10 Things You Didn’t Know About Downton Abbey

Gillian Anderson turned down a role on the series

She was approached to play Cora Crawley, who was ultimately portrayed by Elizabeth McGovern.

The servant’s quarters scenes were filmed on a soundstage

The quarters at Highclere Castle weren’t in good enough condition to film in, so the kitchen and servants’ bedroom scenes were filmed in a London studio.

The show was an almost instant success

By 2013, Downton Abbey became the highest-rated show on PBS’s Masterpiece of all time. A whopping 120 million viewers—in 200 countries and regions—tuned in.

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