Will the eternally feuding “Ladies” Mary and Edith stage a jello- wrestling showdown during afternoon tea?
Is the prospect of marrying Mrs. Hughes about to turn Mr. Carson into a groom-zilla?
And maybe most important, will there be another cake shaped like the Dowager Countess's head, disapproving stare and all?
Those and many other burning questions will be answered on Dec. 17th when Georgia Public Broadcasting hosts "An Evening at Downton Abbey, Season 6 Sneak Preview" at the elegant 200 Peachtree Building downtown.
All of the free tickets have already been snapped up for the advance screening of Episode 1 of the 6th and final season of the beloved British drama about the veddy upper crust Crawley family and their servants and other hangers-on. But that doesn't mean you can't see the episode weeks before it debuts here on GPB on January 3rd.
It'll cost you. But the perks are enough to make you feel like one of the "we wear black tie just to eat supper" residents of Downton Abbey. Three different ticket levels and customized experiences are available, ranging from the $200 VIP level, which includesdinner and dancing, all the way up to the $500 "Keys to the Castle" package. No, you don't get to sleep in the Earl of Grantham's bedroom at Downton Abbey (in real life, England's Highclere Castle), but you do get to spend the night at the luxurious Ritz-Carlton across the street from the evening's festivities.
All three paid ticket levels include a chance to meet and participate in an "intimate Q & A" with special guest Jessica Fellowes. The niece of "Downton" creator Julian Fellowes and an experienced journalist herself, she'll discuss the handful of series' companion books she's written over the years, including the brand new "The Wit and Wisdom of Downton Abbey."
There will also be a silent auction of items such as a three-night "Downton Abbey" weekend at Sea Island, a specially-curated shopping and dining experience at The Shops Buckhead Atlanta (the main sponsor of Dec. 17th's "Evening at Downton Abbey") and a Savannah getaway that includes a "chef's table" dinner created by famed chef Hugh Acheson.
Last year's advance screening and party was held at the Fox Theatre (read the AJC's story about it) and featured a cake that was the fondant-topped spitting image of Maggie Smith's fearsome Dowager Countess, the creation of Atlanta "cake and chocolate artist" Karen Portaleo. No word yet on whether GPB has something similar up its sleeve this year. If you want to find out for yourself, go to gpb.org for more information.
