Moviefone Editorial

Tag: downton-abbey

Is ‘Downton Abbey’ Really Over? Here’s an Update on Movie and Spinoff Plans

“Downton Abbey” as a series, but we don’t really have to say farewell, do we?

Oh, good! Thankfully, hope lives on that we may revisit the Crawleys and company in a movie and/or spinoff series. Creator and executive producer Julian Fellowes and executive producer Gareth Neame shared plans with Variety in a story posted after last night’s series finale.

The finale had happy endings all around, including for poor put-upon Edith, who ended up getting married and outranking everyone in the family. As Neame put it, “Mary hates that her sister has trumped her. The rest of the family thinks it’s quite amusing and well deserved. It’s really interesting to imagine what Edith’s future might be. Maybe we’ll see that if there’s a movie.”

Yes, a movie! It’s not just wishful thinking to imagine Downton on the big screen, although IF it does happen, it won’t happen anytime soon.
Fellowes told Variety, “I’m completely up for a movie. There are various considerations, which of the cast would be available. That would be a big thing. If we couldn’t get enough of them to do it, it wouldn’t really work. But as far as I’m concerned, I’m completely up for it.” Neame added, “There may be [a movie] but still there’s nothing to confirm at the moment. These are all conversations we are having. Julian and I haven’t shied away from saying we would like to do it. The cast would be up for doing it. But it’s a whole new thing to put together. It’s a whole new beast. It’s a whole way off were it to happen.” But if the cast are up for it, that’s a good sign, even if it may be a few years away.

Variety also asked, more hypothetically it seems, which characters they’d focus on if they did a spinoff.
Fellowes answered, “I think Carson and Mrs. Hughes running a B&B hotel, I could see that. I think you could do Branson and Henry running the car business and building it up and having all the saga of cars in the ’20s.” Here’s what Neame suggested: “I would come back in the 1960s and Master George would now be the Earl of Grantham. He’d have no staff, maybe two, and he’d be trying to run the estate. He might have turned it into a theme park type thing. Or I would do a half-hour show with Carson and Mrs. Hughes, when they’ve gotten their own property and he’s making her cook him dinner every night. I loved those scenes!”

Well, from here, we’re giving green lights to all of those ideas. The Carson/Hughes one could be like a sitcom, and following Master George in the ’60s would be fascinating and worthy of its own dramatic series. Go for it, “Masterpiece” team!

Would you watch a “Downton” movie and/or spinoff, or do you think they should let the story end on that happy note?

Want more stuff like this? Like us on Facebook.

%Slideshow-370918%

March 7, 2016
The ‘Downton Abbey’ Cast Shares Their Thoughts on the Show’s End

Although “Downton Abbey’s” storyline is set decades ago in the early years of the 20th Century, the show’s pot-boiling plotlines have for legions of devoted fans felt as urgent as if they were happening today. And never have they felt as urgent as now, when the British-produced series airs its final episode in the U.S. after bringing the series to a close in its home country on Christmas Day 2015 after six enthusiastically received seasons.

Did Mary choose wisely by following her heart to marry the dashing racecar driver Henry? Can Edith ever find a lasting love – and does she really need one? Will Mrs. Patmore’s new inn survive its initial reputation as a house of ill repute? Can Mr. Barrow find an estate of his own to serve? Will the grand estate and all its beloved denizens continue to survive and thrive as the world evolves around it? And will the Dowager Countess Violet Crawley, as she typically does, have the last word?

Although they were sworn to uphold the secrecy of the show’s final moments for those U.S. viewers who’ve managed to avoid spoilers thus far, members of the “Downton Abbey” cast and creative team shared their thoughts on bringing the phenomenally successful series to a close, the ways in which it touched their lives, and whether there’s a future for more tales from the aristocracy of the past.
Michelle Dockery (Lady Mary Crawley):

“It feels right that Season 6 wraps it up, but of course, at the same time, it’s saying goodbye to it, it’s just strange. It’s beginning to sink in now. When we had the last shooting day at Highclere, that was huge -– and I wasn’t quite expecting it. I thought I’d be able to walk away. I guess I just didn’t expect to be that emotional. And Laura [Carmichael] and I walked hand in hand through the house one last time, and we were just in bits! So it feels like an end of an era. And it’s just been joyous.

“The timing felt right. I think collectively everyone felt this was the right time… I think if we’d have kept going, it would be maybe tricky to kind of find somewhere to finish. We’ve made friends for life. That’s what I’ll take away with me is the experience and the people that I’ve got to know. We’re like a family, and it’s not just the cast. It’s the crew as well. You become so close because you’re pretty much living day in, day out, on that set, and of course, you share so much with one another, so that’s what I’ll take away with me.”

Laura Carmichael (Lady Edith Crawley):

“Michelle and I are criers -– like, consistently. We’re weepy girls. We just love a weep. And it has been huge, and we have grown up on this show in a way that we think is maybe different to some of the others actors have had experiences like this before. We started when we were in our 20s, so it’s a big change in my life growing up on the job.

“I think it would be crappy if you felt it was just the same as any episode. It feels like a special when there are satisfying elements to it. But as far as, I think Julian half-imagines or hopes, there’s just no way you’ll stop thinking about these characters until they’re all dead and gone.”

Joanne Froggatt (Anna Bates):

“Not all the loose ends are tied up. For “Downton Abbey,” that would be strange and unrealistic. But I feel like we leave all of the characters in a place that’s OK. It’s all right. We can leave that there for a bit and it’s fine.

“I absolutely wouldn’t rule out [a reunion film or special]. I think actually, it would be a lovely thing. To be able to sort of have a break, do different things, and then come back and have a sort of reunion almost. It would be incredibly fun. And from a selfish point of view, it would be great fun to do.”

Elizabeth McGovern (Countess Cora Crowley):

“I feel wary of the idea of a movie, but I’m not completely closed to the idea because I think it works so well in this context of a TV show. And I would be very frightened of tainting what we’ve done, what we’ve worked so hard to achieve. So I don’t know: I wouldn’t say that I wouldn’t do one, but you’d have to conceive it in a way that makes sense for it to be a feature film, not just another episode that you splash onto a screen. I mean, I, myself, don’t have the imagination to be able to envision what that would be like.

“In some ways, it’s a character that’s too close to myself to really be able to say [what I love about her]. The only difference between is that I think she’s more self-effacing than I am. I mean, I’m obviously someone who is an actress in pursuit of a career, and I can’t imagine Cora in a million years would ever indulge herself in that way. So maybe that’s what I like about her. But it also drives me crazy because she’s so self-effacing.”

Gareth Naeme (Executive Producer):

“When you make one of those big shows of all time, that is game-changing. I’ve spent so much of my life trying to get anyone to take any interest in what I was doing. As a producer, you’re hustling. You’re trying to persuade people… When you’re in this situation, you’re actually batting people away. Because everyone loves it, everyone wants to talk about it. But I suppose it gives you confidence that your ideas can work, and that people will back your ideas.

“And it gives you confidence that sometimes -– just sometimes -– it can work. That sometimes, a hit show can just get through, and people will fall in love with it. And then you get to that happy place where none of the networks or studios tell me what to do. They don’t second-guess. They don’t give me instructions because they just know it works. And they back it. And that very rarely happens.”

Hugh Bonneville (Robert Crawley, the 7th Earl of Grantham):

“I will miss it. I will always look on it with huge affection and gratitude because not only this bunch of people, but the experience as a whole has been transformative, really. It really has. But it’s time to say goodbye to it.

“A particular memory I have is of standing out on the lawn with Maggie Smith one day when there was the ash cloud over Iceland, this volcanic eruption, so there were no flights or three weeks. And so there were no vapor trails in the sky. It was silent. And it was a beautiful sunny day with a clear sky at the castle. And she said, ‘This is what it would have been like.’

“And you sort of realize, of course, we take noise and background noise and vapor trails for granted. And she was absolutely right. It was the first time, probably ever, in my life time I’d looked up and seen no vapor trails. That was a memorable moment.”

%Slideshow-358642%

March 5, 2016
16 TV Shows and Movies to Fill the ‘Downton Abbey’ Void After the Finale

%Slideshow-370918% How are we going to get by without “Downton Abbey”? After the series finale airs on PBS on Sunday, March 6, how will we get along without regular doses of Mr. Carson glowering, Mr. Barrow skulking, Lord Grantham losing money, Lady Mary looking flapper-fabulous, Daisy being adorably feisty, Lady Edith being miserable, Mrs. Patmore whipping up a banquet, and the Dowager Countess dropping waspish witticisms full of worldly wisdom?

We’ll have to make do with the next best thing — these costume-drama TV series and movies, many of them available for streaming, that feature “Downton” stars or “Downton”-like settings and themes.

March 4, 2016
What’s New on TV, Netflix Streaming, Digital, and DVD/Blu-ray This Week: December 28-January 3

At a loss for what to watch this week? From new DVDs and Blu-rays, to what’s streaming on Netflix, we’ve got you covered.

New on DVD and Blu-ray

“Mozart in the Jungle” (Amazon)
Gael Garcia Bernal returns as maestro Rodrigo in the second season of Amazon’s New York Symphony dramedy. “Mozart” recently picked up two Golden Globe nominations — for Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy, and Best Performance by an Actor in a Musical or Comedy. Bernal also won the Imagen Award for Best Actor on Television, so consider streaming both Season 1 and Season 2 to catch up on the buzz.

“Nurse Jackie”
There’s really no better way to spend New Year’s Eve than binge-watching all seven seasons of “Nurse Jackie.” Seriously, it’s perfect for resolutions — after you’re done watching Edie Falco’s drug-addicted nurse Jackie Peyton, you’ll know exactly what you SHOULDN’T do in 2016. Netflix has Seasons 1-7 as of December 31, so strap in for a bumpy ride.

“Downton Abbey” (Sunday on PBS at 9 p.m.)
It’s the beginning of the end. The sixth and final season of “Downton Abbey” begins in the U.S. on January 3. How will they torture poor Edith this time? You know when they say not everyone will get a happy ending they probably mean Edith — and maybe poor Anna again. Mary will be fine, of course, even though she doesn’t deserve it. #TeamEdith

“Galavant” (Sunday on ABC at 8 p.m.)
The very best Python-esque musical comedy on television returns for its second season this weekend. There are only 10 episodes airing over five weeks, so it’s not a huge time commitment, but every loopy minute is must-see. Bonus for “Downton” fans: This show has Hugh Bonneville, too!

New Year’s Eve (Thursday on NBC, FOX, ABC starting at 8 p.m.)
If you feel like staying home on New Year’s Eve, there are several options for your viewing pleasure. Ryan Seacrest has Carrie Underwood, Jimmy Buffett, One Direction, Taylor Swift, and many others in the overly titled “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2016” which starts at 8 p.m. on ABC. Over on FOX, “Pitbull’s New Year’s Revolution” also starts at 8 p.m. with Puff Daddy, Austin Mahone, Jordin Sparks, and more. And NBC has stars of “The Voice,” of course, with Carson Daly, Gwen Stefani, and Andy Cohen getting the party started around 10 p.m. on “New Year’s Eve With Carson Daly.”

Want more stuff like this? Like us on Facebook.

%Slideshow-349115%

December 28, 2015
Best of Late Night TV: Borat Has Sexy Time With Jimmy Kimmel, Amy Poehler’s Truth or Truth

He’s back! Borat showed up to “Jimmy Kimmel Live” — “My name-a Borat, I like porno” — to warn everyone against actor Sacha Baron Cohen, and premiere the latest trailer for Cohen’s movie, “The Brothers Grimsby.” Borat also had a bit of sexy time with Jimmy’s “Jimmy Kimmel,” explaining that — in his country, Kazakhstan — “Kimmel” is the name for a lady’s “vagine” and “Jimmy” means “much hair.” “For example, my wife, she has a very Jimmy Kimmel.” Haha. And did you know Donald Trump isn’t real, he’s a Sacha Baron Cohen character, “a parody of a rich American racist”? That makes sense.

When Amy Poehler and Jimmy Fallon get together, magic happens — even in the commercial breaks. Wednesday, December 9 on “The Tonight Show,” Amy talked about “Sisters,” her new movie with Tina Fey, but during the commercial break she came up with a great new fake movie called “Chuck and Carrie Are Not Married.” The story of how that came about is great, and you should watch it before watching “Truth or Truth,” which is a version of Truth or Dare where there is only one option. Chuck is referenced again in that game, which is won by Jimmy with the answer to Amy’s query, “Where is someplace you’ve never had sex?” Answer: “My 20s.” Ba dum dum!

“Downton Abbey” Season 6, the final season, is starting soon on PBS and three cast members were on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” to illustrate why the show is so successful: British accents. (Yesterday it was saying things in French, today it’s British accents. Stephen has found a theme.) Stephen gave Michelle Dockery, Hugh Bonneville, and Allen Leech an actual scene from the show and they each read their parts in broad American accents. Michelle went full Valley girl but Allen (Branson) owned the whole thing with his, like, surfer frat dude voice. It’s killer, bruh!<span data-mce-type="bookmark" style="display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;" class="mce_SELRES_start"></span> Here’s another great round of “What Conan’s Watching,” with new TV blurb descriptions for shows like “Empire,” “NCIS,” “Dr. Phil,” “The Good Wife,” “Castle,” and — hmm, how did this get in there? — Andy Richter’s new show. Tyler Oakley just returned from shooting “The Amazing Race” and James Corden tried to get some spoilers out of him:

Want more stuff like this? Like us on Facebook.

December 10, 2015
The First Photos From ‘Downton Abbey’s’ Final Season Are Here

It’s the beginning of the end for “Downton Abbey,” as the beloved British series prepares to sign off after its upcoming sixth season. Now, PBS (which airs the show here in the U.S.) has released the first images from the new season, which are sure to make fans misty about the looming series finale.

The first photo (glimpsed in the image above and seen in full below) is the traditional full-cast picture for which “Downton” has become known, showcasing all the characters posing in front of sprawling the titular estate. And while there are plenty of smiling faces featured, there’s no doubt plenty of drama waiting to unfold throughout the season.

As for the other images, they don’t tell us much, either; they’re mostly standard, posed photos, or feature a few characters staring off into the distance. Still, the shot of Maggie Smith‘s Dowager Countess gazing wistfully into a mirror is sure to stir some emotions — after all, that’s probably how a lot of “Downton” fans will look, too, as they come to terms with the show’s end.

Check out some of the photos below (the rest are available here). The final season of “Downton Abbey” just finished filming; it’s set to premiere in the U.S. on January 3.

[via: Downton Abbey, PBS]

Photo credit: Downton Abbey, Masterpiece

%Slideshow-286415%

August 14, 2015
Michelle Dockery Shares Sweet Tributes on Last Day Filming ‘Downton Abbey’

It’s official: Lady Mary has insulted Lady Edith for the last time, we just have to wait five months to see it. “Downton Abbey” Season 6 won’t air in the U.S. until January, but Michelle Dockery just shared some photos on Instagram to celebrate (and mourn) the end of filming.

“Today is the last day of what has been the most glorious 6 years of my life,” Michelle wrote on August 10, in a photo with the twins who play her son. “I am so grateful to have been part of this family. Thank you to each and every one of you out there for watching… @downtonabbey_official #LastDaysOfDownton #finalcountdown.”

Here are more memories from Michelle:

Bye, bye bedroom #LastDaysOfDownton #marysbedroom

A photo posted by Michelle Dockery (@theladydockers) on Aug 8, 2015 at 1:46am PDT

And that’s a Wrap #LastDaysOfDownton @downtonabbey_official #DavidEvans One of our talented directors…I’ve learnt so much from you ????????❤️

A photo posted by Michelle Dockery (@theladydockers) on Aug 10, 2015 at 11:25am PDT

Reunited. @thatdanstevens I’ve missed this face #bafta #LastDaysOfDownton #matthewandmary

A photo posted by Michelle Dockery (@theladydockers) on Aug 12, 2015 at 6:04am PDT

The beating heart of Downton Abbey ???? Our executive producer Liz Trubridge #Aslan ???? #LastDaysOfDownton @downtonabbey_official

A photo posted by Michelle Dockery (@theladydockers) on Aug 10, 2015 at 1:41pm PDT

Today is the last day of what has been the most glorious 6 years of my life. I am so grateful to have been part of this family???????? Thank you to each and every one of you out there for watching… @downtonabbey_official #LastDaysOfDownton #finalcountdown ????????????

A photo posted by Michelle Dockery (@theladydockers) on Aug 10, 2015 at 7:00am PDT

“Downton Abbey” Season 6 premieres Sunday, January 3, 2016 on PBS. Here are more details on the final season. We’re gonna miss you, Crawley family!

Want more stuff like this? Like us on Facebook.
%Slideshow-310036%

August 12, 2015
‘Downton Abbey’ Final Season Spoilers: ‘Not Everyone Will Have a Happy Ending’

“Downton Abbey” Season 6, aka the final season, premieres Sunday, January 3, 2016 on PBS. We are expecting somewhat of a satisfying conclusion — with weddings, reunions, and other stuff to give us the happy sniffles — but it sounds like some sad tears may be shed as well.

“We’ve got 20 or so main characters. There’s a lot to get done in these final nine episodes,” executive producer Gareth Neame told TV Guide. “This is ultimately a happy show that people love, so I don’t think we’re going to end with lightning striking the house and the house is exploded or something. But not everyone will have a happy ending.”

Is someone going to die? Not the Dowager Countess (Maggie Smith), we hope. Or worse, will more anvils just fall in poor Edith’s head while Mary laughs? #TeamEdith4Life

Speaking of Edith, who is now a newspaper owner, actress Laura Carmichael told TV Guide, “We’ll see how the men of the 1920s take to being told what to do by a woman. She remains a kind of contributor, and there is an editor, Mr. Skinner, who we meet in the first episode. He’s a nightmare, so yes, it’s a question of can she work under him?” Why would she be under him, when she should be over him?

Here’s a juicy Edith tease, and of course it connects to her chief nemesis, her sister Mary. “There’s a great argument between the sisters, Lady Edith and Lady Mary,” Joanne Froggatt (Anna) told TV Guide. “They’ve sort of mellowed a bit over the years, but this is a reminder of how things were. I can’t say what it’s about, but it’s great. Everyone’s going to be, [Gasps] ‘I can’t believe she actually said that!”” Please say it’s Edith taking down Mary!

But when someone mentions a lack of happy endings, we have to think of Bates and Anna, who have seen their share of (unnecessary) drama. Froggatt teased, “There is happiness for Anna and Bates, but it’s not easily attained. They just have more problems thrown their way this year, a whole new set of problems that we didn’t even know about. Yes, so there’s a new challenge for Anna and Bates.” Ugh!

Read TV Guide’s full story for more spoilers, and cross your fingers that the Season 6 trailer they showed at the 2015 TCA press tour is released online soon. Are you Team Edith or Team Mary, and whom do you suspect will not have a happy ending?

Want more stuff like this? Like us on Facebook.
%Slideshow-307542%

August 3, 2015
Here’s the Theme of ‘Downton Abbey’ Season 6 in One Word

The end is nigh, fellow “Downton Abbey” guests. After Season 6, there will be no more arch comments from Maggie Smith’s Dowager Countess to tide us over, and no more opportunities to seethe as smug Lady Mary (Michelle Dockery) takes another shot at poor Lady Edith (Laura Carmichael). (#TeamEdith4Life. Not sorry.) Season 6 premieres in the U.K. first, then in January on PBS in the U.S. Creator/writer Julian Fellowes talked to TheWrap about the new season, explaining why they decided to end the show in the 1920s instead of jumping into the 1930s, and discussing the major theme of the final season.

Here’s part of that Q&A:

What were your priorities going into this past season?
Well, Season 4 was about Mary’s redemption. That series was really about personal choice, about watching Mary decide to come alive again after her husband’s death. Series 5, you’re right, was much more to do with the fact that change was going to overtake them. And in Series 6, I would say, the theme is resolution.

Now, you can have different degrees of conclusion. In some stories, something can happen, that’s the end of the story and everyone’s either happy or unhappy. In other stories, you can suggest that in the afterlife of these characters, when they are only in the ether, this will work and this probably won’t.

I don’t think everything has to be tied up, but I think there are main themes that have to be tied up. I mean, I want you to finish the last episode feeling contented, and not feeling cheated. Sometimes in a movie the clever twist at the end just leaves you feeling cheated, and I don’t want that.”

So the theme is “resolution,” which makes sense, and it sounds like he does want to resolve things, instead of dangling a lot of loose ends that leave us unsatisfied (like so many other series finales). He wants us to leave “feeling contented” and not “cheated.” Dare we say a happy ending is coming?

Speaking of happy news, it looks like both Matthew Goode and Allan Leech are returning in Season 6. Matthew’s Henry Talbot seems like Mary’s potential long-term match and it’ll be nice to see Tom Branson back, since it looked like he was leaving for America, aka leaving the show for good.

Are you excited for Season 6? Sad that it’s ending? Frustrated that we have to wait until January?

Want more stuff like this? Like us on Facebook.
%Slideshow-289728%

June 26, 2015
Could Your Favorite TV Show Become a Broadway Musical?

Given all the musicals we’ve seen on TV recently — NBC’s live-performance versions of “Peter Pan” and “The Sound of Music,” not to mention ABC’s “Galavant” and all six seasons of Fox’s “Glee” — it’s a wonder that the pipeline hasn’t flowed in the opposite direction, from the small screen to Broadway.

That may change with the announcements that a couple of TV-based musicals are in the works. One is “Bombshell,” the Marilyn Monroe biographical musical that was created and staged over the course of two seasons on NBC’s “Smash.” Bringing it to Broadway would seem easy enough — the songs and choreography already exist; all that’s needed is a book.

The other is a stage version of “Downton Abbey,” which may launch after the British drama’s sixth and final season wraps this winter. John Lunn, who composes the music for the series, says he envisions an international tour, starring the TV cast and writer/creator Julian Fellowes as a narrator, along with some period music you might hear on the Crawleys’ gramophones (Elgar, 1920s jazz).

Are these even aa good idea? “Smash” wasn’t exactly a hit series (it ran from 2012-13), so it’s not clear that there’s much of a market for a “Smash”-derived musical. On the other hand, the songs were more popular than the show, and anything with Monroe’s name in it ought to be a big seller.

The “Downton” show doesn’t sound much more promising, though anyone who watched their hilarious guest spots on “Galavant” knows that Hugh Bonneville (Lord Grantham) and Sophie McShera (kitchen maid Daisy) can sing. Elizabeth McGovern (Lady Cora) has fronted her own rock band, Sadie and the Hotheads. Who knows if Maggie Smith can sing or dance, but who wouldn’t pay money to see her try?

Still, the fact that these TV series are even being pondered as possible stage musicals probably says more about the current desperation of Broadway than it does about TV. After all, Broadway commonly adapts books, movies, straight plays, pop stars’ back catalogs, and even comic books into musicals, yet TV adaptations are as rare on Broadway as belters whose voices can reach the back row without body mics.

Among the handful of TV series that have made it to the stage is “The Addams Family” (the 2010 Broadway musical purports to be based on the Charles Addams cartoons that were also the inspiration for the 1960s sitcom, but it’s clear that the characterizations owe pretty much everything to the TV show and the movies it spawned). Some British shows have been adapted as straight plays, including “Yes, Prime Minister” and “Doctor Who” (which has spawned at least three plays over the past 50 years).

Back in 1992, Jill Soloway mounted a touring production called “The Real Live Brady Bunch,” which staged tongue-in-cheek performances of individual “Brady Bunch” episodes. Soloway would go on to become a top TV writer/producer herself (“Six Feet Under,” “Transparent”). The show featured Melanie Hutsell as Jan Brady (a character she would reprise on TV after she joined the cast of “Saturday Night Live”) and, as Mike and Carol Brady, a pre-fame Andy Richter (“Conan”) and Jane Lynch (“Glee”). Speaking of “Glee,” back when the “Glee” cast first went on a concert tour five years ago, there was a rumor that the show’s creators were developing a stage musical version as well, but it never happened. But the two tours at least featured the TV cast performing in character.

It’s clear why TV hasn’t been a wellspring for stage adaptations: it’s hard to cram a lengthy TV series into a 2 1/2- hour show. And there may be a psychological barrier, for both producers and audiences, in coming to terms with an expensive stage adaptation of something you can watch every night for free (or almost free), in syndicated reruns or binge-watched as part of your streaming subscription.

Nonetheless, it seems like more TV-to-Broadway adaptations are inevitable. Not only is Broadway always hungry for new material with brand recognition, but it’s also spent the last decade or so getting a number of its most popular performers from TV. “American Idol,” in particular, has been a strong source of Broadway talent, with the likes of Fantasia Barrino, Clay Aiken, Jordin Sparks, Justin Guarini, Frenchie Davis, Constantine Maroulis, Taylor Hicks, Ace Young, Diana DeGarmo, Syesha Mercado, and Crystal Bowersox all using their Fox-bred fame to sell musical theater tickets. “The Voice” Season 6 winner Josh Kaufman went straight to the Broadway musical stage last year, starring in a revival of “Pippin.”

With TV creating the next generation of Broadway musical stars, it seems it’s only a matter of time before the medium generates the shows themselves. The secret seems to be using shows that can be spun off into self-contained stories. Shorn of “Smash”‘s backstage drama about its creation, “Bombshell” works in that respect, “Downton Abbey,” which has always been more about character interaction than plot, could also come up with a brief storyline that doesn’t require a lot of character evolution or elaborate plot developments. And there’s no reason a musical couldn’t use the “Doctor Who” or “Brady Bunch” model and offer just a single episodic story from the show’s familiar lore.

A stage adaptation of “Glee” or “Galavant” could certainly work, though it’s likely that more nostalgia-minded titles would sell more tickets. Imagine a musical version of “Frasier,” a show that often borrowed from the structure and timing of door-slamming stage farce. And if “Doctor Who” works, why not “Star Trek: The Musical”? Now that “Seinfeld” is all over Hulu, why not Broadway? They could serve Junior Mints and slices of marble rye at intermission. (But not Pez.) It’s Tony gold, Jerry, Tony gold!
%Slideshow-215690%

June 26, 2015