Entertainment

NBC signs ‘Downton Abbey’ creator for 19th century NY-based series

The Season 3 premiere of “Downton Abbey” is a mere six weeks away, but NBC has signed its creator, Oscar winner Julian Fellowes, to create a period piece for American audiences. “The Gilded Age” will be set in late 19th century New York City and focus on the rising — and plunging — fortunes of “the princes of the American Renaissance,” according to the network.

According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, NBC originally passed on “Downton,” which is produced by NBCUniversal’s Carnival Films studio in London, believing that Americans wouldn’t warm to the costume drama.

“Downton Abbey” is a high-end soap focusing on the fortunes of the aristocratic Crawley family and the fabulous Yorkshire house they live in (the real Highclere Castle in England). The plot includes the romances of star-crossed lovers, references to real-life tragedies (the Titanic) and the struggles of the family’s many servants.

The commercial and critical success of “Downton Abbey” took American television producers by surprise when it premiered two years ago on PBS. But they caught up big-time, awarding the series six Emmy awards, including two for Fellowes and two for the show’s undisputed scene stealer, Dame Maggie Smith, who plays the withering Violet Crawley, Dowager Countess of Grantham.

The show’s second season was the most watched “Masterpiece” ever; its Feb. 5, 2012 episode was rated No. 2 at 9 p.m. behind the Super Bowl. “Downton” fever has inspired spoofs on “Saturday Night Live” and by Jimmy Fallon. Several YouTube montages devoted to Smith’s hilarious one-liners, such as “What’s a weekend?,” went viral.

“The Gilded Age” is still in the development stage but sources at NBC said it could be on the air as early as fall 2013.

Period pieces have been hit-or-miss on American television, says Brad Adgate, senior vice president of research at Horizon Media, who cites ABC’s “Pan Am” as one recent failure. Still, Adgate believes that Fellowes’ track record — and not to mention those Emmys — make him a very attractive collaborator.

“He knows how to write a successful hit series,” Adgate says. “He’s one executive producer people have heard of and respect. There is a lot of anticipation for Season 3 of ‘Downton Abbey’ and a green light for Season 4.”