PBS Distribution today announced it is releasing "DOWNTON ABBEY SEASONS 1, 2 & 3" on DVD and Blu-ray October 1, 2013. This limited edition box set, available just in time for the holidays, includes the first three seasons of this Golden Globe and multi-Emmy Award-winning series, bringing "Downton Abbey" from pre-war England through the storms of World War I and into the social upheaval of England in the 1920s as the lives of its inhabitants are shaped by romance and heartbreak, ambition and betrayal.
Created by Academy Award-winner Julian Fellowes ("Gosford Park"), and featuring an outstanding cast, "Downton Abbey" has captivated millions with the trials and tribulations of the Crawley family and their servants. In the U.S., 24 million viewers tuned in to the third season of "Downton Abbey" on MASTERPIECE, making it the highest-rated PBS drama of all time.
Because of the series' phenomenal popularity, PBS Distribution is offering a limited edition set that includes Season 1, Season 2, and Season 3 in special collectable gift-set packaging. In addition to featuring more than three hours of previously released bonus video, including "Downton Abbey: The Making of," "Downton Abbey: Behind the Drama," and much more, the set includes the bonus disc "Secrets of Highclere Castle." This one-hour documentary steps inside the castle featured in "Downton Abbey." The run time of "DOWNTON ABBEY SEASONS 1, 2 & 3" is approximately 23.75 hours on nine discs for the DVD and eight discs for the Blu-ray. The DVD SRP is $89.99 and the Blu-ray SRP is $99.99. These prices represent a more than 30 percent savings from the SRP if all three seasons were purchased separately.
"Downton Abbey" is a Carnival/MASTERPIECE Co-Production. Carnival is a division of NBCUniversal. The executive producers are Gareth Neame, Julian Fellowes and Liz Trubridge.
About MASTERPIECE
MASTERPIECE is presented on PBS by WGBH Boston. Rebecca Eaton is Executive Producer for MASTERPIECE. Funding for the series is provided by Viking River Cruises and Ralph Lauren Corporation with additional support from public television viewers and contributors to The MASTERPIECE Trust, created to help ensure the series' future.
About PBS Distribution
PBS Distribution is the leading media distributor of the public television community, both domestically and internationally, extending the reach of these programs beyond broadcast while generating revenue for the public television system and or production partners.
PBS Distribution offers a diverse range of programming to our customers, including Ken Burns's films, documentaries from award-winning series such as NOVA, FRONTLINE, AMERICAN MASTERS, NATURE and AMERICAN EXPERIENCE, dramas from MASTERPIECE, as well as films from independent producers and popular children's programming. As a multi-channel distributor, PBS Distribution pursues wholesale/retail sales, consumer and educational sales through PBS-branded catalogs and online shops, and international broadcast and video sales. PBS Distribution is also a leader in offering programming through digital platforms including internet and mobile devices.
DOWNTON ABBEY SEASONS 1, 2 & 3
Street Date: October 1, 2013
Genre: Drama
Run Time: DVD, Approx. 23.75 Hours on 9 Discs and Blu-ray, Approx. 23.75 Hours on 8 Discs
SRP: DVD $89.99, and Blu-ray $99.99
Format: DVD and Blu-ray
