HBO has struck gold with “The Gilded Age”. The period drama from “Downton Abbey” creator Julian Fellowes is enjoying its strongest season yet, with season 3 drawing 20 percent more viewers than season 2 and social engagement jumping nearly 60 percent week over week, according to the network.
Now, HBO is capitalizing on the momentum, officially renewing the hit series for another season â a move railroad tycoon George Russell would surely approve of.
First debuting in 2022, “The Gilded Age” follows the intertwined lives of New Yorkâs high-society families and the working-class members of their households at the turn of the 19th century. As new money fights for influence and old money battles to hold onto power, the drama is both personal and political. Viewers have stars like Carrie Coon, Christine Baranski, Audra McDonald, and Cynthia Nixon to thank for bringing these stories to life.
While thereâs no premiere date, production schedule, or casting news for season 4 just yet, hereâs everything we know so far.
HBO Renews ‘The Gilded Age’ for Season 4
HBO confirmed on July 28 â weeks ahead of the season 3 finale â that “The Gilded Age” will return for season 4.
In a statement, HBO executive Francesca Orsi praised the creative team: âJulian Fellowes and our extraordinary cast and crew have delivered a âcanât-missâ entertainment experience from week to week, and weâre delighted to continue exploring these charactersâ grand ambitions for what we promise will be a thrilling fourth season.â
Although plot details remain under wraps, Christine Baranski teased to Boston.com that the season 3 finale was filmed at Newportâs famed mansion, The Elms. âSpoiler alert â our season finale is in the ballroom at The Elms, and itâs quite something,â she said.
Fellowes told TV Insider that while he didnât have detailed plans past season 3, âeach time you have to reinvent the show in order to give it a new dynamic to fit its new proportions.â
Based on past release patterns â season 1 in January 2022, season 2 in October 2023, and season 3 in June 2025 after the Hollywood strikes â fans may have to wait until late 2026 for season 4.
Could ‘The Gilded Age’ and ‘Downton Abbey’ Finally Collide?
With “The Gilded Age” season 3 finale arriving this Sunday and the third “Downton Abbey” movie hitting theaters next month, fans canât help but wonder: will these two Fellowes-created worlds ever cross over?
The timing could be perfect. Gladys Russell (played by Taissa Farmiga) has now married into British nobility, and the Dukeâs estate gave off major “Downton Abbey” vibes.
âWell, obviously thereâs an opportunity to [stage a crossover], because they are both in England,â Fellowes told TVLine. âThings like the shooting season⦠would incorporate many great houses for all of these families. We can bring about a conjunction whenever we wish, really, but we havenât got one planned yet, so weâll have to see.â
Executive producer Gareth Neame was less certain back in season 1, telling the outlet: â[A crossover is] not in the thinking at all. Itâs a separate universe, but theyâre both fictions set in the 1880s. “Downton Abbey”, in its own fiction, was definitely there⦠But itâs not really planned.â
Still, the idea of a younger version of Maggie Smithâs Dowager Countess appearing â even briefly â has fans intrigued. The first season of “Downton Abbey” begins in 1912, less than 30 years after “The Gilded Age”âs current events, meaning the Countess would be in her 40s.
Tell us! Would you like to see a crossover event between “The Gilded Age” and “Downton Abbey”? Let us know in the comments below.
“The Gilded Age” season 3 finale airs Sunday, August 10, on HBO and HBO Max.
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