It has been a busy time for Lesley Nicol because the Downton Abbey fan favourite joined Broadway star Michael Maliakel (Disney’s Aladdin) for Pleasure: Christmas with Tabernacle Choir. Filmed final 12 months, the 90-minute particular premieres on December 17 and runs via the vacations on PBS and BYUtv.
The star of stage and display served because the narrator for this system the place she informed the story of Les Misérables writer Victor Hugo’s selfless take care of the impoverished youngsters in his neighborhood. Her phrases have been accompanied by actors presenting the highly effective scene earlier than the viewers at Salt Lake Metropolis’s 21,000-seat Convention Middle at Temple Sq..
LESLEY NICOL and JIM CARTER © Nick Briggs/Carnival Movie & Tv Restricted 2015 for MASTERPIECE
Together with this chance, the completed actress additionally wrapped up taking pictures the third Downton Abbey film with the beloved forged in the summertime. The final within the trilogy is about to premiere in theaters on September 12, 2025. Enjoying Mrs. Beryl Patmore, this may mark the top of an period.
Whereas Nicol is tightlipped about what followers can anticipate to see within the film, she did say it “was made with a lot love and dedication as all the time. I hope folks prefer it,” The 71-year-old opened up concerning the filming expertise. “It was a wierd feeling on set since you understand that is the final time we’ll ever do it, and we’ve been doing it for 14 years,” she stated. “That’s a very long time and a really bonded household.”
As one would think about, the lack of the legendary Maggie Smith in September hit Nicol and the opposite crew exhausting. She performed Violet Crawley earlier than the Dowager Countess of Grantham died within the second movie. “To lose Maggie was horrible,” Nicol stated.
She continued, “Alternatively, I believe she wasn’t nicely and it wasn’t a pleasant strategy to exist. I’m a agency believer as a result of this was drummed into me by physician dad, which is simply being round in poor health is just not the way in which to dwell. I hope it was the suitable time for her to maneuver on. She wasn’t within the final movie clearly as a result of she died within the final one. She was missed as a result of she was an awesome individual to have round. She was extremely entertaining and tremendously beloved by all of us. There was a tinge of unhappiness for positive.”
Considering of the vacations, Christmas was all the time a particular time for Downton Abbey, A present okaynown for its yuletide episodes all through the British drama’s six seasons. Nicol favored it as a result of this usually meant a change of surroundings.
“Usually I’d get a visit to the home,” she stated. “The place that’s Downton Abbey was most likely an hour away from London. As a result of I used to be always within the kitchen, fairly rightly as a result of she can be, however I didn’t get journeys over there usually. When it was Christmas there all appeared to be a celebration or one thing across the Christmas tree or a household get-together I received to hitch them. I’ve received reminiscences of a giant Christmas in that massive Abbey. It appears to be like very good at Christmas. It fits it very nicely. I’ve received some good reminiscences there and filming these.
Pleasure: Christmas with Tabernacle Choir airings embody: 8/7c, December 17, and 9:30/8:30c, December 24, PBS. The PBS.ORG and PBS Video App can even be streaming this system via January 1. BYUtv will air the particular 9/8c on December 19 with repeats via Christmas Day. It will likely be accessible to stream free of charge on the BYUtv app and BYUTV.rog.