‘Downton Abbey’: 4 surprising facts about its awards history
With the third sequel movie hitting theaters this weekend, it's end of Downton Abbey as we know it.
But then again, we've heard that before.
Three feature films after its final season aired, the upstairs-downstairs drama has reached its Grand Finale, and if this is indeed the conclusion to Downton Abbey, the Julian Fellowes-scripted universe has had a sterling run, one that took its cast and creators the awards show stage many times.
As Downton Abbey comes to the end of its story (maybe), here's a look back on some of the lesser known facts of its awards history.
The series started as a miniseries
Similarly to the first season of Mike White's The White Lotus, the original set of Downton Abbey episodes competed in Miniseries or Movie categories before making the leap to Drama Series in subsequent years.
And in 2011, Downton dominated the space. The "miniseries" won six of Downton's eventual 15 Emmys during that initial run, including Best Miniseries or Movies, Best Miniseries or Movie Directing, Best Miniseries or Movie Writing, and Best Miniseries or Movie Supporting Actress for Maggie Smith.
Speaking of the dowager...
Maggie Smith wasn't Downton's only individual winner
Yes, the Dame may have been the show's only Emmy winner for acting — having collected three in all for Downton — but over at the Golden Globes, she was one of two.
That's because Joanne Froggatt, who plays the ever-faithful lady's maid Anna, received a Golden Globes in Supporting Actress for the series' fourth season. Froggatt also received three Emmy nominations, but faced stiff competition with Smith in the same category.
SAG loved it some Downton
Aside from a third win for Smith during the shows final season, the Emmys came to largely ignore Downton outside of the Creative Arts after its initial Miniseries run.
The same can't be said for the Screen Actors Guild Awards, which honors the Crawleys almost to the very end. Downton Abbey won the top television award, Best Ensemble, in three of its six seasons, the final victory coming during its penultimate run.
The series dominated one craft category in particular
Anyone nominated for the Outstanding Hairstyling for a Single-Camera Series Emmy during the run of Downton Abbey was almost always the victim of some unfortunate timing. The show won four awards in the category off of five nominations, even as its popularity with the Television Academy somewhat wained in its final seasons.
