"Downton Abbey" has enjoyed tremendous success both in England and the U.S., which means that a backlash had to happen sometime. But that doesn't mean recent comments made by star Elizabeth McGovern and now actor Benedict Cumberbatch (of "Sherlock" fame) haven't gotten us all in a tizzy. Where are our smelling salts?

Last week, McGovern, who plays Countess Cora Crawley, was quoted in the Los Angeles Times as saying the soapy turn the show took in the second season was a little tiring, with all of the twists and turns. "It's kind of a taste thing, and the show in the first season was more to my taste than the show in the second season," she said.

She's since backtracked, telling TV Guide Magazine in a statement that she was "horrified" that those comments were "taken out of context and misinterpreted.... I was in no way criticizing the second season or implying that I loved it or enjoyed it less."

Now here comes Benedict Cumberbatch, who fans of PBS miniseries (like "Downton") will know from his reprisal of Sherlock Holmes (season two begins airing May 6 on "Masterpiece Mystery!"). In Thursday's New York Times, Cumberbatch displayed a certain amount of envy that "Sherlock's" first season got ignored in the rising light of "Downtown" by relating a story from January's Golden Globes ceremony. He recalled that PBS "Masterpiece" executive producer Rebecca Eaton taunted him with "Downton's" just-won trophy.

"I just looked at it and went: 'Begone, woman. Bring it back when it says “Sherlock Holmes” or (series co-creator) Steven Moffat or myself -- someone else who’s more deserving than the second series of 'Downton Abbey.''"

He wouldn't say more about the series, only noting: "I know too many people who are in it. I thought the first (season) was good. That’s what I’ll say."

So what do you say? Did you find "Downton Abbey" too soapy in its second season? Tell us on our Facebook page!

Related content:

• 'Downton Abbey's' Dowager Countess could be killed off
• Jimmy Fallon gives 'Downton Abbey' the 'Late Night' treatment
• The real 'Downton Abbey' housed its own drama
• Major 'Downton Abbey' character will die in season 3
• More on 'Downton Abbey' in The Clicker

PBS

According a representative for "Downton Abbey" co-producers, there's no truth to recent reports that indicate Maggie Smith is leaving the show.

A recent report indicated that "Downton Abbey" would lose its quip-whipping character, the Dowager Countess, by the end of next season. But now shocked and disappointed fans can put away the smelling salts. As it turns out, the fan-favorite matriarch isn't leaving the drama any time soon.

The original news, based on a story published by Britain's Daily Mail, followed weeks of speculation about whether or not the woman behind "Downton's" Dowager, Maggie Smith, would sign a contract to continue on beyond the show's third season. While there's still no confirmation of a contract renewal, a representative for Carnival Film and Television Limited, co-producers of the "Masterpiece" hit, has since shot down the earlier report.

"Series three is currently filming with Maggie along with the other cast," the rep told the Los Angeles Times. "We do not comment on future story lines; however there is no truth in the story that Maggie is leaving the show."

Still, even if the Dowager Countess is safe, someone else won't be.

“Somebody will be born, and somebody will die," executive producer Rebecca Eaton recently revealed about the upcoming season. "Somebody pretty key in the cast, unfortunately, is not going to make it."

It could be some time before fans learn the identity of that character. The third season of "Downton Abbey" is set to kick off in January 2013 on PBS.

Are you relieved to learn that "Downton's" Dowager is safe, or do you think producers are just trying to keep fans guessing with their latest remarks? Share your thoughts on our Facebook page.

Related content:

• 'Downton Abbey's' Dowager Countess could be killed off
• Jimmy Fallon gives 'Downton Abbey' the 'Late Night' treatment
• The real 'Downton Abbey' housed its own drama
• Major 'Downton Abbey' character will die in season 3
• More on 'Downton Abbey' in The Clicker

Maggie Smith on "Downton Abbey."

Maggie Smith has reportedly told "Downton Abbey" creator Julian Fellowes that she wants out of the hit British TV drama.

"Maggie has asked Julian to write her character out," the U.K.'s Daily Mail is reporting. "She is filming until August and then wants to leave, going out on a high. She thinks that three (seasons) is enough and she wants to get back to the stage and big screen."

Smith's Dowager Countess, a master of the potent one-line put-down, is one of the show's pivotal characters. The Daily Mail's source says she is likely to be struck down by a fatal illness at the end of the third season, which ITV is currently filming in the U.K.

Smith, 77, won a Best Actress Oscar for playing a troubled teacher in the 1969 film "The Prime Of Miss Jean Brodie." She may be best known to today's audiences for her roles in the Harry Potter movies.

In November, she'll be seen in the BBC Films comedy, "Quartet."

Will you miss the Dowager Countess, or is it time for her to go? Share your thoughts on our Facebook page!

More from The Wrap:

• Shirley MacLaine joins 'Downton Abbey' cast
• 'Downton Abbey': What you need to know
• Julian Fellowes: Cameron painted false picture of 'Titanic' first mate

Related content:

• 'What is a weekend?' Dowager Countess' best lines
• 'Downton's' O'Brien is a hottie
• The real 'Downton' housed its own drama
• Jimmy Fallon gives 'Downton' the 'Late Night' treatment
• More on 'Downton Abbey' in The Clicker

NBC

The demanding Lord Fallon needs a joke on "Downton Sixbey."

The bounty of "Downton Abbey" spoofs just got a big boost with the latest addition from "Late Night" host Jimmy Fallon.

In the spirit of "Downton Arby's" and "The Fresh Prince of Downton Abbey," Fallon, with help from Brooke Shields, Fred Armisen and the whole "Late Night" crew, offered viewers a dramatic period piece based on the inner workings of his on-screen home, Studio 6B.

In the appropriately titled "Downton of Sixbey," Lord Fallon bemoaned the lack of Kardashian jokes in his monologue. That had the servants working hard for a fix.

Downstairs writer Bashir Salahuddin complained, "I don't think we can do another Kardashian joke."

"Well, that's what his lordship has asked for!" announcer Mr. (Steve) Higgins insisted.

Check out the unusable joke the lowly cue-card valet came up with in the clip below:

Which "Downton Abbey" sendup is your favorite so far? Tell us on our Facebook page.

Related content:

• The real 'Downton Abbey' housed its own drama
• Major 'Downton Abbey' character will die in season 3
• 'Downton Abbey' spoof goes to Arby's
• Meet 'The Fresh Prince of Downton Abbey'
• 'Downton Tabby' tribute is the cat's meow

American fans of the Emmy Award-winning series "Downton Abbey" are flocking to Hampshire, England to take a tour of the real grand residence behind the fictional Abbey, Highclere Castle, and what they're finding is an off-screen taste of the on-screen drama -- sort of.

While Highclere might not have had anyone quite like the Dowager Countess delivering quips and snips in the great hall, and maybe there was no frightening flu to conveniently free up the local heir, NBC News correspondent Keir Simmons revealed on TODAY that it is said to host a curse.

Over 2000 visitors a day see the halls of Highclere Castle.

In the 1920s, George Herbert, the 5th Earl of Carnarvon, who was born in Highclere Castle, died under mysterious circumstances months after discovering the tomb of Egyptian King Tutankhamun. Others involved with the excavation are said to have suffered strange deaths, as well. Now there are those that believe the castle itself is under the "Curse of Tutankhamun."

That's certainly TV-worthy drama, but it's not the story some visitors really want. Rather than details of the past, many fans hope to get a glimpse of what's to come on the show. Barring that, they want bragging rights.

"I just want to tell people when season three comes on that 'I've been there,'" one loyal viewer revealed.

She and other visitors of Highclere Castle will have to wait a while before they can deliver that boast. The third season of "Downton Abbey" is set to air in January 2013 on PBS.

Would you make the trek to get a closer look at the real "Downton Abbey"? Tell us on our Facebook page.

Related content:

• Major 'Downton Abbey' character will die in season 3
• 'Downton Abbey' spoof goes to Arby's
• Gillian Anderson turned down 'Downton Abbey' role
• If Maggie Smith leaves 'Downton Abbey,' it would be 'a black day,' says show creator
• More on 'Downton Abbey' in The Clicker

Nick Briggs / ITV for Masterpiece

The show's executive producer says that Matthew and Mary will marry on season three.

"Downton Abbey" doesn't return for its third season until next year for U.S. television audiences, but executive producer Rebecca Eaton is revealing some big plot points for the British series -- including a major character's death.

“Somebody will be born, and somebody will die, somebody pretty key in the cast, unfortunately not going to make it. It’s the 1920s now," Eaton told the Orlando Sentinel.

More from THR: How 'Downton,' Mitt Romney are making PBS topic A

A big death is not a surprise for viewers of Julian Fellowes' "Downton Abbey." In the first season, Kemal Pamuk made a splash with his death at Downton Abbey and last season, former footman William passed away after being injured in the war.

In the new season, viewers can also expect a wedding. "Matthew and Mary do get married," she revealed.

The arrival of Shirley MacLaine as Cora's mother will be significant for the drama. "There are some wonderful scenes between Maggie and Shirley MacLaine," said Eaton, "Shirley MacLaine being as ditsy as ever."

More from THR: Ed Speleers secures 'Downton' role

She continued: "And Maggie barely restraining her sneer in having to deal with this American. Maggie Smith is a handful, it's true. She's very difficult. She knows her worth and she's tricky on the set, but she delivers when the time comes."

"Downton Abbey" returns for season 3 in the U.S. in January 2013 on PBS.

Who do you think will perish next season? Share your prediction on our Facebook page!

Related content:

• 'Downton Abbey' spoof goes to Arby's
• Gillian Anderson turned down 'Downton' role
• Show creator: It'll be 'a black day' if Maggie Smith leaves
• More on 'Downton Abbey' in The Clicker

Yahoo!

"Downton Abbey" spoof "Downton Arby's."

"Downton Abbey" parodies show no signs of stopping -- and the latest scenario for the PBS series' intertwined aristocracy and servant class is at a fast food chain.

Sketchy, the new series of viral shorts from Yahoo! Screen's comedy channel, released "Downton Arby's" this week, and as the familiar group of actors might have you believe, it's one of the slicker spoofs to come out of the popular British soap.

More from THR: 'Downton Abbey' season two finale marks PBS' highest rated program since 2009

"Luck's" Richard Kind, Matt Walsh (Veep) and comedians Erin Gibson and Jennie Pierson topline the spoof which finds the Crawleys looking for an heir in all the wrong places.

Some aspects are really no different at all -- Thomas has it in for Bates and nobody likes Edith -- but Kind plays Lord Grantham a little on the loopy side. He asks one customer if he'll take Lady Mary's hand, which only prompts a request for more horsey sauce.

Watch the full clip below:

What did you think of this spoof? Which is your favorite one so far? Tell us on our Facebook page!

Related content:

• Gillian Anderson turned down 'Downton Abbey' role
• 'Downton' creator: 'A black day' if Maggie Smith leaves show
• Meet 'The Fresh Prince of Downton Abbey'
• More on 'Downton Abbey' in The Clicker

Matt Sayles / AP file

Julian Fellowes

"Downton Abbey" creator Julian Fellowes says James Cameron took liberties he shouldn't have in "Titanic," wrongly portraying the ship's first officer by portraying him as a coward.

Fellowes said he will set the record straight on William Murdoch, first officer on RMS Titanic, in his new four-part miniseries on the 1912 disaster for the U.K.'s ITV1.

Cameron's Oscar-winning 1997 blockbuster -- due for a 3D re-release next month -- portrayed Murdoch as a coward who shot passengers before taking his own life.

Fellowes told the U.K.'s Radio Mag that in fact Murdoch, who went down with the ship when she sank after hitting an iceberg, was credited with launching the lifeboats that saved 75% of the survivors.

Fellowes told the magazine: "That was very unfair how Murdoch was depicted. He wasn't cowardly.

"He fired the pistol to just stop a potential riot. It was suddenly getting out of hand, and he fired it in the air. That's not being cowardly."

Fellowes added: "I don't think you can just say, 'Well, we'll make this guy a villain -- he'll do."

The "Gosford Park" writer told the magazine: "I think with real people you have a kind of imperative to be true to who they were.

"I don't think you can take someone who was moral and decent and make them do something immoral and indecent. I would feel uncomfortable doing that. So we do have Murdoch, and we have him firing a pistol... (But) there is a little bit of setting the record straight."

In 1998, Twentieth Century Fox gave $8,000 to a fund commemorating the Titanic's first mate after his family and neighbors objected to the movie's portrayal of him.

Fellowes' take on Titanic airs in the U.S. on April 14.

Related content:

• James Cameron completes journey to deepest spot on Earth
• Gillian Anderson turned down 'Downton Abbey' role
• If Maggie Smith leaves 'Downton,' it would be 'a black day,' says show creator
• Meet 'The Fresh Prince of Downton Abbey'
• 'Downton Tabby' tribute is the cat's meow

Joel Ryan / AP

"Downton Abbey" could have been a bit different.

The British series, which has been a stateside success on PBS, apparently wanted to cast Gillian Anderson in one of its lead roles.

The 43-year-old "X-Files" actress, next appearing on PBS' "Masterpiece Classic" update of "Great Expectations," told TV Guide Magazine that she was originally approached to star on the Emmy-winning series.

More from THR: 'Downton Abbey' Creator Julian Fellowes Writing Adaptation of 'Gypsy'

"Hopefully people will embrace it with the same love that flowed toward 'Downton Abbey,' " Anderson said of her upcoming period piece. "I was actually offered a part in 'Downton.' "

She later admitted the role was Elizabeth McGovern's Cora Crawley.

Anderson is no stranger to PBS' Masterpiece or Dickensian television -- she starred in 2005's "Bleak House" mini -- but her participation would have presented a small issue for "Downton Abbey": she's a bit young to play the matriarch.

More from THR: 'Downton Abbey' season 2 finale marks PBS' highest-rated program since 2009

McGovern is seven years her senior. It's not a lot, but it makes quite a difference considering Anderson is just 13 years older than "Downton's" oldest daughter Mary (Michelle Dockery). Still, this is a woman who's playing the the withered spinster Miss Havisham in "Great Expectations," a character Dickens' placed in her mid-50s.

"Downton Abbey" is currently filming its third season. It will debut later this year in Britain, with a stateside premiere expected for early 2013.

Do you think Gillian could've been a better Cora Crawley? Share your thoughts on our Facebook page!

Related content:

• If Maggie Smith leaves 'Downton,' it would be 'a black day,' says show creator
• Meet 'The Fresh Prince of Downton Abbey'
• 'Downton Tabby' tribute is the cat's meow
• More on 'Downton Abbey' in The Clicker

PBS

"Downton Abbey" just wouldn't be the same without its tart-tongued Dowager Countess.

As "Downton Abbey" star Maggie Smith debates whether she'll sign on for seasons four and five of the series (season three is now in production), fans aren't the only ones thinking about how disappointed they would be if there was no more Dowager Countess offering up pithy commentary on the Grantham grounds. Julian Fellowes, the creator and writer behind the show, told TODAY.com that if she leaves, "it will be a black day."

"Maggie is very useful for a writer," said the actor-turned-writer and Oscar winner (for "Gosford Park"). "She's very funny, and she has the capacity as an actress to have a real emotional story or scene -- and then in the next five minutes to be hilarious, and yet always playing the same woman. A less-skilled actress would become a different person each time, but Maggie synthesizes it into one character."

There's another advantage an actress of her skill and years brings to the table: She doesn't have to be liked. "She's freed from that desire, which gives you such latitude -- and that means they adore her all the more," said Fellowes.

He knows they have a gem in Smith, but keeps a stiff upper lip about the situation.

"I can't pretend it won't be a knife in my heart when she decides to move on," said Fellowes. "But in dramatic life as in anything else, you just have to get on with it, really. If she leaves and they want the show to continue, we will have to carry on. But I will be very sorry."

Fellowes is currently in Italy, where his script for "Romeo and Juliet" is being shot. But fans of "Downton" might also be pleased to know that his upstairs/downstairs writing interests are carrying over to the "Titanic" mini-series he's made for ITV (in Britain) and ABC (in the U.S.) The series is set to premiere on April 14 at 8 p.m. ET and then conclude the next night at 9 p.m. "It's all these interlocking stories all over the ship -- the officers, the stewards and stewardesses, the first class passengers -- so the idea being that you have a sense of life on board this ship," he said.

The question for "Downton" fans, though, is this: Will a particular heir of Grantham who went down with the ship make an appearance? Laughed Fellowes, "I was tempted to have someone say, 'Do you know Patrick Crawley?' But that ... well, that would be a bit too kitsch."

Would you still tune in to "Downton Abbey" if the Dowager Countess was no longer part of the show? Share your thoughts on our Facebook page.

Related content:

• Meet 'The Fresh Prince of Downton Abbey'
• Will 'Downton Abbey' have to go on without the Dowager Countess?
• 10 great lines from 'Downton's' Dowager Countess
• What to watch now that 'Downton' is over for season
• What will you miss most about 'Downton Abbey'?
• 'Downton Abbey's' O'Brien is a hottie!
• More 'Downton Abbey' in The Clicker

CollegeHumor

"Downton Abbey" has its own "Fresh Prince."

Maybe there are some clever people out there who looked at the sudden ascent into heirdom of Matthew Crawley on "Downton Abbey" and thought "why, that's a similar story to 'The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air'!" -- maybe, but it took the exceedingly clever minds at CollegeHumor.com to actually put it all together in a single package of Grantham goodness.

In the following clip, which spoofs the opening of the 1990s sitcom that set Will Smith on his path to superstardom, a sort-of-Crawley-lookalike spins around and around in his most-elegant chair, rapping gracefully: "Now this is a story all about how my life got flipped, turned upstairs-down. So if you'll come around for tea and just sit right there, I'll tell you all about how I became Lord Grantham's heir."

And for those who may not quite remember the original "Bel-Air" opening, be sure to check out this retro reminder.

What would the Dowager Countess say?

What do you think about the mash-up? Tell us on our Facebook.

Related content:

• Will 'Downton Abbey' have to go on without the Dowager Countess?
• 10 great lines from 'Downton's' Dowager Countess
• What to watch now that 'Downton' is over for season
• What will you miss most about 'Downton Abbey'?
• 'Downton Abbey's' O'Brien is a hottie!
• More 'Downton Abbey' in The Clicker

Masterpiece Classic via PBS

Will Maggie Smith leave 'Downton Abbey' after the show's third season?

"Downton Abbey" will have at least three more seasons -- the third is now in production in the U.K. But some of the stars have not yet agreed to return for seasons four and five, and one of them is a true fan favorite.

Dame Maggie Smith, 77, who plays the Dowager Countess on the hit "Masterpiece Classic" show, has not yet signed on for those seasons, the U.K. Telegraph reports.

Smith plays the tart-tongued mother of Robert, Earl of Grantham, and has offered up some of the most quotable lines on the show. (Struggling with a swivel chair, she learns from Matthew that it was invented by Thomas Jefferson. "Why does every day involve a fight with an American?" she moans.)

Other major actors who hadn't yet signed on, according to the Telegraph, include Dan Stevens (Matthew Crawley), Siobhan Finneran (O’Brien) and Jessica Brown Findlay (Lady Sybil Crawley).

There's some good news for fans. Actors Michelle Dockery (Lady Mary Crawley), Elizabeth McGovern (Cora, Countess of Grantham), Hugh Bonneville (Robert, Earl of Grantham), Joanne Froggatt (Anna) and Brendan Coyle (Bates) are all signed through season five.

And it's already been announced that actress Shirley MacLaine will join the cast as Cora's American mother in season three (see her in costume, in photos leaked from the set).

At 77, MacLaine is the same age as Smith -- will the show feel less inclined to fight to sign Smith if they know another older, takes-no-guff female has already taken up residence at the manor home? Coyle, who plays Mr. Bates, told the British Sun newspaper that "(MacLaine) is very much loved here, her scenes are brilliant."

Smith's character could certainly be written off by death or other means, but fans would miss her greatly. 

"Downton Abbey" creator Julian Fellowes has praised Smith's knack for comedy, but also noted that "she can convey deep and powerful emotion without a trace of sentimentality." And in return, Smith has called it "very satisfying" to play the role.

Smith appears in the upcoming film, "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel," which will be released in the U.S. on May 4. In contrast to her high-class role on "Downton," in the film, she plays an ex-housekeeper.

Should 'Downton Abbey' do everything possible to re-sign Smith, or can the show lose her and still continue to be popular? Vote in our poll, and tell us on Facebook.

Related content:

• 10 great lines from 'Downton's' Dowager Countess
• What to watch now that 'Downton' is over for season
• What will you miss most about 'Downton Abbey'?
• Which 'Downton Abbey' kiss topped the others?
• 'Downton Abbey's' O'Brien is a hottie!
• 'Downton Abbey's' popularity continues to soar
• More 'Downton Abbey' in The Clicker