Star Trek Into Darkness director J.J. Abrams visited the set of one of his favorite TV shows recently -- PBS period drama Downton Abbey.

The director arranged a visit to the set while in England promoting his latest film, when he used a day off to tour the set of the hit show.

Abrams, who is set to begin work on Star Wars: Episode VII soon, tells talk show host Conan O'Brien, "I went to the set and I got to stand in the kitchen and get a picture taken, and while I was having a picture taken one of the actors walked up and joined me in the photograph."

"It's a brilliant show," he added. "...

Sean "Diddy" Combs made a stunning declaration on Twitter on Wednesday. He wrote: "I have to admit that Downton Abbey is one of my favorite shows - and thats why Im so excited today."

He then posted: "MY BIG NEWS: So happy to announce that Im a series regular on DOWNTON ABBEY - my favorite show + i'll be debuting a sneak peek tonight 12am PST!"

It was later revealed that the rap mogul was promoting a cheeky new FunnyOrDie skit.

Introducing the clip, he explained: "Last week it was reported that they have cast the first black cast member...the only problem with this is I already broke dow...

Rap mogul Sean 'Diddy' Combs has left fans of Downton Abbey confused after declaring he had landed a recurring role on the hit period drama - only for TV bosses to deny the allegations.

The hip-hop star took to his Twitter.com page on Wednesday (15May13) to announce the news after admitting that he was an unlikely fan of Julian Fellowes' British TV series.

He initially wrote, "How many of y'all out there are Downton Abbey fans? I have to admit that Downton Abbey is one of my favorite shows..."

Soon afterwards, he posted, "MY BIG NEWS: So happy to announce that Im (sic) a series regular o...

The astonishing success of Downton Abbey has led producers to create a clothing line base on the early 1900s styles seen in the show.

Executive producer Gareth Nearne said, "We'll be working across an entire range of products coming out this year. From fashion, apparel and homeware and furniture to wallpapers, beauty products and stationary. Some of these things have been available since 2012 - we publish books and have made a music album, but the more complex products take time."

The producers were looking forward to sharing the fashion of the era, but had to wait until it became clear s...

British actress Siobhan Finneran has opened up about her decision to quit Downton Abbey, insisting she was no longer enjoying work on the hit period drama.

Finneran played villainous lady's maid Miss O'Brien in three seasons of the popular TV show, but recently announced she will not be returning for the fourth series, which is currently being shot in Britain.

The actress has now revealed she decided to quit because she fell out of love with the show.

She tells Britain's Daily Mail newspaper, "I signed up to do three series and that was all I wanted to do. I talked it through with my fam...

Another cast member is leaving "Downton Abbey." Siobhan Finneran, who played meddling maid O'Brien, has decided she doesn't want to return for the show's upcoming fourth season.

The actress recently revealed to British newspaper The Mirror that she is finished playing the "despicable" maid. She explained, "I'm not doing any more. O'Brien is a thoroughly despicable human being that was great to play."

A spokesman for the TV drama has confirmed Finneran's exit, but adds that her character may return in the future, unlike Dan Stevens' Mathew Crawley and Jessica Brown Findlay's Sybil who were...

Times, they are a-changing in TV Land. Not only did ‘The Big Bang Theory’ displace ‘American Idol’ as the number one Thursday show, it was the number one show on all of TV last week. And on Sunday, the much-talked-about season finale of ‘Downton Abbey’ did better than most network programs, bringing in 8.2 million viewers. For the season, the PBS series was up an astonishing 66 percent.

‘The Walking Dead,’ meanwhile, lured more than 11 million viewers on Sunday. Overall, CBS did very well last week, placing 7 shows in the Top 10 and 15 in the Top 20. FOX didn’t have much to sing about besi...

SPOILER ALERT! Downton Abbey creator Julian Fellowes insists he had no choice but to kill off a main character in the season three finale - because the actor wanted to leave the show for good.

Fans of the hit period drama were stunned when new father Matthew Crawley (Dan Stevens) perished in a car crash at the end of the most recent episode, which aired on Sunday night, and now writer Fellowes reveals he considered many other options - but none of them worked.

He tells Britain's Telegraph newspaper, "If he (Stevens) had been prepared to come back for maybe two or three episodes in a serie...

"Downton Abbey" bested "Sherlock" and "Doctor Who" at Wednesday night's U.K. National Television Awards, taking home the coveted "Best Drama" award.

Julian Fellowes' series, which is also a massive hit in the United States, stars Maggie Smith, Hugh Bonneville and Michelle Dockery.

"Sherlock" and "Doctor Who" were among the favorites to win at the London ceremony after garnering a total of five nominations between them.

Colin Morgan claimed "Best Male Performance" for his axed BBC series "Merlin." "Call the Midwife's" Miranda Hart won in the "Best Female Performance" category.

David Atte...

Downton Abbey star Rob James-Collier still can't believe his TV villain Thomas Barrow is still alive - because the scheming valet was supposed to be killed off at the end of season one.

The actor was thrilled to learn he'd won the role but his agent informed him he would not have it for long.

James-Collier recalls, "He said, 'Listen, you've got the part that everyone in town wants - he's a villain, he's a great role, the only bad thing is that he dies at the end of the first series.'"

Nevertheless, the character took off and producers decided to rethink Barrow's fate.

He tells Out m...

NBC is on a winning streak, but mostly thanks to the Vikings and Packers. That game scored over 30 million viewers over the weekend, prompting the Peacock network to nab a rare win, its third in as many weeks. That record isn’t likely to last, especially since ‘American Idol’ is on the horizon for FOX.

Other big ratings news centers around CBS’ ‘The Big Bang Theory,’ which hit a series-high 19.25 million viewers last week.  The TBS repeats probably only help the show’s cause, and with little competition last Thursday, the show blew other programs out of the water.

And let’s not forget ‘Do...

After two seasons of anticipation, it finally happens on "Downton Abbey" - Lady Mary and Matthew seal the deal and get married. Of course, it isn't without some drama.

Earlier in the episode patriarch Robert Crawley discovers his worst fear: the family is out of money. He mistakenly invested a huge sum in a single stock - a Canadian railroad company that winds up going bankrupt. The money, which came predominently from his American wife Cora's side of the family, is gone.

Prior to the wedding, Robert tells his eldest daughter Mary what transpired. She is devastated at the thought of losin...

Screenwriter Julian Fellowes is eager to pen a prequel to his award-winning drama Downton Abbey.

The Oscar winner has achieved huge acclaim for his quaint series, set in an English stately home in the early 20th Century.

The show's lead characters include Hugh Bonneville and Elizabeth McGovern, who play the Earl and Countess of Grantham, and Fellowes wants to look back at their love story in a new spin-off.

He says, "I do actually have an idea of doing a prequel of the courtship of (Earl and Countess) Robert and Cora, when all those American heiresses were arriving in London."

Downt...

While many people were watching Olympics coverage, there was another notable happening in the television industry over the weekend.

"Game Of Thrones" won the coveted Program of the Year prize at the 2012 Television Critics Association Awards on Saturday night in Los Angeles.

Other big show winners included "Breaking Bad" and "Downton Abbey." "Homeland" actress Claire Danes and comedian Louis C.K. won the top acting awards.

David Letterman was honored with the Career Achievement Award, and the TCA paid homage to "Cheers" by presenting the beloved series with the Heritage Award.

The winne...

Early this morning Jimmy Kimmell and Kerry Washington announced the nominees for the 2012 Primetime Emmy Awards. Multiple nominees include "Mad Men," "Downton Abbey" and "30 Rock."

Battling it out for the Outstanding Drama Series award will be "Mad Men," "Homeland," "Downton Abbey," "Dexter," "Breaking Bad," and "Boardwalk Empire."

Outstanding Comedy Series nods go to "30 Rock," "Girls," "Modern Family," "The Big Bang Theory," "Veep," and "Curb Your Enthusiasm."

Notable nominees include Zooey Deschanel from fledging series "New Girl," Julia Louis-Dreyfus from HBO's "Veep," Claire Danes f...

You know the feeling. Everyone at the office talks about how great (insert TV show here) was, and you don't watch it. By the time you figure out how good the show is, it's too late to catch up.

Well, there's still time to watch some of last season's popular shows on DVD, Netflix, on demand or online, particularly if they're only half-hour comedies or 10-episode seasons.

First, check out AMC's "The Walking Dead." As the show progresses, more people are tuning in. About 9 million viewers tuned in to see the second season finale in March - 50 percent more than those who watched the first sea...

Movie veteran Shirley MacLaine had a spooky time shooting scenes for TV series Downton Abbey at Highclere Castle in England - because the old place was haunted and King Tut's tomb was in the basement.

The Oscar winner, who is a leading spiritualist, has joined the cast of the period drama as American socialite Martha Levinson, and she admits she was fascinated by the supernatural world that buzzed about the set.

She tells U.S. news show Access Hollywood, "(It was) a fantastic experience... (Highclere) was haunted and the pictures came off the wall."

And, as if that wasn't spooky enough, ...

The Wire star Dominic West will lead the way at the upcoming BAFTA TV awards after scoring four nominations with his creepy portrayal of British serial killer Fred West.

West's two-part drama Appropriate Adult, a reconstruction of the police investigation into the notorious murderer, has been unveiled as the top contender ahead of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts' (BAFTA) TV Awards ceremony next month.

The show scored nods for Best Mini-series, Best Leading Actress for Emily Watson, Best Supporting Actress for Monica Dolan and Best Leading Actor for West, who will compete...

The producers of hit period drama "Downton Abbey" have fired back at reports suggesting Maggie Smith is leaving the series.

Internet rumors over the weekend hinted that the great British actress, who plays the Dowager Countess in the TV hit, would not return following the upcoming third season.

But a representative for Carnival Film and Television Limited - the company behind the drama - insists the reports are false.

The insider tells the Los Angeles Times, "Series three is currently filming with Maggie along with the other cast. We do not comment on future story lines, however there is...

Actress Maggie Smith can be "a handful" on the set of hit British TV series Downton Abbey and is "very difficult" to work with, according to a producer on the period drama.

The veteran star has won acclaim for her catty character Dowager Countess of Grantham, but U.S. executive Rebecca Eaton admits Smith is equally fearsome behind the camera.

Speaking during a recent screening of the show for American audiences, Eaton said, "Maggie Smith is a handful, it's true. She's very difficult. She knows her worth, and she's tricky on the set, but she delivers when the time comes."

However, Eaton r...

Gillian Anderson missed out on the chance to star in Downton Abbey after she was offered a leading role in the popular British period drama.

The X Files star has revealed she was approached by TV bosses to play American aristocrat Lady Cora Crawley in the Emmy-winning TV series, which has become a hit on both sides of the Atlantic.

However, the part eventually went to Elizabeth McGovern.

Anderson tells TV Guide Magazine, "I was actually offered a part in Downton."

Nevertheless, she hopes her role in a TV adaptation of Charles Dickens' Great Expectations will be just as popular: "Hop...

Actor Ted Danson has reached out to the makers of Downton Abbey in the hope of landing a cameo role after becoming "completely hooked" on the TV show.

The former Cheers star reveals he and his wife Mary Steenburgen love the British period drama and dream of appearing in the series.

He tells Britain's Radio Times, "We're watching the second year and my wife and I are completely hooked. It's so sad that you guys only make six or seven episodes a year...

"If we could go to England, the two of us, and be in Downton Abbey, we'd be the happiest people on the planet."

However, Danson could...

Downton Abbey star Jessica Brown Findlay is to follow singer Florence Welch as the face of British jeweler Dominic Jones.

The 22-year-old actress, who plays Lady Sybill in the hit period drama, will front Jones' winter collection later this year.

The jeweler says, "The collection is quite aristocratic and she was a perfect fit."

Kate Beckinsale paid tribute to fashion gurus who work behind the scenes on movies as she accepted a top honor at the 14th annual Costume Designers Guild Awards in Los Angeles on Tuesday.

Beckinsale landed the prestigious Lacoste Spotlight Award for her style choices, but was modest about her win as she accepted her accolade at The Beverly Hilton hotel.

She told the crowd, "Thank you so very much. I'm so honored and thrilled to be receiving this award. To me, this is an award for being lucky. I'm getting an award tonight for having worked with the best of the best (costume designers)." ...

Shirley MacLaine is set to join the cast of award-winning British TV drama "Downton Abbey" as the mother of Elizabeth McGovern's Countess of Grantham.

Maclaine will play American socialite Martha Levinson in the upcoming third season of the celebrated series, which begins shooting this spring.

Confirming the casting news, producer Gareth Naeme tells the BBC, "(Writer/creator) Julian (Fellowes) has written another brilliant character in Martha Levinson, who will be a wonderful combatant for Maggie Smith's Dowager Countess."

Oscar favorites The Descendants and The Artist were the big winners at the Golden Globes in Los Angeles on Sunday night, picking up the top movie awards and the two Best Actor honors.

The Artist was a triple winner, in addition to Best Picture the film won for Best Actor (Jean Dujardin) and Best Original Score; while director Alexander Payne's The Descendants took home the Best Motion Picture Drama prize and a Best Actor gong for George Clooney.

There were no multiple wins for any other movie, but TV series Homeland picked up two honors for Best TV Drama and Best Actress (Claire Danes).

...

What's this?!? There is some accounting for taste?!? Downton Abbey's Season 2 premiere averaged 4.2 million viewers.

Nielsen data on Tuesday showed that the Emmy-winning series' return Sunday night doubled the average PBS prime-time rating, and marked an 18 percent jump over the show's first-season average — which made PBS ecstatic.

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Action thriller Drive and Steven Spielberg's latest epic War Horse lead the International Press Academy's nominations for the 2011 Satellite Awards with eight nods apiece.

Both movies are up for Best Film, alongside The Artist, The Descendants, The Help, Hugo, Moneyball, Midnight in Paris, Shame and Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy while Drive's Ryan Gosling and Albert Brooks are among the nominees for Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor respectively.

Competing with Gosling for the Best Actor trophy will be George Clooney (The Descendants), Leonardo DiCaprio (J. Edgar), Michael Fassbender (Sh...

You know him as Mike Ross on USA's new hit original series Suits. As fantastic as he is on that show, that's just one part of what the multitalented Patrick J. Adams is up to. He's currently on stage starring in the Bootleg Theater production of Bill Cain's 9 Circles, extended through November 19.

And in January, you'll see him in an ensemble cast including Dustin Hoffman in the HBO horse-racing drama Luck, written by David Milch (Deadwood) and directed by Michael Mann (Heat).

Whether it's breaking new ground as the star of a TV series, starring and producing in a play, or fitting ...

Modern Family came full circle at the 63rd Primetime Emmy Awards on Sunday, winning the very first honors of the night and closing the show by topping the prestigious Comedy Series category.

Mad Men looked set to dominate the night, going in with 19 top nominations, and it continued its winning streak for the best drama title for the fourth year in a row.

But the stars of the period drama didn't fair so well - Jon Hamm was a four-time loser for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series - Kyle Chandler claimed that prize for his role in Friday Night Lights, while Julianna Margulies beat t...