Clear your calendar for Sunday. 'Downton' is back!

The wait is finally over. Season 3 of "Downton Abbey" starts Sunday evening.

Sparks fly between Martha and Lady Violet 

When we last left the series, Downton Abbey has weathered the Great War, and Mary and Matthew are engaged to be married. Series 3 takes Downton into the 1920s, a period of upheaval not only for the world but the house and its inhabitants. 

Robert, Lord Grantham, and Carson the butler

Cora's mother from America, Martha Levinson, is arrives, setting up the inevitable clash with the formidable Lady Violet. The two headstrong personalities, played by Shirley McLaine and Maggie Smith, respectively, represent the New World's modernity and the Old World's history.

"You Americans never understand the importance of tradition," huffs Lady Violet.

"Yes, we do," responds Martha. "We just don't give it power over us. Maybe you should think about letting go of its hand."


The bigger stage is the changes wrought by the war. The economy is transformed, thanks to the growth of the labor movement. Women have made strides gaining their rightful place in society. 

The great houses have been crippled financially and psychologically. Downton may not be exempt. Robert tries valiantly to maintain Downton at all costs. But can he succeed? 

Viewers will see the heartache, lust, woes and much more of the human condition that makes up the series. Questions abound. Will Matthew and Mary, with so much personal tensions in their past, become happily wed? 

Matthew and Mary

Sybil and Branson return to Downton; will Robert be accepting as he promised? Will John Bates, suffering in his prison cell, win release and a return to his beloved Anna?

What of the replacement for William, the footman who was mortally wounded in battle? 

And will the downstairs managers, Carson the butler and Mrs. Hughes the housekeeper, be able to manage the affairs of the house as well as they did in the past?

We'll get our first clues to these answers Sunday evening. Watch your Public Broadcasting Service station at 9 p.m. local time. 

In the meantime, you can visit a wonderful series of features on PBS's Masterpiece Theater site online. You can get a refresher course on Seasons 1 and 2, watch interviews with key actors, and get glimpses of each new episode of Season 3.

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