Julian Fellowes has insisted his new series ‘Belgravia’ will be "darker" than ‘Downton Abbey’.
The 70-year-old screenwriter has adapted his novel of the same name into a new ITV show, and he has teased fans there will be a "sadness" in his new programme, unlike the "sunny" ‘Downton’.
He told the Daily Mirror newspaper: "’Downton’ was a sunny place where people lived generally sunny lives, if not entirely, whereas we pitch darker in ‘Belgravia’. It has a sadness."
The ITV drama – which will air next month – is set in Victorian London and will follow two women who have each lost a child in tragedies two decades earlier.
It will run for six episodes and star ‘Iron Fist’ star Alice Eve, as well as major names such as Tamsin Greig, Philip Glenister and Dame Harriet Walter.
The drama opens with Tamsin’s character Anne Trenchard struggling with her guilt over events following the legendary ball hosted by the Duchess of Richmond on the fateful eve of the Battle of Waterloo in 1815.
The creators of the show have previously expressed their excitement about unveiling the "intriguing" plot to viewers.
ITV drama boss Polly Hill said: "It’s a tale of scandal and intrigue set in 1840s London with some wonderful characters spanning two generations at its heart."
Julian looks set for a busy few years as he plans to start work on the sequel to the ‘Downton Abbey’ movie after he finishes scripting his television series ‘The Gilded Age’.
He is committed to finishing the HBO series, set in 1880s New York City, before he turns his attention to the second film.
When asked if he was working on a sequel, he said: "Give us a break, gov. Not until I’ve finished the scripts for ‘The Gilded Age’!"
Julian Fellowes: Belgravia will be darker than Downton
