DAN Stevens and ITV have been dropping a few hints about what to expect from the two-hour Downton Abbey Christmas special.

Although details remain sketchy, the show will be set in 1919 and will feature a Christmas party at the Abbey.

It will be screened at 9pm on ITV1 on Christmas Day, as the channel attempts to wrestle viewers away from the BBC.

Of the plot points that have been dropped, it seems the arrest of Brendan Coyle’s Bates (which marked the final scene in the second season) will remain a ‘hot topic of conversation’, while Mary will consider her future with Sir Richard Carlisle.

When asked whether this would leave the door open for Mary to rekindle her passion for Matthew, however, Dan Stevens told What’s On TV: “He might be moving on a little bit… But there’s a lot of things up in the air that need to be resolved.”

Aside from that, Stevens revealed that Downton would boast “a very big Christmas tree” – but that was all!

ITV, however, also revealed that another character, the Dowager Countess, will be worried about Rosamund’s new beau, Lord Hepworth (played by incoming guest star, Nigel Havers).

Related: View photos of Dan Stevens at Manton Abbey l Season 2 finale reviewed

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