Series 3 sees shirley maclaine join the cast of the multi emmy and bafta award winning itv drama'. '.strtoupper('t')he great war is over and a long awaited engagement is on, but all is not tranquil at the big house as wrenching social changes, romantic intrigues, and personal crises grip the majestic english country estate for a third thrilling series'. '.strtoupper('d')ame maggie smith is violet, the stubborn dowager countess of grantham matriarch of downton'. '.strtoupper('h')ugh bonneville stars as her son, the stoic, unflappable lord crawley'. '.strtoupper('e')lizabeth mcgovern is his far sighted american wife, cora'. '.strtoupper('i')t’s the 1920s, and the crawley and their staff are on fine form as lady sybil and branson the chauffeur return from ireland, and lady mary and matthew prepare to marry… ‘a sumptuous, instantly riveting glimpse of a world and a family on the verge of profound change’ – daily telegraph