Awww ... sorry to hear you have the flu, Chi ~ it's hit a couple of Sisters here at the convent, too. Hope you are feeling better by the time you read this.

I too loved those scenes - and Martha at the dinner table, chewing and talking a mile a minute, made me laugh because I immediately flashed to Marjorie Nugent's chewing scene in "Bernie." Shirley should get a special award for making us laugh simply by chewing food, ha!

Love, love, love "Downton Abbey." Let's hope Martha comes back for Edith's wedding!

Hugs,
Lura

I usually fall asleep watching anything at night, but not this one, not Downton Abbey! I was totally engrossed in every moment and following through to the end. I loved every minute of it and Shirley's performance only enhanced what I saw last season and picked up the pace a bit with
her mischievious nature of being brutally honest in the midst of the staunch
British. I loved it!!! Now I know where I will be every Sunday evening...
So happy to share it with the all of you.

Shirley, perfect, perfect, perfect, that is all I can say. What a joy it is to watch you my dear friend.

Love,
Deb

__________________
Life Is Opportunity
Imagination - the Beginning of Creation
Life is Good
Belief Becomes

There is something that has gone unremarked so far that I wanted to call to everyone's attention. The episode of Downton Abbey that aired for the first time in the United States on Sunday evening gave PBS it highest ratings in well over twenty years. Yes, you heard me right, twenty years. Such is the power of Shirley that she can send their ratings into the stratosphere. Not only is her performance universally agreed to be truly magnificent, she can also bring in the audience to watch with five times the normal viewership. That is a 400% increase over the normal viewing audience. Brava!

Attached Images

 

__________________
Y E S

Roxie's Robin

Chiming in with the others...
Shirley, great performance. I love especially the
way you and Maggie play off each other.
Thoroughly enjoyed the season opener.

Chi, I hope you are feeling better. Sending some
energies to surround you.

Love...Peg

__________________
Blessed Be,
OneLight

Shirley,

Let me call you sweetheart. I'm in love with you!
Great performance. Wonderful series.

A Dreamer

__________________
Just Joyfully Participating

~You cannot be happy unless you are serving the truth of your being, however that service looks.~
- Gangaji

In regards to Rob's post....Well, I and many people that I know were first time viewers, tuning in to watch Shirley, so I am not surprised by that!

Really looking forward to this next part tomorrow night!

One of the "most e-mailed" stories at The New York Times website:

By DAVE ITZKOFF
Last Updated: 10:16 AM CST [03/04/2013]

"The revolving door of casting continues to spin at “Downton Abbey” as the popular PBS/”Masterpiece” period drama prepares for its fourth season. After a year in which the series lost the actors Dan Stevens, who played Matthew Crawley, and Jessica Brown Findlay, who played Lady Sybil (for reasons that the “Downton Abbey” creator Julian Fellowes explained here), PBS announced over the weekend that some new faces would join the series and that a familiar one was returning. But another well-known co-star has also announced her exit.

Shirley MacLaine, who appeared in Season 3 of “Downton Abbey” as Martha Levinson, the outspoken mother of Cora, Countess of Grantham (Elizabeth McGovern), and who served as a foil to the Dowager Countess (Maggie Smith), will return in Season 4, PBS said. Several new actors were announced for the series, including Tom Cullen, whose character, Lord Gillingham, is described as “an old family friend of the Crawleys who visits the family as a guest for a house party”; Harriet Walter who will play Lady Shackleton (“an old friend of the Dowager”); and Julian Ovenden as Charles Blake (an “aristocrat”). The soprano Kiri Te Kanawa will also appear on “Downton Abbey” as “a guest who sings in the house.”

No further information was given about these characters or a premiere date for Season 4. In a brief statement, Rebecca Eaton, the executive producer of “Masterpiece,” said, “The addition of these characters can only mean more delicious drama — which is what ‘Downton Abbey’ is all about.”

The announcement did not mention the actress Siobhan Finneran, who plays the Machiavellian housemaid Mrs. O’Brien and who told The Daily Mirror of London that she was leaving “Downton Abbey.” “I’m not doing any more,” Ms. Finneran said. “O’Brien is a thoroughly despicable human being — that was great to play.” Though Mrs. O’Brien’s essential function was making life miserable for members of the “Downton Abbey” household, Ms. Finneran did not indicate that this was a factor in her departure. “I actually have great fun being sniffy to everyone,” she said.

Meanwhile, Seth Meyers, the “Weekend Update” anchor of “Saturday Night Live,” addressed various reports and rumors that “Downton Abbey” would be adding its first black character."

__________________
Y E S

Roxie's Robin

Thanx for the great update Rob! I'm still wearing my black armband for Matthew Crawley Can't say I'll be sad to see O'Brien go !What a great actress that gal is!! And how fantastic is that ,that our Shirley(Martha )is coming back for a visit.Go get 'em Martha! Straighten that family out will ya??! Seriously,I'm glad to hear we don't have top wait as long for the next part to start.April ,I think.Yay!!
be well,Renny

__________________
When asked what he thought about Western Civilization Gandhi replied ," That would be nice!"

Hi all

Saturday evening it was Denmark`s turn, to see Shirley in Dowton Abbey...and she was awesome and her aura is huge..no matter what she is playing..she really got something special...intelligence humor...my God she can play....her body soul and mind.is one powerful energy when she act,...and I LOVE it!! well done dear Shirley.

HUgs to all
Ulla

__________________
Love yourself first, then you can love others.

http://www.123hjemmeside.dk/happystarlight/