George Clooney to appear in Downton Abbey episode for charity

This may explain a few things........


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George Clooney to star in Downton Abbey charity episode

George Clooney, 53, will appear alongside the Downton Abbey cast in the one-off episode for ITV's charity fundraiser, 

Actor George Clooney is to star in a special one off episode of Downton Abbey, it has emerged.
The 53-year-old Hollywood star has already filmed the scenes for ITV's charity fundraiser, Text Santa.
ITV said the sketch was specially written to raise money for Text Santa's chosen charities but stressed he would not be appearing in a full Christmas episode of the period drama.
The scene will be shown this Christmas but a Downton Abbey spokeswoman declined to give further details or discuss which members of the Downton cast appear alongside Clooney.
A spokeswoman said they wanted to keep details under wraps to avoid spoiling the surprise for Christmas viewers.
Last year the cast of Coronation Street welcomed pop star Cheryl Cole to the set to film a special one-off episode for ITV's charity fundraiser, Text Santa.
Behind the scenes images, showed 30-year-old singer and X Factor judge pulling pints alongside Michelle Keegan, who plays Tina McIntyre in the show.
ITV's Text Santa raises money and awareness for six UK based charities offering life-changing services to people in communities.
Last year's chosen charities were Age UK, Barnardo's, BeatBullying, British Heart Foundation, CLIC Sargent and Help the Hospices.
Text Santa is part of ITV's Corporate Responsibility programme, and the organisation does not make any profit from the appeal, with 100 per cent of donations made by viewers going directly to the charities Text Santa supports.

This is great! I can't wait to see him on the show. I wonder how they'll work him into the story?
I wonder how they'll work this out in the US. I think the episodes air in the UK before they air here, so if  it's the Christmas show , how will they fit it into the US schedule? They'd better advertise it well so we don't miss it. (And they'd damn well better show it here!)

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news but he's not actually appearing in the show.  He will be in a Downton sketch that will be aired as part of a charity event here in the UK at Christmas, its not actually the show.

Only people in the UK will get to see it although I'm sure it will appear on youtube at some point.

Vanity Fair article about it

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George Clooney to Guest-Star In aDownton Abbey Christmas Sketch


This past May, it was reported thatGeorge Clooney whisked his fiancéeAmal Alamuddin to Highclere Castle—better known as Downton Abbey—for a surprise tour of Lady Mary’s Yorkshire manse. And today it appears that the Oscar winner and humanitarian revisited Highclere Castle on a top-secret mission.
To mend Lady Mary’s broken heart? To hand-deliver a bottle of Casamigos tequila to the Dowager Countess? (“You’re going to need this to get through another season of your son’s mismanagement of the estate.”) To personally mentor Edith on the arts of Self-Confidence and Getting What You Want Out of Your Love Life and Career? To smuggle Lady Isobel off the property in an Ocean’s Eleven-style heist that ensures Downton viewers never have to waste time on her snoozy story arcs again? (We wish.)
No, according to E! and The Telegraph, the actor visited Highclere Castle to make a special-guest appearance in a Downton Abbey-themed sketch that will appear during the overseas charity telethon, Text Santa, which will air in the U.K. around the holidays.
What does this mean for us exactly? The actor, regrettably, will not pop up on a future episode of Downton Abbey as a legit character, like Lord Clooningham, a dashing love interest whose parlor tricks endear him to everyone in the household except the ever-suspecting Dowager.
Instead, he will appear during a one-off Downton-set sketch that we stateside viewers will have to view secondhand on YouTube. (From videos we’ve seen online of past Text Santa sketches, these videos seem to be cheeky and have a certain level of Love Actually holiday campiness to them.) It is not known if Clooney appears in period-appropriate costume, which (if any) Downton Abbeyactors he interacts with, and whether or not he gets a chance to swing downstairs and tell Bates that his character is getting a little too creepy these days.
The Telegraph reports that the appearance has been confirmed by an ITV spokesperson, who understandably wants to keep details of the surprise appearance under wraps.
Downton Abbey returns to the U.S. on January 4.

And this, which seems to have loads more background to the story. Great publicity for the show


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George Clooney to Appear in 'Downton Abbey'; Will Play the Role of an American Wedding Guest; Scenes Have Already Been Filmed

George Clooney will appear as a guest star in the hit UK series "Downton Abbey," where he will be portraying the role of an American wedding guest in the country estate.



A spokesperson for "Downton Abbey" confirmed the news and revealed that Clooney will be a part of the series' Christmas charity fundraiser, "Text Santa," which is set in Highclere Castle, the location of the series, according to US Weekly.
""Text Santa" aims to raise money and awareness for six UK-based charities offering life-changing services to people in communities," Telegraph UK noted.
Last year, some of the charities handpicked included Age UK, Barnardo's, BeatBullying, British Heart Foundation, CLIC Sargent and Help the Hospices, the same publication confirmed.
At present, very little is known about Clooney's involvement in the series but it has been revealed that the actor has also shot his scenes for the show. He will be appearing alongside Hugh Bonneville and Michelle Dockery, but will not be part of the entire Christmas episode, The Guardian reported.
Clooney is a self-confessed fan of "Downton Abbey" and he also happens to be good friends with the show's star, Bonneville, who plays the role of Lord Robert Crawley, the same publication noted.
Earlier this year, there have been reports that Clooney and his fiancée, Amal Alamuddin, have considered the Highclere Castle as the venue for their upcoming wedding.
However, multiple sources later on clarified that the news served only as a cover up to the fact that Clooney was at the castle because he was filming for "Downton Abbey."
"All the plans have been shrouded in secrecy because George was determined for his role not to leak out. All the other cast members and crew were also sworn to secrecy. It's amazing it's taken four months for someone to find out. This is the biggest moment in Downton history and shows it's now the biggest drama in the world," a source dished.

Oops, sorry msadrienne........exactly the same article now I read it

party animal - not! wrote:And this, which seems to have loads more background to the story. Great publicity for the show


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Thanks for all the info.....I'm so pleased for the advance warning so that I can set my record button when the time comes.

I'm sure it'll end up on you tube....it's a charity event and the more hits there are,
the more the money will come in.....Hopefully any way !!!!

Here's the BBC News on it...........

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And America has barely woken up...........

George Clooney to appear in Downton Abbey sketch


George Clooney is to appear in Downton Abbey in a specially filmed sketch for the ITV charity show Text Santa.
ITV are not revealing any more details about the sketch which will air at Christmas.
Hugh Bonneville, who plays the Earl of Grantham, became friends with Clooney when he appeared in his film The Monuments Men.
Clooney and co-star Matt Damon admitted they were fans of Downton Abbey at the UK premiere in February.
But Clooney said he didn't think he would be right to appear in the show, telling The Sun "I am too lowly for a part, I don't think they want me.
"I can't do the accent either. It's all very Dick Van Dyke."
In May it was reported that Clooney had taken his fiancee Amal Alamuddin to Highclere Castle in Hampshire, where Downton Abbey is filmed, leading to speculation they were viewing it as a possible wedding venue.
But now it appears that is when he filmed the sketch for the ITV charity.
Series five of Downton Abbey starts on ITV on 21 September at 2100 BST.

Phooey! You guys have all the luck. He's marrying a Brit, he'll probably spend half his time in London, and now this! It isn't fair! 

Come and see us, Lizzy!

Am I the only one who has never watched Downton Abbey? Maybe I should start. I've never been into period pieces but I know so many people love the show. How many seasons have there been so far? Can you watch past seasons on Netflix? Without buying the DVDs where else can I watch it?

Donnamarie I was like you - never was interested in period pieces. I have friends that rave about Jane Austin adaptations of movies while I yawn. But I LOVE Downton Abbey. If you have time you should watch a couple episodes and see if you like it.

Thanks jd68. I'll try to track it down and start from the beginning. The only network tv show I watch is The Good Wife, which I love. Other than that I watch some cable shows - Mad Men, Breaking Bad and on Netflix House of Cards. So besides political shows I need a new fav show to watch over a period of time.

LizzyNY wrote:Phooey! You guys have all the luck. He's marrying a Brit, he'll probably spend half his time in London, and now this! It isn't fair! 

Luckily I moved back to the UK this year 

Donna,

It's definitely on Netflix.  That's where I watched the first couple of seasons, and got hooked on it.  It's only a "period" show in the sense that it's set at a certain time in history.  It's really a soap opera, with all the shenanigans that entails, but's it's so addictive. It's a great "rainy Sunday on the couch" kind of show to catch up on. And the new season won't start here in America (assuming you're here) till January, so you have plenty of time.

Donnamarie wrote:Am I the only one who has never watched Downton Abbey?  Maybe I should start.  I've never been into  period pieces but I know so many people love the show.  How many seasons have there been so far?  Can you watch past seasons on Netflix?  Without buying the DVDs where else can I watch it?  

Nope me too    I guess we have to start now hehe

You know, reading this thread I've finally realized how many UK based posters there are here. How have we not organized you all into shifts to sit outside Chelsea city hall? Let get it together, people!

The next mrs clooney wrote:

LizzyNY wrote:Phooey! You guys have all the luck. He's marrying a Brit, he'll probably spend half his time in London, and now this! It isn't fair! 

Luckily I moved back to the UK this year 

......and what a good move that proved to be tnmc !!!

Ladies across the pond.....you've had Our George for 53 years in all his glory.
We're quite happy to have him now as his glory fades !!

 ......that was a wicked thing to say !! Slap my own legs now !

Jo- Wicked! Wicked! Wicked! Slap! Slap! Slap!      - Who said we were ready to let him go?  

 And I don't think for a minute his glory days are fading. He's just moving in other directions. I think as he moves behind the camera more he'll get more recognition for his talent as a director and producer - and maybe even as an actor, if he picks his projects carefully. I think he'll always be a "star".

I agree with LizzyNY. I think George will keep LA as his anchor. He knows so many people in the business. Keeping his finger on the pulse of the movie business. His business partner and so many of his very close friends live in LA. I do think he will spend maybe weeks at a time in London. But who knows in the years to come how both of their lives will change. I do think George is eventually going behind the camera more often to produce and direct. I think that's where his love of film resides.

Ouch Lizzy....you be cruel to my jesting. LOL

I think it'll be interesting to see in which direction 
George's career moves over the next few years.

Joanna wrote:

The next mrs clooney wrote:

LizzyNY wrote:Phooey! You guys have all the luck. He's marrying a Brit, he'll probably spend half his time in London, and now this! It isn't fair! 

Luckily I moved back to the UK this year 

......and what a good move that proved to be tnmc !!!

Ladies across the pond.....you've had Our George for 53 years in all his glory.
We're quite happy to have him now as his glory fades !!

 ......that was a wicked thing to say !! Slap my own legs now !

   please refer back to my PM !!!

Joanna - Sorry about that  - still getting used to the idea of George becoming a Brit!  He'd better spend SOME time here at home in between filming, press and Amal.
  We won't get the new season of Downton Abbey until January so I guess we'll have to search Youtube for the Christmas show.
I hope it shows up sooner rather than later. I wonder if non-Brits can contribute to the charity?

Am I misunderstanding? He's not going to be on the actual show, right? Just a sketch they're putting together for a charity broadcast that's airing at Christmas?

Missa - You got it right. Just the Christmas sketch.

I'm waiting for the stupid rags to announce that George is now becoming the STAR of Downton Abbey, therefore replacing all the male characters, and doing some of the women's parts!

I have some women's parts I'd like him to do.

Exchanging withering looks and words with Maggie Smith........?.

Way2Old4Dis wrote:I have some women's parts I'd like him to do.

I KNEW I could count on you Way2!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

PA-N, and who's the younger of the two?  George or Maggie???  hahahaha

I think LA will be his base but he has even stated that he's not home (meaning LA) that much. He's usually on the move for work and he spends the summer in Italy when possible.

[size=36]George Clooney Filmed at Downton Abbey—Get the Details![/size]
Is Downton Abbey welcoming Hollywood royalty? Kind of!
After taking Hollywood by storm, starring in countless huge blockbuster films and becoming one of the biggest names in the biz, ER alum George Clooney is going back to his roots to appear on fan-favorite dramaDownton Abbey...but there's a catch!
E! News has learned that Clooney will guest-star in a Downton Abbey sketch scene for ITV's Christmas charity initiative "Text Santa," which will be set in Highclere Castle, the setting for Downton Abbey.
While it would be absolutely incredible to see Clooney show up in an actual episode of  Downton Abbey, this is purely a standalone film to support the charity. We are told he will not appear in any of Downton Abbey season five or the Christmas special.
But hey, we'll take what we can when it comes to seeing Clooney in a 1920s-style tux. Thank you, Santa!
The ER alum has already shot the film, which is a few minutes long. 
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How to donate.....

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Sorry.....just working my way through the links 

and finding more information !

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Transcript

about

Text Santa is ITV’s annual charity fundraiser appeal, raising money and awareness for six UK based charities each year.
Our aim is to improve the quality of life for vulnerable people in the UK by inspiring, engaging and empowering the nation to make a difference at Christmas time.
We are proud to say that when you make a text, phone or bank donation to Text Santa, it will be split equally between our six charities. 100% of what you donate gets passed to the charities as soon as we receive it. So by March, each year, your money is already helping to make a big difference.
All Text Santa operating costs including staffing and the programme itself are funded directly by ITV as part of our corporate giving, and not from our corporate partners or your contributions.
We’d like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has got involved to date for their brilliant support and help in raising £15 million for charity.

Donnamarie wrote:Am I the only one who has never watched Downton Abbey?  Maybe I should start.  I've never been into  period pieces but I know so many people love the show.  How many seasons have there been so far?  Can you watch past seasons on Netflix?  Without buying the DVDs where else can I watch it?  

Someone remind all us newbies when it starts again in the US, Thanks.

Mazy, I actually started watching the first season. Couldn't find it on Netflix. So Im watching it on Amazon. I've watched 4 episodes already and YES it is terrific. I'm hooked. I think it was Missa who said the new season doesn't start until January.

I love that show. I first heard about it last summer, and I downloaded all the available seasons. Then I sat and watched six shows in a row!

Mazy wrote:

Donnamarie wrote:Am I the only one who has never watched Downton Abbey?  Maybe I should start.  I've never been into  period pieces but I know so many people love the show.  How many seasons have there been so far?  Can you watch past seasons on Netflix?  Without buying the DVDs where else can I watch it?  

Someone remind all us newbies when it starts again in the US, Thanks.

I think it usually starts sometime in January in the US.  There had been talks about airing it in the US the same time as the UK but for some reason they decided against it.

It is a fabulous series, choc full of great characters ....and story lines....I believe story lines are actually based on real incidents and scandal of the time.....
Please, please watch from the beginning ......You won't regret a second!

Jo- Thanks for the donation information.

I missed this when it showed on PBS so I got the DVDs from Netflix.

Absolutely sobbed at the end of season 3 then I got frustrated that the fourth season wasn't available so I bought it.

Spent one whole Sat and part of a Sunday watching that season.  Sobbed through most of that season too!

Agree with Way2 - watch it from the first season!

It is really great. Do any of you watch Call the Midwife? It is also a British period show, and fills in the Downton shaped hole in my life in between seasons.

I finished the first season of Downton Abbey yesterday and I think that it's incredible. Great actors, great performances, great script, I even like the setting of the story.

LornaDoone wrote:Agree with Way2 - watch it from the first season!

Huh? I've never seen 'DA,' so it wasn't me who said that. Or, maybe I said it in my alternate universe, where I have seen it.

Either way, one of us is screwy today. 

Way2Old4Dis wrote:

LornaDoone wrote:Agree with Way2 - watch it from the first season!

Huh? I've never seen 'DA,' so it wasn't me who said that. Or, maybe I said it in my alternate universe, where I have seen it.

Either way, one of us is screwy today. 

Oops it was What Would He Say that said it.

Look I was close both your names start with a W. brahahahaha

It was early here. That's my explanation and I'm sticking to it.

I love it . I also like Foyle's War . I bought a few seasons at Costco .

Another good series to catch is.....Brideshead Revisited......the original with a young Jeremy Irons.

Read about it to see if it appeals ?
I'd missed it years ago on TV so bought DVD's.....and watched it all in two sittings.
Very satisfying viewing that way.

The granddaddy of them all was "Upstairs, Downstairs" - many moons ago. IMO it was the best of all of them. I don't know if it's available or not, but it was great!

Ok, it seems we're done with our trip down nostalgia lane. Can we get back to George at Downton Abbey? There's always the chit chat thread if you want to recommend TV programmes or reminisce about costume dramas etc. Thanks.

There is new Vanity Fair article about George's visit to the set with some additional insight and his meeting with Maggie Smith. Just found it online. Unfortunately I'm incredibly computer challenged and not sure how to share the link here. But if you Google George it's the first item. Sorry.