Downton Abbey Season 4 will finally make its U.S. premiere today on Sunday, January 5, months after it first debuted in the U.K. on BBC. Watch Downton Abbey Season 4 Episode 1 online free live streaming on PBS Masterpiece tonight.
Downton Abbey Season 4, or as it is called overseas Series 4, first premiered in the U.K. on September 1 and every episode of the fourth season has already aired there. U.S. viewers, which have been increasing at an alarming rate with each successive season for the hit British period dramatic series, have had to avoid spoilers online and wait and pins and needles for the new episodes to come ashore stateside.
In the Downton Abbey Season 3 finale, Matthew Crawley, the heir of Downton, is killed in a car accident right after visiting his wife and recently born son at the hospital. It is a devastating event for the series that will change the course of the show moving forward, especially as Season 4 picks up roughly six months after Matthew’s death, and the characters are still reeling from the unfortunate accident.
The official PBS synopsis for Downton Abbey Season 4 Episode 1 reads, “Six months after Matthew’s death, Mary is mired in grief, and the family and servants try to help her face a future without Matthew. Meanwhile, both Tom Branson and Carson face figures from their pasts, and Edith experiments with modernism.” Watch Downton Abbey Season 4 premiere live online tonight to see it all play out.
Some mild spoilers regarding what’s ahead on Downton Abbey from TV Guide include estate manager Branson crossing paths with someone from his past; Anna and Bates will experience a traumatic incident that will put their relationship to the ultimate test; and Lady Mary Crawley, widow of Matthew, will look toward new responsibilities to help cope with her loss and bond with her infant son, George.
Another thing to look for in Season 4 of Downton Abbey is the arrival of Lord Gillingham (Tom Cullen), a potential new love interest for Lady Mary Crawley based on the previews. You could go dig up spoilers from the U.K., but it will be a lot more rewarding and entertaining to wait until the show premieres here in the United States tonight.
The main cast list for Downton Abbey Season 4 includes Dame Maggie Smith, Elizabeth McGovern, Hugh Bonneville, Jim Carter Michelle Dockery, Joanne Froggatt and Penelope Wilton. Be on the lookout for several notable guest appearances in Season 4 including Shirley MacLaine.
Downton Abbey Season 4 Episode 1 will premiere in the U.S. tonight at a start time of 9/8c on PBS Masterpiece. As with previous seasons, PBS offers Downton Abbey online streaming live free here for anyone with Internet access. The Season 4 premiere can be watched on iPads, TVs, computers, phones and more. Join the more than 120 million people around the globe that are hooked on the PBS Masterpiece series Downton Abbey.
