By Nolan Feeney
Downton Abbey is getting extra political this year: the fifth season of the hit period drama takes place in 1924, the year of Britain’s first Labour party government and, consequently, a year of dramatic social change at the Crawley estate.
Cast members such as Maggie Smith, Hugh Bonneville, Michelle Dockery, Jim Carter and Laura Carmichael are all returning, while guest-stars Anna Chancellor and Richard E. Grant will introduce a few new characters into the mix.
Stray water bottles, however, are not expected to return.
More Must-Reads from TIME
- Welcome to the Noah Lyles Olympics
- Melinda French Gates Is Going It Alone
- What to Do if You Can’t Afford Your Medications
- How to Buy Groceries Without Breaking the Bank
- Sienna Miller Is the Reason to Watch Horizon
- Why So Many Bitcoin Mining Companies Are Pivoting to AI
- The 15 Best Movies to Watch on a Plane
- Want Weekly Recs on What to Watch, Read, and More? Sign Up for Worth Your Time
Write to Nolan Feeney at nolan.feeney@time.com