Based on lucy m boston s best selling novel the chimneys of green knowe and directed by oscar winner and writer of gosford park and downton abbey julian fellowes. Starring the inimitable maggie smith and hugh bonneville both of downton abbey, timothy spall secrets and lies and dominic west the wire comes an engrossing family ghost story. In times of war two centuries apart, two distinct worlds are linked by a single family and the house in which they live. It is 1944 and thirteen year old tolly oldknow alex etel, cranford is sent to spend christmas with his grandmother maggie smith, downton abbey, whilst his mother searches for news of his father in wartime london. Spending his days exploring the sprawling ancestral estate, he begins to uncover family secrets and ghosts from the past as he becomes a witness to events during the napoleonic wars and finds himself slowly drawn into participating in the drama. Invisible to most people in the past, yet able to move amongst them, he begins to unravel the mystery which has bewildered his family for two centuries. The solution to the puzzle leads him into his greatest adventure yet... A wonderful heart warming story of a young boy learning the value of his family and its history. About the director downton abbey, gosford park running time 95 minutes region region 2 subtitles english release date 21 feb. 2011