Julian Fellowes: Downton should follow Doctor
The show’s creator is eager for his period drama to follow in the footsteps of last year’s ‘Doctor Who’ 50th anniversary special – which aired simultaneously all over the world – so American fans, who see episodes months after British viewers, don’t have their viewing ruined.
Julian said: “I want to have simultaneous transmission in America and Britain. The difficulty that we have is that people are discussing the series as it happens online before America’s seen it and on the internet we’re all in the same company. It’s madness.”
Clarifying his view, he explained: “The BBC have shown it can be done because they did it with ‘Doctor Who’ so all this talk that it’s impossible is wrong. I don’t mean exactly the same time so people have to stay up all night, but instead, the same day in order for everyone to have a chance to watch it.”
While Julian may control the fates of the Crawley family and their downstairs employees, he admits he has no “sway” over channel schedulers.
He quipped to the Daily Telegraph newspaper: “I don’t have enough sway to choose my own clothes. It’s what I’d like but who cares what I think.”
The fifth series of ‘Downton Abbey’ airs on ITV in September.
