‘Downton Abbey’ Season 3 Trailer Welcomes Shirley MacLaine

The trailer for the third season of the popular PBS drama Downton Abbey has finally made its way online much to the endless delight of the show’s devoted legion of followers. Although the critically-acclaimed program isn’t slated to return until this January, that hasn’t stopped the promotional machine from chugging right along. In order to keep interest high and the internet buzzing, a new preview has been made available to the masses.

According to the Los Angles Times, the British drama will add esteemed actress Shirley MacLaine to its ranks for the upcoming season. The Terms of Endearment star will reportedly play Martha Levinson, Lady Cora’s American mother. Squabbling between this new addition and the Crawleys is very likely to ensue.

In addition to the aforementioned trailer, PBS has released a clip showing the rising tension between Maggie Smith and Shirley MacLaine. However, GPB states that both the trailer and the preview clip you see tucked beneath this article contain several spoilers, so you may wish to proceed with caution. If you don’t want anything ruined by the time the show’s January premiere rolls around, you might be better off staying away from the latest batch of promotional material.

Of course, this January release date only applies to American audiences. British viewers will be able to enjoy the third series of Downtown Abbey this September on ITV.

For those of you who haven’t been keeping up, Julian Fellowes’ Downtown Abbey follows the exploits of the Crawleys, a family which lives on the fictional estate Downton Abbey in the North Riding of Yorkshire during the early 1900s. Despite the somewhat melodramatic nature of the program, it became an instant hit for ITV. In 2011, the show earned a Guinness World Record for “Highest critical review ratings for a TV show,” which makes it the most critically-acclaimed television program on the entire planet.

Are you excited for the third season of Downton Abbey?