The Daily Beast: "<i>Downton Abbey</i> Comes to <i>Masterpiece</i>"

In the U.K.'s smash hit Downton Abbey, coming to PBS Sunday, the period drama is reinvented for a new generation.

After all of the scrapes with The Daily Mail, the praise from yours truly, and huge ratings in the UK, Julian Fellowes' sumptuous costume drama Downton Abbey finally reaches American shores this weekend.

Over at The Daily Beast, I spoke with creator Lord Fellowes and stars Dan Stevens and Hugh Bonneville about Downton Abbey for my latest feature, entitled "Downton Abbey Comes to Masterpiece", in which I also look at the drama series as a condition-of-England piece and its relationship to another British import, the return of Upstairs, Downstairs.

Downton Abbey premieres Sunday evening at 9 pm ET/PT as part of PBS' Masterpiece Classic. Check your local listings for details.