How Downton Abbey & The Gilded Age MIGHT Be Connected
How Downton Abbey and Gilded Age MIGHT Be Connected
Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re exploring the possible connections that could lead to the most elegant crossover in TV history.
Two Shows, Different Eras
In 2010, audiences got their first taste of “Downton Abbey,” the historical drama that both celebrates and satirizes early 20th-century English aristocracy. From the upstairs machinations of the counts and countesses of Downton to the foibles and dramas of the downstairs staff, it became a sensation at home and abroad. Stirrings of an American “Downton” had been around as early as 2012. “The Gilded Age” began airing on HBO in 2022. Both shows have come to represent a specific kind of historical fiction. One that is as entertaining as it is enlightening about the history it depicts. But could the shows be connected? Julian Fellowes, producers, and fans across the Internet have weighed in on the possibility.
The Fellowesverse
“Downton Abbey” and “The Gilded Age” share more than history, shady grand dames, and gorgeous gowns. Julian Fellowes is the writer behind both. Of course, fans have taken this to mean that the shows could, potentially, have some crossover. The events of “The Gilded Age” take place in America in the 1880s. “Downton” takes place in England nearly three decades later. However, that hasn’t stopped fans from wondering just how characters like Cora Crawley and the Dowager Countess could end up rubbing elbows with the van Rhijn sisters. Are the shows part of a shared “Fellowesverse?”
A Shared History
Given that both shows deal with real-life historical eras, that alone might be enough to put them in the same universe. If “The Gilded Age” takes a long gap between seasons, we could see a future season catapulting the characters forward a few decades. But it might not even take that dramatic a shift. It’s safe to assume that some of the older “Downton” characters are walking around England somewhere, while the Americans in “The Gilded Age” are building railroads and throwing balls. Theoretically, there could be a time jump that puts the characters in proximity to each other. Would Bertha Russell go toe to toe with Cora Crawley? Could an elderly Agnes van Rhijn withstand a putdown from the Dowager Countess?
The Titanic Connection
One specific connection between the shows is the tragic and oft-retold story of the RMS Titanic. The grand ocean liner began its maiden voyage at Southampton, England, on April 10, 1912. It never made it to New York. The real-life sinking of the ship touches off much of the action in “Downton Abbey,” when Mary Crawley’s intended husband is deemed a victim of the disaster. If “The Gilded Age” follows history, Mrs. Astor, the show’s old-money grande dame, will lose her as-yet unseen son in the tragedy. The real Caroline Astor’s son, wealthy magnate John Jacob Astor IV, was one of the 1,500 people who never made it to New York. Cora Crawley even claims to know Astor in the show’s first episode.
Cora Crawley’s American Beginnings
If the lady of Downton Abbey herself is proof of anything, it’s that even Americans can show up in a stuffy British noble family. Cora Crawley is an anomaly. She is an American among the most British people imaginable. Originally hailing from Cincinnati, Ohio, Cora Levinson’s family money saved Robert Crawley and his family from financial ruin, establishing her as a countess. “The Gilded Age” was actually supposed to cover Cora’s coming-of-age in New York City society. Somewhere along the line, that idea shifted away from a prequel series and became the one we know now. Perhaps Cora’s plotline would have been similar to that of new money heiress Gladys Russell.
Are Cora’s Relatives In New York?
Apparently, there was an internet theory floating around during the first two seasons of “The Gilded Age.” Is Bertha Russell’s oft-mentioned sister a pre-“Downton” Cora Crawley? Unfortunately, the math just isn’t mathing on this one. Bertha’s family comes from humble beginnings, and Cora’s family wealth is one of the biggest reasons she even married into the Crawley family. When we finally meet Bertha’s sister, Monica, she is definitely iconic, but she’s definitely not Cora. Still, it’s not outside the realm of possibility that Cora has some long-lost relatives living in New York in the 1880s. Maybe we’ll meet them in Season 4.
Jumping the Pond
A major difference between the two shows comes with the territory. In England, the upper-crusters are nobles, with land and titles. In America, the social hierarchies are a bit more permeable. New money and old money jostle for position. But on “The Gilded Age,” the Russells make a huge splash by marrying their daughter Gladys to the Duke of Buckingham. It’s a bid for respectability that could put them in the path of some of our favorite nobles, ladies, and duchesses. Julian Fellowes has said that he’s not opposed to having a crossover now that storylines have taken some of “The Gilded Age’s” characters to England. However, he’s ominously said that it probably wouldn’t be in the way fans expect.
The Dowager Countess vs. the United States
If there’s one thing Dowager Countess Violet Crawley can’t tolerate… Well, there are so many things the Countess of Grantham can’t tolerate. But Americans are at the top of the list. Being the stateside version of “Downton Abbey,” “The Gilded Age” is chock full of Americans for her to take down a few pegs. The great thing is that Violet Crawley, as one of the oldest characters in “Downton Abbey,” is probably one of the few characters who is an adult during the events of “The Gilded Age.” Julian Fellowes drew some major attention when he mentioned that a young Violet could make an appearance. We’re still waiting.
A Whole New Show
Given the major time gap between the two shows, one possibility for a crossover might be a whole new show. Although neither show would be the same without Christine Baranski, Cynthia Nixon, or the late Maggie Smith, there are plenty of characters to choose from. Taking place between the 1880s and the 1910s, a third show could cover the younger generation of “The Gilded Age” finding their way to England. There, the younger Russells and Marian Brook might make contact with some of the Downton denizens in turn-of-the-century London. The opportunities for class and culture clash are almost too delicious.
But Will It Ever Happen?
Even if they never cross paths narratively, “Downton Abbey” and “The Gilded Age” are already spiritual companions. Maybe that’s enough. Given that they share a creator and are both about the tensions between elite classes and the goings-on of their downstairs staff, it’s not outside the realm of possibility. Some fans may prefer the two shows stay separate. Despite many similarities, they’re tonally very different. The way wealth works on both shows is not really the same due to differences between the American and British cultures. A crossover between the two would require some pretty specific circumstances. Whether or not it’d be satisfying remains to be seen.
Do you think “Downton Abbey” and “The Gilded Age” are connected by more than just a shared history? Tell us in the comments.