Why 'Downton Abbey' Has No Traces of God and Christianity
"Downton Abbey" seemed to have banished traces of God and Christianity from all its episodes, and historical advisor Alastair Bruce revealed why.
Many "Downton Abbey" fans noticed that no traces of Christianity or any religion could be seen on the show. This is because the executive producers of the series have instructed Alastair Bruce not to incorporate any religious element into the series, according to The Telegraph.
Bruce has spent several years trying to create the perfect 1912 setting for "Downton Abbey" and this responsibility covers house decors, conversations, and costumes, but he was strictly forbidden to include religion in the series. For this reason, viewers have never seen the Crawley family about to sit down to dinner and say grace, Christian Today reports.
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"Downton Abbey" does not do God because the highest executives do not want to alienate their atheistic audience, Bruce explained. Nevertheless, the issue has become a point of debate in the United States, where the show is being aired on the PBS channel, the report details.
"In essence you hardly ever see a table that isn't already sat at... because no one was ever allowed to see a grace being said," said Bruce. "And I would never allow them to sit down without having said grace."
Bruce tried to include prayers in "Downton Abbey," but the management only turned down his suggestion, even the one about a Latin prayer. The executives even insist that the table napkins should always be folded in a triangle and not like a bishop's mitre. The historical advisor said the people panic when they try to "do anything religious," the report relays.
ITV's director of television Peter Fincham earlier revealed that the channel had thought about changing the name of the popular series because it contains the word "Abbey." While they speculated that people would think it would be a religious series because of its name, they were later on satisfied with the title.
"Downton Abbey" season 6 is down to its last episode, and this will be the Christmas special. Bruce tells fans that a lot of surprises are in store for them, and the ending will be an unexpected one.
