The wait is finally over! Are you as delighted as we are about the return of Downton Abbey?!

We were so excited about the Downton Abbey Season 3 premiere that we jumped at the chance to bring some of you back to Downton a little ahead of schedule.

On Saturday, January 5, over 300 PBS SoCaL Members and viewers joined us aboard The Queen Mary for a special sneak peek at the Downton Abbey Season 3 premiere – one day before it premiered on PBS stations across the nation!

Our guests walked the red carpet into the elegant Queen’s Salon where they were greeted by the ship’s captain and a delicious spread of popcorn, pretzels, and other movie-themed sweets.

After a few opening remarks by John Thomas, The Queen Mary Historical Resources Advisor; Maria Hall-Brown, PBS SoCaL's Executive Producer of Arts and Culture Programming; and Mel Rogers, PBS SoCaL's President and CEO, we made the much-anticipated return to our beloved Downton Abbey. The audience’s enthusiasm was contagious. We loved seeing and hearing everyone’s reactions firsthand.

Following the screening, we hosted a Members-Only Afternoon Tea in the ship's Tea Room. Our guests sipped on hot tea and sparkling champagne as light sandwiches and desserts were delivered to each table on elegant tiered plates. The event ended just as the sun slipped below the horizon.

We’d like to express our sincere appreciation to our friends at The Queen Mary for making our early trip back to Downton possible.  Thank you also to our dedicated group of volunteers who worked behind the scenes to make this event a success.

And finally, thank you to all of our guests – our wonderful Members and viewers – who made our return to Downton better than we could have imagined. It was such a treat to meet you and see you dressed up in your finest Downton attire. It is our pleasure to serve you as your PBS station.

Make sure to visit our Flickr Photo page for more pictures of the event.

Find out what our guests had to say about Downton Abbey.

And stay tuned… We have many more special Members-Only events coming soon!

Downton Abbey airs Sunday nights at 9 p.m. on PBS SoCaL.