Thursday, April 24, 2014

Downton Abbey Returns to Bampton for Season Five

Bampton, Oxfordshire (20 minutes from Oxford) has turned into the village of Downton again.   The cast and crew of Downton Abbey are back this week filming village scenes for Season 5   


We were not allowed to take pictures or film during takes, only in between takes and while rehearsing.  Sorry there isn't much to see in this footage. There was a tall wall in the way. In this scene Lord Merton is walking hesitantly to the front door of Mrs. Crawley's home and knocking. Mrs. Crawley is in the garden and comes around from the side of the house.  They exchange greetings and then enter the house. 

Lady Mary with Lord Grantham...

 ...aka Michelle Dockery and Hugh Boneville.  I love Mary's hat!
 Mrs. Patmore, her lovely hat, and an unknown character
  Lesley Nicol plays Mrs. Patmore
 Mrs. Patmore and extras walking through the square
Thomas Barrow arrives on the set...
 ...also known as  Rob James-Collier
 Setting up a scene where Lady Mary and Lord Grantham are walking through the square and encounter  Thomas Barrow.  There is an exchange of words and they looked puzzled after Thomas leaves them.
 My favorite character: Isis, Lord Grantham's dog.  Isis followed his master everywhere on set because actor Hugh Bonneville kept treats in his coat pocket!
 Look what is on the director's chair
 Most of the extras in the village scenes are Bampton residents.  I was told that one of the criteria to be selected as an extra was that you had to have natural colored hair.  If you had dyed hair, you would not be considered. 
 Lord Merton, Lady Mary's Godfather and possibly Mrs. Crawley's love interest (aka Douglas Reith)
Three lucky young girls got to miss school and be extras on the set. What fun!

To see a paparazzi's photos from today's shoot: 
 http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/downton-abbey-films-season-5-gallery-1.1767616
  
Clearly we left too soon and missed Dame Maggie Smith


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