Honor. Power struggles. Family drama. Death. Both "Game of Thrones" and "Downton Abbey" feature plenty of those themes, and now, they have another theme in common -- their theme songs.

YouTube user Sagar Jethani mashed up the tunes pretty darn seamlessly on his piano to create "Game of Downton Abbey," a nearly three-minute opus complete with the howling of direwolves and hunting dogs. (OK, not exactly. His pooch Duncan got a little excited during the performance and offered up some vocals.) Check it out:

Sure, the video's about a year old, but with "Downton" airing season 3 right now and "GoT" coming right up, this is a great way to enjoy something from both.

"Downton Abbey" airs Sundays at 9 p.m. on PBS. "Game of Thrones" returns March 31 on HBO.

Which TV theme songs would you like to hear mashed together? Tell us on our Facebook page!

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First off, hooray for Edith! After  being left at the altar, the Jan Brady of the "Downton" sisters got a little bit of her own back. A newspaper published her letter about women's suffrage and despite her father's horror, she's on her way to moving away from that crushing jilting at the altar and becoming her own woman, as her grandmother encouraged. And she did it without having to take up gardening.

Joss Barratt / Carnival Films

The Dowager Countess feels certain Edith can find something to do with her life. As long as it's not gardening.

And now, Branson. What in the name of Maud Gonne is he doing? He wants an independent Ireland, but he's also married into a titled family with an enormous country estate.

Did he think it wouldn't get back to them that he was involved in the burning of a castle owned by their friends? Did he think they wouldn't flip out when he left his pregnant wife behind to flee the trouble he'd  gotten into? (Thankfully, she made it to Downton unscathed.)

Branson's ideals may be admirable, but marrying Sybil is looking more and more like a disaster. In 47 years, some mop-topped countrymen of his in-laws are going to sing "All You Need Is Love," but in his case, they might just be wrong.

The slowest plot in "Downton" has to be Bates in jail. Time kind of stops when we cut to that grim British prison, and it's here that we feel the most need for English-to-English subtitles. Is Bates' cellmate named Craig? Greg? Greig? (It's Craig. We think.) When the guard told Craig, "You'd better come with us," it came out to our ears as, "You bear commie osprey." Short version: Bates is back on the good side of the guards -- except for one -- and the backlog of mail between Bates and Anna was finally delivered.

Do-gooding Isobel, Matthew's mother, is helping the nation's fallen women, but she can't save them all. Her heart broke when former "Downton" maid Ethel gave up her young son to his dead father's family. Our hearts broke too, but we're hoping Grumpy Grandpa Bryant will eventually break down and let Charlie's mother be a part of his life.

Joss Barratt / Carnival Films

Can we move the Bates in jail plot along, please?

In another slow-to-develop plot, Matthew's discovered that Robert (who is no fan of Catholics, we learn, in a bizarrely random slur that the show had better revisit) isn't exactly the Warren Buffett of 1920s England. In short, Downton's finances are a mess.

Perhaps it wasn't such a smart idea to hire that new hunky footman James-call-me-Jimmy-no-you're-James, not to mention Ivy, the new kitchen maid. Daisy would sure like to get rid of Ivy, who caught young Alfred's eye just as Daisy was deciding she was interested in him.

But perhaps Matthew should worry less about money and more about wife Mary's baby situation. She's got to be having trouble conceiving if that brief nursery conversation is any clue. Can no Downton daughter ever be happy? You know the answer to that. Would we watch if they were?

Best Dowager Countess quotes:

• "Well, no one can be as desperate as that." -- When Edith suggests taking up gardening.
• "Maybe they do, but no family is ever what it seems from the outside." -- When Robert bemoans that other people have normal families.
• "He looks like a footman in a musical revue." -- About the new hottie footman, Jimmy -- er, James.
• "Well, obviously, if you've turned to me." -- When Matthew admits he stymied by  Downton's financial mismanagement.

What did you think of the latest drama on "Downton Abbey"? Share your thoughts on our Facebook page.

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Slideshow: 'Downton Abbey' season 3

Launch slideshow

If you're a fan of "Downton Abbey" but not a fan of the long wait between the U.K. broadcast and the U.S. broadcast, there a little good news. In just two weeks, you can finish up the entire season before the final three episodes even air on PBS.

But of course, a perk like that comes at a premium price -- $19.99, to be exact.

On Monday, Apple announced that "Downton" devotees who purchase a "season pass" for the series from the company's iTunes store will be privy to the early viewing in the form of "the unedited U.K. edition."

The advance screening kicks off on Jan. 29.

As for viewers who prefer their TV favorites free, PBS will air the last three episodes of the series on Feb. 3, 10 and 17 respectively.

Would you pay to see any of your favorite shows before they air? Tell us on our Facebook page.

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Hugh Bonneville (Lord Grantham) prepares to give away daughter Edith (Laura Carmichael) at her short-lived wedding.

Warning: Lots of spoilers for Sunday night's "Downton Abbey" follow, and it's a good one, so don't read if you're saving it to watch later.

"Downton Abbey" does not love all its daughters equally. Lady Mary, the eldest, someday to be Countess of Grantham and inherit the estate though husband Matthew, is the golden girl. Even Carson's eyes welled up in the season premiere when he saw her in her wedding gown. 

Youngest girl Sybil, in the style of youngest children everywhere, is accepted even when the path she takes (running off with the family's Irish chauffeur) is one that would have been unimaginable for Mary.

And what of middle daughter Edith, she of the now-viral "Edith With Googly Eyes" Tumblr? Ohhhh, Edith. It's not an easy road for you, is it? Sure, no one's fond of Sybil marrying a past employee, but they seem even less fond of you demanding a relationship with Sir Anthony Strallan, he of the advanced age and disabled arm.

Even though Edith hasn't always behaved well (that letter to the Turkish Embassy!), who could resist longing for her to be happy despite family opinion? Her father already tried to talk the groom out of marrying her and her grandmother thinks she's beginning a life as "an old man's drudge." But Edith is thrilled by the fuss around her wedding, marveling, "Something happening in this house is actually about me!"

Edith looks stunning in sleek Grecian gown 

Yeah, for about five minutes. Until she's jilted at the altar, for no real clear reason except that Sir Anthony obviously took to heart Robert's refusal to accept him. And you've got to love Cora here. "You are being tested," she tells her devastated daughter. "Being tested only makes you stronger." Edith doesn't buy that, but really, what is there to say? We wish she could just hand Thomas a crossbow and send him out after Sir Anthony. You just know that, in olden times, men who dumped the daughter of an earl would have been treated worse.

Edith's devastating jilting was far and away the most hypnotizing plot of this episode, but not the only one. Poor Mrs. Hughes had to worry about whether she had breast cancer right up till the last minute. (The tumor was benign, or so Mrs. Patmore told Mr. Carson, sending him off on a singing spree so unlike him that we have to wonder if a Carson-Mrs. Hughes romance is in the air.) And kudos to Cora for telling Mrs. Hughes that "I don't want you to have any concerns about where you go or who will look after you, because the answers are 'here,' and 'we will.'" 

The feud between onetime conspirators Thomas and O'Brien heated up, with poor Moseley getting fed false information that O'Brien was quitting and unintentionally spilling it to the family. This led to one of the best exchanges of the night, when Lord Grantham said he would "watch (O'Brien's) departure with mixed emotions" and Mary snarked, "Mine are fairly unmixed."

Perhaps the most inevitable plot of the episode was whether Matthew would accept the money left him by Lavinia's father and save Downton from Robert's poor financial decision. We know they can't lose the house -- it's the bloody title of the show! -- but had to play out the endless rehashing. Blah blah blah receive huge fortune and give it away blah blah blah Mary's furious blah blah blah Daisy saves the day by admitting she mailed Lavinia's letter blah blah.

Best tidbit of that whole storyline: Matthew actually suggests that Mary might go as far as to forge a letter to save her family's estate, which ... NOT A BAD IDEA. But she didn't, of course. Downton is saved! May we all be so lucky to have another giant fortune drop in our laps with no strings attached when we gamble away the first one on a bad investment.  And Downton Place, the home the family considered moving to, is no shack, either. Eight servants, tops. Very economical!

Don't mess with Bates. He may have spent a lot of time among the cultured and wealthy but he can sure handle himself in prison.

In Bates' jail subplot, Anna's dogged detective work helps her find Vera Bates' best friend, who calls Anna a "trollop" and then for no apparent reason decides to give her information about Vera's final day. And Bates proves once again that he's a man who can handle himself in prison. Discovering that his cellmate Craig is trying to set him up, he finds the contraband hidden in his bunk in time to hide it in the wall. (What was that contraband? Drugs? A tiny shiv wrapped in a bamboo placemat?)

Matthew's mother, Isobel, is working with England's fallen women, and sure enough, one of them is former maid Ethel, the single mom. She's seeking help, but not for herself, so one can only assume it's for her young son. Those who've seen "Les Mis": Ethel is no Fantine, but life has still killed the dream she dreamed.

And finally, Alfred, O'Brien's nephew, may not be the best at fixing tailcoats, but he said what the entire household was thinking at the servant's table, dissing Sir Anthony for leaving Edith at the altar. "She could do much better than that broken-down old crock," he announces.

Carson tries to reprimand him, saying Sir Anthony does not deserve to be addressed in such a manner, but it's Mrs. Hughes who gets it right when she says, "Oh, I think he does, Mr. Carson. Every bit of that and worse."

Best Dowager Countess quotes:

• "At my age, one must ration one's excitement." --To Edith, who can't wait to wed.
• "Aren't you a wild thing?"  --To Isobel, who risks life and limb by sitting in the front of a motorcar.
• "But I want the pleasure of saying 'I told you so.'" --To Robert, moaning about Edith's choice of groom.
• "If the poor don't want it, you can bring it over to me." --Upon learning the wedding food will be donated.
• "He looks as if he's waiting for a beating from the headmaster." --Upon seeing Sir Anthony's tortured look at the altar.

References we had to look up:

• When discussing Edith's wedding-night lingerie (!), the Dowager Countess says she'd pay for a Patou, but Cora responds that "Lucile was safer" because she doesn't want her looking like a chorus girl. Lucile is a British lingerie brand founded by a "Titanic" survivor, and the mention on the U.K. "Downton" broadcast reportedly helped boost sales. (Jean Patou was a racier designer who also created Nancy Reagan's favorite perfume, the pricey Joy.)
• What's that song Carson is singing when he finds out Mrs. Hughes doesn't have cancer? It's "Dashing Away With the Smoothing Iron," a 19th century British folk song about a man who loves a woman who's doing household chores. FORESHADOWING?
• Just how bad would breast cancer have been for Mrs. Hughes considering the state of medicine in 1920? Our health writer, Diane Mapes, investigated.

Are you a "Downton Abbey" fan? Tell us on Facebook.

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Nick Briggs / Carnival Films

The Dowager Countess and Lady Mary hatch a plot to try to save Downton.

After 11 months of waiting, U.S. audiences finally returned to “Downton Abbey” Sunday night, and with the drama's classic mix of joy and hardship, the season premiere did not disappoint.

The major event opening the season was one audiences have been eagerly awaiting -- Mary (Michelle Dockery) and Matthew’s (Dan Stevens) wedding! The couple finally tied the knot as their friends and family looked on, including Mary's pregnant sister, Sybil (Jessica Brown Findlay) and husband Tom Branson (Allen Leech), who'd traveled all the way from Dublin (thanks to some unlikely help from Maggie Smith's Dowager Countess). Also present for the wedding was Mary's other grandmother, Martha Levinson (Shirley MacLaine), whose American ideals clashed instantly with the traditional English ways of the Crawleys.

Amid the joyous wedding celebrations, however, Lord Grantham (Hugh Bonneville) received some disturbing news. Apparently the master of Downton is a bit of a gambler, and put the majority of his wife’s fortune into a rumored good investment. -- a railway. But the fortune, which once saved Downton from financial ruin, was lost when the railway prepared to declare bankruptcy. The loss meant there was not enough money left to run the estate anymore, leaving Lord Grantham with what appeared to be only one option: Say goodbye to Downton!

'Downton Abbey' character may have breast cancer

All seemed lost when Lord Grantham finally broke down to tell Cora what happened, but there was hope on the horizon. Matthew inherited the fortune from the father of his deceased former fiancee, Lavinia. While Mary saw this as a saving grace, Matthew refused to keep the money. He just couldn't forgive himself for breaking Lavinia’s heart before she died from Spanish flu, and since her father had no idea about that detail, he felt taking the money would be wrong.

There was brief hope that possibly Mrs. Levinson could be convinced to help, but Mary and the Dowager Countess found themselves disappointed after some impressive courting attempts. Mrs. Levinson had already put enough money into what she saw as a symbol of a dying past, and besides, she didn't really have the money to do it. She claimed her husband "tied the money up" before his death, making it impossible.

The upstairs excitement definitely overshadowed some the less dramatic events occurring downstairs. But it will be interesting to see the new feud brewing between Thomas (Rob James-Collier) and O'Brien (Siobhan Finneran) grow and how Mrs. Hughes' (Phyllis Logan) health problem is expanded on more in the next episode.

As for the latest between Bates (Brendan Coyle) and Anna (Joanne Froggratt), the dark days continued for everyone's other favorite couple, but things will get brighter -- that is if Anna's constant efforts to free her husband prove successful. 

If "Downton Abbey" does one thing well, it's keep you eager to learn what's going to happen next. With the premiere set up of the Downton residents harshly finding their traditions threatened by a changing world, it's achieved that goal.

Watch "Downton Abbey" Sundays on PBS at 9 p.m. 

What was your favorite moment from the season three premiere? Tell us on our Facebook page! 

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Carnival Film & Television Limited 2012 for MASTERPIECE

The wait is almost over for U.S. viewers eager for the return of "Downton Abbey." While season three and the latest Christmas special have already aired for U.K. audiences, Americans last visited the lives of the show's upstairs and downstairs residents way back in February. With the new season set to return Sunday, we take a look at the most eagerly anticipated stories.

(Note: Potential spoilers ahead if you're not caught up!)

Will Lady Mary and Matthew finally tie the knot?
Last year's Christmas special ended with the moment fans had been waiting for: Mary (Michelle Dockery) and Matthew (Dan Stevens) officially getting together! After Mary ended her engagement to Richard, Matthew romantically proposed in the snow and she accepted. It took so long to reach this moment, however, that it almost feels too good to be true. And surely, the road to marriage will be filled with just as much drama as the road to their engagement.

Actor Hugh Bonneville -- who plays Mary's father, Robert, Earl of Grantham -- did tease that a wedding is on the horizon during his TODAY appearance, so maybe things will go smoothly for the couple for a change. 

How will Matthew exit?
Now that Stevens' exit from the show has been confirmed, fans are no doubt wondering how the beloved character will leave the show. Most likely, viewers will have to wait until the special to learn how the character exits, but with things finally looking up for Mary and Matthew, the news is frustrating for fans.

If the pair marry and are finally happy together, how could he leave the woman he loves? Will viewers really have only one season with them as a happy couple? Or if their marriage is put off, will Matthew leave without fans ever getting the happy ending that they've been waiting for? While it's hard to believe that he would just walk away from his family, the more permanent type of exit he could receive is too upsetting to contemplate. Either way, it will be interesting to see how show creator Julian Fellowes works Stevens' exit into the story.

Free Bates!
When viewers last saw the valet Bates (Brendan Coyle), he was found guilty of wife Vera's murder. The only good news was that his death sentence was commuted to life imprisonment. While maid Anna (Joanne Froggatt) continues to profess Bates' innocence and fight for his freedom, it will most likely take a few dramatic episodes before our favorite downstairs couple is, hopefully, reunited. Considering the official Free Bates campaign became so popular between seasons two and three (there are plenty of T-shirts), let's hope fans won't have too long a wait before his release.

Will the family accept Lady Sybil's marriage and welcome Branson fully to the clan?
During last season's Christmas special, viewers got big news from Jessica Brown Findlay's Lady Sybil: She's having a baby! While her marriage to family chauffeur Branson (Allen Leech) shocked most of the family at first, they all seemed to come around. Lord Grantham, however, was the most reluctant, and even though he gave the pair his blessing to wed, the fact that he didn't attend the event shows he still has not quite accepted the unconventional union. Could this be enough to keep him from inviting the pair back to Downton and getting to know his first grandchild? His wife, Cora, probably won't let that happen, but there will surely be a fight ahead for the young couple to make Lord Grantham understand that there are more important things in life than class distinctions.

The American arrives!
The addition of Shirley MacLaine to the series was exciting news. Who better to go head to head with Maggie Smith's Dowager Countess? Cora's mother,  Martha Levinson, arrives from America, bringing with her a different set of cultural values that will clash with the Downton residents'. Exactly why she arrives and how long she stays remain to be seen, but whether it's a short or long visit, it will be fun to see her battle wits with Smith!

These may be the main story lines in season three, but there's so much more to look forward to as well! For instance: What will be Thomas and O'Brien's latest scheme? Will middle sister Edith finally find happiness and marry? Will cook's maid Daisy move on?

Tune in when "Downton Abbey" returns Jan. 6 at 9 p.m. on PBS. 

What are you looking forward to most in season three? Tell us on our Facebook page!

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Araya Diaz / Getty Images file

"Downton Abbey" actress Lesley Nicol is appearing on "Once Upon a Time."

Make room for Mrs. Patmore in the world of fairy tales! ABC confirmed that "Downton Abbey" actress Lesley Nicol, better known as the cook on the hit British show, will be appearing on "Once Upon A Time."

Details are scarce about her appearance, but ABC told The Clicker that Nicol's character will have "a special connection to the Snow White family." There's no word yet on an air date, or whether she'll appear in more than one episode.

On Wednesday, "Once" star Josh Dallas, who plays Prince Charming/David, tweeted his enthusiasm over Nicol's involvement on the show. "As a Huge #DowntonAbbey Fan I'm very excited @lesley_nicol is coming to #OnceUponATime!" he wrote.

Nicol tweeted in reply, "I am looking forward to it!! See you all soon."

The actress may be joining the realm of magic, but she'll still be on "Downton." Nicol is reportedly due back in the U.K. in February to film season four of the period drama.

"Once Upon a Time" returns Sunday, Jan. 6 at 8 p.m. on ABC.

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It's time, at last, to return to that towering English manor house known as "Downton Abbey." This season, America meets England, as Shirley MacLaine muscles her way into the mansion, playing Cora's mother. Also this week: The chilling and engrossing "Zero Dark Thirty" opens, and the fascinating "Looper" hits home video.

Slideshow: 'Downton Abbey' season 3

Launch slideshow

MONDAY: 'Looper' on home video
"Looper" put a chilling twist on time travel. In the future, it exists, but is only used by mobsters looking to dump enemies into the past and have them shot by "loopers." Joseph Gordon-Levitt is a looper who's pretty good at his job, until the inevitable day when the mob sends his own future self (in the form of Bruce Willis) back for the fatal shot. It's a twisty, tricky film that's fun to watch. (On DVD and Blu-ray Dec. 31.)

FRIDAY: 'Zero Dark Thirty'
If you're in New York or Los Angeles, "Zero Dark Thirty" may already be playing, but the rest of us get a chance to see this early favorite for best picture this week. It's not for everyone. As you may have heard, the film opens with raw phone conversations from 9/11, and moves on quickly to detainees being tortured at CIA black sites. If you get through that, Kathryn Bigelow's film rewards with perhaps the best final hour put on film this year, as Navy SEALs pour into the Abbottabad, Pakistan, compound looking for Osama bin Laden. Jessica Chastain shines as a CIA agent who's determined to find the terrorist mastermind, and Jason Clarke, who plays a fellow agent, has come a long way from "Brotherhood." (Opens Jan. 4 in many cities.)

SUNDAY: 'Downton Abbey'
Finally! The Brits have been watching season three ("series 3" to them) for months now, but we Yanks can finally get caught up. (Hope you've avoided the Internet spoilers!) It's certainly not a spoiler to say that Shirley MacLaine is sweeping in as the mother of Cora, Countess of Grantham, and is sure to have more than one run-in with the imposing Dowager Countess. And Lady Mary and Matthew are preparing for their wedding. Here's to the bride -- and the grandmother-in-law-to-be.

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Nick Briggs / Masterpeice Theater

Dan Stevens (as Matthew Crawley) and Michelle Dockery (as Lady Mary Crawley) in "Downton Abbey."

Looks like "Downton Abbey" may have to hunt down a new heir: A spokesperson for the hugely popular PBS series has confirmed to Deadline that star Dan Stevens (who plays Matthew Crawley) has not re-signed for the series' fourth season.

Note: Potential spoilers ahead.

Season three of the series ended its run in the UK with a Christmas special that aired there Tuesday and, according to Deadline, "explains Matthew's exit." Season three of the series begins airing in the U.S. on Jan. 6, which means that American fans will have to wait some months before learning how he'll depart.

E! Online points to an interview with the U.K.'s Telegraph in which Stevens opens up about his decision to leave the series.

"We were always optioned for three years ... And when that came up it was a very difficult decision," Stevens explains of his choice to leave the show. "But it felt like a good time to take stock, to take a moment. From a personal point of view, I wanted a chance to do other things," he said. "It is a very monopolizing job. So there is a strange sense of liberation at the same time as great sadness because I am very, very fond of the show and always will be."

As for his final episode, Stevens admits, "It was very emotional shooting the end of this series, because those guys are like family. We have been living together for three years and have been on the most amazing journey." Stevens adds, "I don't think any of us, with the possible exception of Maggie [Smith], have had this kind of explosion in our career paths, and may never again. It has been so bizarre, and only those who have been through it can understand it."

The exit wasn't entirely unexpected; back in October Stevens hedged about whether he'd re-up: "I think we'll have to wait and see really," he told the Wall Street Journal about that fourth season. "You do feel a certain obligation to shows that raise your profile like 'Downton' has. But there are definitely other exciting opportunities out there."

"Downton's" fourth season is set to begin shooting in winter 2013. Meanwhile, Stevens has already been expanding his resume, appearing on Broadway with Jessica Chastain in "The Heiress," and starring in and executive producing the upcoming independent film "Summer in February."

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Michelle Obama may have gotten hold of the third season of "Downton Abbey" before pretty much anyone else in America -- but there's one thing she couldn't have seen until Thursday night: "Breaking Abbey."

Thanks to Stephen Colbert and "The Colbert Report," viewers were able to watch exclusive clips from a brand new (and totally fake) series that mashes up "Downton" and the AMC hit "Breaking Bad." 

(Warning: The clip contains some adult language.)

Basically, said Colbert, it's " 'Breaking Bad' as performed by the men of 'Downton Abbey.' "

In the clip, "Downton's" Thomas (Rob James-Collier) is shown breaking open a tea bag and cutting the contents into lines with a credit card when butler Mr. Carson (Jim Carter) walks in. They're quickly joined by Lord Grantham (Hugh Bonneville), who sports a goatee and mustache combo reminiscent of Bryan Cranston's character in "Breaking Bad."

Apparently the Lord has gone into the "black chamomile crank" business in order to solve his money woes. 

"Soon Downton will be kicking it with mad b------ and benjamins," says Grantham. After which, the trio meet up with a gun-toting Mark Conseuelos (as "Spider") and things go ... well, surprisingly politely. At first. This is tea, after all.

Season three of "Downton Abbey" premieres Jan. 6 on PBS.

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The U.S. season three premiere of "Downton Abbey" is just weeks away, and thanks to the some new tidbits from the cast, fans have several fascinating twists and turns to focus on until the upstairs-downstairs drama is back.

Stars Hugh Bonneville (Robert, Earl of Grantham), Elizabeth McGovern (Cora, Countess of Grantham), Joanne Froggatt (Anna), Sophie McShera (Daisy), Jim Carter (Mr. Carson), and Rob James-Collier (Thomas) visited TODAY Wednesday morning and delivered the "Downton" details.

"It kicks off with the discovery that Robert has made a catastrophic financial investment, so we might have to move house," Bonneville explained to TODAY's own "Downton" superfan Savannah Guthrie.  

"The for-sale sign is going up, and there's an open house on alternate Saturdays," he joked before adding, on a serious note, that "there's a roller coaster to come."

The addition of veteran stage and screen actress Shirley MacLaine in the role of Cora's mother is sure to account for some of those ups and downs.

"She brings a lot of the pizzazz that you would expect from Shirley," McGovern assured. "She doesn't have to do much. It's just there in her. And she also really presents a different culture -- which is America -- coming in to 'Downton Abbey.' We see her knock against Maggie (Smith's Dowager Countess) as the sort of English culture, and interesting things spark from that."

Another spark viewers can look forward to is the continuing romance between Lady Mary and Matthew Crawley, which is headed precisely in the direction it appeared to be last season.

"Well, at the end of season two, we saw that wonderful proposal, and I think we can reveal that a wedding is on the horizon," Bonneville teased.

Slideshow: 'Downton Abbey' season 3

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But beyond that, the cast was determined to remain tight-lipped.

"I can't give anything away really," Carter insisted. "It's terrible. I don't want to be a spoilsport here on the program, but it would ruin it for people if they knew the story. It's more of the same, but bigger and better -- let's put it like that."

See what else the cast had to say, including talk of their adventures in America, in the clip above.

"Downton Abbey" returns to Masterpiece Classic on PBS Jan. 6.

What are you most looking forward to seeing when "Downton Abbey" returns? Share your thoughts on our Facebook page.

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With American audiences boning up on their British accents and peppering words like “livery” and “footman” into everyday conversation,“Downton Abbey” is a bona fide hit in the States after two seasons. The series' cast members have been popping up on every conceivable platform, from the tube to the 'Net. On Sunday, however, “Downton” fans spotted their beloved Grantham clan appearing on a more literal platform -- a subway platform in New York City. 

Actor Hugh Bonneville (known to rabid Downtonites as Robert Crawley, the Earl of Grantham) tweeted a photo of himself, flanked by the familiar faces of actor Rob James-Collier (duplicitous footman Thomas), Sophie McShera (kitchenmaid Daisy), Joanne Froggatt (lovelorn housemaid Anna) and Brendan Coyle (the earnest valet John Bates), all appearing in the unlikely environs of Manhattan's mass transit system.

Bonneville gives a clever nod to the show that put them all on the map by covering the w in downtown in a sign above their heads. Well played, fine sir!

Alex Smith is an editor/producer for TODAY who regularly opts for a flamboyant horse-drawn carriage in lieu of the New York City subway.

Related content:

• 'Downton Abbey' renewed for a fourth season
• 'Downton Abbey' season 3: Check out the photos!
• Gay kiss edited out of show in Greece