'Downton Abbey' Fans May Be Saved By the Titanic Until Season 3!

Next January, season three of 'Downton Abbey' will premiere on PBS. For fans of the hit period drama, that's simply too long a wait! Season two just concluded and we're already trying to figure out what to do with ourselves. Fortunately, help is on the way. It has been announced that Julian Fellowes, who created 'Downton' will release a miniseries which chronicles the sinking of the Titanic. As expected, it will explore the class differences that divided the ship (literally) and played a crucial part in the high death toll of less fortunate passengers.

TV Guide reports that the film will air in the UK this April, as part of the 100th anniversary of the famed disaster. US audiences will likely have to wait until May to see the film since April marks the 3-D release of Titanic (1997). ABC, which is still deciding when to show the film, does not want to compete with the theatrical run of James Cameron's Oscar winning classic. Regardless of when the film airs, it's likely that fans of Downton will eagerly tune in. After all, it's sure to have the all of the historical drama and pretty costumes that make the hit series so lovable.

It's difficult to argue that most of what happens on Downton Abbey is a direct result of the Titanic sinking. The series begins in 1912, just after the unsinkable ship went down. For the Crawley family, this couldn't be worse news. It is learned that Patrick Crawley, the heir to the Downton fortune was on board and died. Not only was he to inherit the family's money, he was set to marry Lady Mary Crawley, the eldest of the Downton daughters. Patrick's death forces them to locate the male relative who now stands to inherit. They locate a distant cousin, Matthew, who is (gasp!) middle class. He doesn't even know how to eat soup properly (the horror!). His arrival sparks some serious tension and debate. Lady Mary can't stand the site of Matthew (or as she calls him the sea monster) and rebels against the idea of marrying him. Yet a man with such piercing blue eyes can't be ignored for long and she eventually comes around. Unfortunately, there are some complications that few other blossoming couples have to face. This includes a dead Turkish lover, scandal, World War I, severe injury, another woman, Spanish influenza, and a very unlikable but wealthy suitor.