Downton Abbey trailer: Maggie Smith is sharp, witty in a charming English country narrative

The feature film adaptation of TV show Downton Abbey is all set to hit the silver screen on 20 September. The television series followed the lives of the Crawley family and the servants who worked for them at the turn of the 20th century in an Edwardian English country house. The trailer of the film is every bit of English-ness that viewers expect from the long-running franchise.

The residents of Downton Abbey are shown to live like royals, all with butlers and snazzy phaetons. But once the news of the King and Queen arriving at the Abbey breaks, the household is both shocked and slightly hesitant of whether they will be able to live up to the royal standards.

Still from Downton Abbey trailer. YouTube screengrab

As the residents go the extra length to prepare the perfect welcome, the royals' butler arrives in advance to supervise the duties. Horns clash and the staff are pompously ordered about till Downton Abbey decides to hold their own and yet do things their way for the king and queen.

Over its six seasons, the television series garnered three Golden Globe Awards, 15 Primetime Emmy Awards, and 69 Emmy nominations in total, making Downton Abbey the most nominated non-US television show in the history of the Emmys — even earning a Special BAFTA award and a Guinness World Record for the highest critically rated TV show along the way.

Featuring Maggie Smith, Hugh Bonneville, Laura Carmichael, Jim Carter, Brendan Coyle, Michelle Dockery, Kevin Doyle, Joanne Froggatt, Matthew Goode, Harry Hadden-Paton, David Haig, Geraldine James, Robert James-Collier, Simon Jones, Allen Leech, Phyllis Logan and Elizabeth McGovern among others, the trailer of the film has generous doses of humour and charm. The film is slated to release on 20 September.

Watch the trailer here.