US premiere date for 'Downton Abbey' season 4 announced

By Nick Roman ·

Credit: Carnival Films/ITV

An official US return date has been set for Downton Abbey.

The fourth season of the hit period drama will bow on January 5, 2014, running for eight straight weeks, until Feb. 23.

Season three of Downton Abbey set records for PBS, becoming the highest-rated drama in the history of the network. Season four, which will air in the UK this fall, will feature the return of Shirley MacLaine as Martha Levinson, along with an entire host of newcomers, including Tom Cullen as a potential new suitor for Mary Crawley, and Gary Carr as the series' first black character.

Executive producer Julian Fellowes stated that season 4 will depict the story of “How Mary rebuilds her life.”

Via: Entertainment Weekly

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