U.S. TV network NBC has announced that it has given a ten-episode series order to The Gilded Age, Julian Fellowes’ follow-up to Downton Abbey, which will take place in New York in the 1880s. The official description for the series reads:
“The Gilded Age in 1880s New York City was a period of immense social upheaval, of huge fortunes made and lost, and of palaces that spanned the length of Fifth Avenue. In the series, Marian Brook is the wide-eyed young scion of a conservative family who will embark on infiltrating the wealthy neighboring family dominated by ruthless railroad tycoon George Russell, his rakish and available son Larry, and his ambitious wife Bertha, whose “new money” is a barrier to acceptance by the Astor and Vanderbilt set. Marian is about to experience a whole new world springing up right outside her front door.”
“To write The Gilded Age is the fulfillment of a personal dream,” said Fellowes. “I have been fascinated by this period of American history for many years and now NBC has given me the chance to bring it to a modern audience. I could not be more excited and thrilled. The truth is, America is a wonderful country with a rich and varied history, and nothing could give me more pleasure than be the person to bring that compelling history to the screen.”
“Julian Fellowes has the peerless ability to create complex characters and relationships set against a fantastic backdrop,” added Jennifer Salke, President, NBC Entertainment. “We’re thrilled that NBC and Universal Television will bring you his delicious new take on both the emerging rich and the working class who were intricately entwined in opulent New York in 1882. It’s an addictive new universe of fabulous people with the same signature style, wit and emotional resonance for which Julian is famous.”
The Gilded Age will premiere on NBC in 2019. Meanwhile, rumours persist that the long-gestating Downton Abbey movie is gearing up to finally go into production this summer, although that is yet to be officially confirmed.
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