Could period drama Belgravia be the next Downton Abbey?

The first trailer for Julian Fellowes’ Downton Abbey follow-up is here – but can Belgravia live up to the success of its more famous period drama cousin?

If you’re missing Downton Abbey and the recent release of the theatrical film wasn’t enough for you, well – mark your calendars for 2020. Creator Julian Fellowes next project, a limited series entitled Belgravia is headed to the small screen and seems pretty much engineered to fill the Downton-shaped hole in your life.

On paper, Belgravia seems like Downton’s slightly more posh cousin, a story focused on the upper echelons of 19th century London society. It’s written by Fellowes – and based on a 2016 book he wrote – and Downton alums  Gareth Neame, Nigel Marchant, and Liz Trubridge are all once again involved behind the scenes. (But, just so we’re clear, the two series aren’t connected in any way. It’s still probably as close as we’ll ever get to a Downton sequel, however.)

The story begins on the night before the Battle of Waterloo, at one of the Duchess of Richmond’s legendary parties. James and Alice Trenchard are guests at this fateful soiree, but their attendance will set in motion a series of events that will have consequences for decades to come.

So, you know, no big deal.

If the trailer is anything to go by, the Trenchards are a family of secrets, some of which they’ve been holding close for decades. Drama seems very likely to ensue.

Watch the first trailer for the upcoming series  below and judge for yourselves.

As most people probably know, Downton Abbey was a global megahit, the kind of water cooler drama that everyone was talking about on Monday mornings. Even people who generally didn’t watch costume dramas, watched Downton.  And loved it.

Can Belgravia hope to reach such heights? The series is from the same production team and, if the trailer is anything to go by, certainly has a similar feel. It even sports a freakishly similar piano-based theme song. It seems we have every reason to hope.

The series even stars a Downton alum – Dame Harriet Walter plays Caroline, The Countess of Brockenhurst. She’s joined by a group of actors familiar to anyone who watches any amount of British dramas, including Philip Glenister, Tamsin Grieg, Alice Eve and more.

Belgravia is slated to premiere on Epix sometime in 2020. Stay tuned for more news on this series as it arrives!