connect
6392-406: The floor next to the bathtub, causing Cora to slip while getting out of the tub, and the fall resulting in a miscarriage. It is later revealed that the miscarried foetus was a male. Although Lady Mary intends to accept Matthew, Matthew believes her reluctance is due to the earlier uncertainty of his heirship and emotionally rescinds his proposal, leaving Lady Mary devastated. The series ends just after
6486-488: The former for taking a position he had desired for himself. Bates and Thomas remain at odds as Barrow works to sabotage Bates's every move. After learning Bates had recently been released from prison, Thomas and Miss O'Brien (Lady Grantham's lady's maid ) begin a relentless pursuit that nearly ruins the Crawley family in scandal. Barrow – a homosexual man in late Edwardian England – and O'Brien create havoc for most of
6580-554: The home of Sir Anthony Strallan. Parts of series four were filmed at The Historic Dockyard Chatham , Kent – The Tarred Yarn Store was used in episode one as a workhouse where Mrs Hughes ( Phyllis Logan ) visits Mr Grigg ( Nicky Henson ) and in episode two, streets at The Historic Dockyard Chatham were used for the scenes where Lady Rose MacClare ( Lily James ) is at the market with James Kent ( Ed Speleers ) watching her. The production had previously filmed in Kent for series one where
6674-460: The item is. Typically, Ian keeps making references to Star Wars , leading an irate Schofield to constantly remind him the show has no links to Star Wars whatsoever. The first sketch attracted much press attention after Schofield is seen to tell contestant Ian to "f**k off" after he becomes increasingly annoying. Jessica Hynes plays the owner/manager of a job centre which specializes in finding work for jobless cartoon characters. Lemon plays
6768-491: The last minute. With the help from her paternal aunt, Lady Rosamund, Edith secretly gives birth to a daughter while abroad, and places the baby with adoptive parents in Switzerland , but reclaims her after arranging a new adoptive family on the estate. Mr and Mrs Drewe of Yew Tree Farm take the baby in and raise her as their own. Anna is raped by Lord Gillingham's valet Mr Green, which Mr Bates later discovers. Subsequently, Green
6862-427: The length and breath of Britain , raising money for charity. Dominic Littlewood (Lemon) presents a spoof version of Cowboy Builders in which dodgy builders actually turn out to be real cowboys, and end up in a gunfight, which in turn destroys the persons' home even more. Vernon Kay presents a spoof version of All Star Family Fortunes in which Little Mix and One Direction go head to head. However, many of
6956-421: The lives of the aristocratic Crawley family, their friends, and their servants during the reign of King George V . Gareth Neame of Carnival Films conceived the idea of an Edwardian-era TV drama set in a country house and approached Fellowes, who had won an Academy Award for Best Writing (Original Screenplay) for Gosford Park . The TV series Downton Abbey – written and created by Fellowes –
7050-432: The most for any international television series in the awards' history. It was the most watched television series on both ITV and PBS, and became the most successful British costume drama since the 1981 television serial of Brideshead Revisited . On 26 March 2015, Carnival Films and ITV announced that the sixth series would be the last; it aired on ITV between 20 September 2015 and 8 November 2015. The final episode,
7144-405: The mother of Cora Crawley, Martha Levinson. Suitors for Lady Mary's affections during the series include Tom Cullen as Lord Gillingham, Julian Ovenden as Charles Blake, and Matthew Goode as Henry Talbot. Edith's fiancé and eventual husband Bertie Pelham, 7th Marquess of Hexham, is played by Harry Hadden-Paton . Downton Abbey's senior household staff are portrayed by Jim Carter as Mr Carson,
7238-417: The new chauffeur of Irish descent with strong socialist leanings. She is talked out of elopement by her sisters, but her wayward marriage eventually receives Lord Grantham's reluctant blessing. Ethel Parks, a new housemaid, is seduced by a wounded officer, Major Bryant. Mrs Hughes, the housekeeper, finds them together in bed and dismisses Ethel, but takes pity on her and helps her when Ethel tells her she
7332-571: The new maid, enters Tom's room and kisses him, whereupon he asks her to leave, and she is eventually fired. Mary returns to Downton with Anna and gives birth to the new heir, but Matthew dies in a car crash while driving home from the hospital after seeing his newborn son. In series four, covering 1922 to 1923, O'Brien leaves to serve Lady Flintshire in British India . Cora hires Edna Braithwaite, who had previously been fired for her interest in Tom. Eventually
7426-531: The part of Holly Willoughby and Hank Osasuna plays the part of Phillip Schofield and Eamonn Holmes . Some scenes focus around phone-ins, fashion advice and medical help. Many jokes are made about Holly's breasts. Other minor characters include Denise Robertson , Jeff Brazier , The Speakmans , Dr Chris Steele and Gino D'Acampo . Cheryl tells Kimberley about what has happened to her recently. Both stories are later cleared up by Kimberley to actually be various well-known film plots. After realising that Kimberley
7520-417: The schoolhouse, during which Tom reappears with Sybil, having returned to Downton for good. Coyle, who tricked Baxter into stealing a previous employer's jewellery, is convicted after she and other witnesses are persuaded to testify. After Mrs Drewe kidnaps Marigold when Edith is not looking, the Drewes vacate Yew Tree Farm; Daisy convinces Tom to ask Robert to give her father-in-law, Mr Mason, the tenancy. Andy,
7614-538: The series finale, set on New Year's Eve 1925. Anna goes into labour during the reception, and she and Bates become parents to a healthy son. The main cast of the Crawley family is led by Hugh Bonneville as Robert Crawley, the Earl of Grantham, and Elizabeth McGovern as his wife Cora Crawley, the Countess of Grantham. Their three daughters are depicted by Michelle Dockery as Lady Mary Crawley (Talbot), Laura Carmichael as Lady Edith Crawley (Pelham) and Jessica Brown Findlay as Lady Sybil Crawley (Branson). Maggie Smith
7708-597: The series, lie in North Yorkshire , as does the city of York, while Leeds —similarly mentioned—lies in West Yorkshire . Yorkshire media speculated the general location of the fictional Downton Abbey to be somewhere in the triangulated area between the towns of Easingwold, Ripon and Thirsk. First World War trench warfare scenes in France were filmed in a specially constructed replica battlefield for period war scenes near
7802-498: The show is Dr Chrispian, a strange version of real-life host and doctor, Dr Christian Jessen . Dr Chrispian is a somewhat egotistical centaur with an "incredible physique". Ant & Dec go undercover for Saturday Night Takeaway but it sees their costumes as unrealistic and not very convincing. A new sketch was introduced in series 2 featuring Ant and Dec which was based on I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! . This sees Jedward as old men and generally ends with them going to
7896-576: The sinking of the ocean liner. The family then learns that a more distant and unknown male cousin, solicitor Matthew Crawley, the son of an upper-middle-class doctor, has become the next heir presumptive. The story initially centres on the relationship between Lady Mary and Matthew, who resists embracing an aristocratic lifestyle, while Lady Mary resists her own attraction to the new heir presumptive. Of several subplots, one involves John Bates, Lord Grantham's new valet and former Boer War batman , and Thomas Barrow, an ambitious young footman , who resents
7990-443: The situation blows up, and Edna is replaced by Phyllis Baxter. Mary deeply mourns Matthew's death. Matthew's newly-found letter states Mary is to be his sole heir and thus gives her management over his share of the estate until their son, George, comes of age . With Tom's encouragement, Mary assumes a more active role in running Downton. Two new suitors—Lord Gillingham and Charles Blake—arrive at Downton, though Mary, still grieving,
8084-747: The sketches within a particular show with recurring characters that return for more than one appearance. Examples of recurring characters include Mr. Gumby from Monty Python's Flying Circus ; Ted and Ralph from The Fast Show ; The Family from The Carol Burnett Show ; the Head Crusher from The Kids in the Hall ; Martin Short 's Ed Grimley , a recurring character from both SCTV and Saturday Night Live ; The Nerd from Robot Chicken ; and Kevin and Perry from Harry Enfield and Chums . Recurring characters from Saturday Night Live have notably been featured in
8178-470: The staff and family. When Barrow is caught stealing, he hands in his notice to join the Royal Army Medical Corps . Matthew eventually does propose to Lady Mary, but she puts him off when Lady Grantham becomes pregnant, understanding that Matthew would no longer be heir if the baby is a boy. Cora loses the baby after O'Brien, believing she is soon to be fired, retaliates by leaving a bar of soap on
8272-481: The top answers relate to some form of innuendo. Characters Ant & Dec (Lemon) host a spoof version of I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! in which Will has to perform sexual acts on Ant in order to win meals for the camp. Presented by Phillip Schofield , this segment parodies the typical daytime gameshow format. George Lucas (Lemon) has to describe an everyday object or item and two contestants, Jennifer and Ian (also portrayed by Lemon), have to guess what
8366-480: The unlucky Mr Molesley, valet to Matthew Crawley. Thomas Howes portrays William Mason, the second footman. Other household staff are Rose Leslie as Gwen Dawson, a housemaid studying to be a secretary in series one. Amy Nuttall plays Ethel Parks, a maid, beginning in series two and three. Matt Milne joined the cast as Alfred Nugent, O'Brien's nephew, the awkward new footman for series three and four, and Raquel Cassidy plays Baxter, Cora's new lady's maid, who
8460-504: The use of his legs, and he and Mary realise they are still in love, but Matthew remains honourably committed to Lavinia after she stood by him during his misfortune. Unknown to them both, Lavinia, ill with Spanish flu , sees and overhears Matthew and Mary admit their love for one another while dancing to a song playing on the phonograph gifted as a wedding present to Matthew and Lavinia. The Spanish influenza epidemic hits Downton Abbey further with Cora taken seriously ill, as well as Carson,
8554-537: The village of Akenham in rural Suffolk . Many historical locations and aristocratic mansions have been used to film various scenes: The fictional Haxby Park, the estate Sir Richard Carlisle intends to buy in series two, is part of Waddesdon Manor in Buckinghamshire . Byfleet Manor in Surrey is the location for the Dower house , home to Violet, Dowager Countess of Grantham, while West Wycombe Park in Buckinghamshire
8648-601: The wedding. Also arriving to attend the wedding of her granddaughter is Cora's mother, Martha Levinson, from America. Robert (Lord Grantham) learns that the bulk of the family's fortune (including Cora's dowry) has been lost due to his impetuous investment in the Grand Trunk Railway . Meanwhile Edith has fallen for Sir Anthony Strallan, whom Robert discourages from marrying Edith due to his age and crippled arm. At Edith's insistence, Robert gives in and welcomes Sir Anthony, but even though he loves her, Strallan cannot accept that
8742-436: Was hired to replace Edna Braithwaithe, who was sacked. Ed Speleers plays the dashing James (Jimmy) Kent, the second footman, from series three to five. In series five and six Michael Fox plays Andy Parker, a replacement footman for Jimmy. In series four, five, and six Andrew Scarborough plays Tim Drewe, a farmer of the estate, who helps Lady Edith conceal a big secret. The kitchen staff include Lesley Nicol as Mrs Patmore
8836-551: Was originally planned as a spin-off of Gosford Park , but instead was developed as a stand-alone property inspired by the film, set decades earlier. Although Fellowes was reluctant to work on another project resembling Gosford Park , within a few weeks he returned to Neame with an outline of the first series. Influenced by Edith Wharton's The Custom of the Country , Fellowes wrote the scripts; and his wife, Emma, acted as an informal story editor . Highclere Castle in north Hampshire
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