Michelle Dockery , the 31-year-old actress – who is best known for playing Lady Mary Crawley on 'Downton Abbey' – will lend her voice to an upcoming episode of the animated comedy.

Irish actor Allen Leech revealed that Lady Mary Crawley will move into a central role in season four of the hit series “Downton Abbey.”

Gwyneth Paltrow is a huge fan and wants a role in the fourth series of the period drama, which is to air later this year.

Season three of the hit period drama Downton Abbey began Sunday night with a two hour episode. Downton Abbey may be for sale as Robert Crawley learns that he’s almost broke and the news comes just before daughter Mary is about to marry Matthew Crawley, which she does later in the episode.

Downton Abbey may be jumping across the pond. NBC is starting a similar tv series focusing on the princes of “The Gilded Age” set in late nineteenth century New York City. The show, produced by NBC universal studios, may air as soon as fall 2013.

The creator of the successful period drama “Downton Abbey” says that the upcoming third series will see the cast struggle with what he calls “The Irish Question” and the arrival of Shirley MacLaine, as Martha Levinson.

Brendan Coyle plays the stoic but thoroughly decent Mister Bates in the international phenomenon Downton Abbey. This week he’s in New York to promote Origin Theatre’s annual First Irish theatre festival.

It's already being dubbed the new Downton Abbey, but the fact is that the BBC's new period comedy Blandings has a better writer: P.G. Wodehouse. It's the latest top flight project that will be filmed in the north or Ireland, with a cast that includes Absolutely Fabulous' Jennifer Saunder and Harry Potter star Timothy Spall.

Dublin born actress Sarah Bolger is set to take on a role in ‘The Gilded Lillys,’ a period drama that focuses on the wealthy Lilly family of New York City in 1895. Produced by ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ producer Shonda Rhimes, ‘The Gilded Lillys’ is projected to be the American response to British period drama and international hit ‘Downton Abbey.’

The Daily Mail writes that 20-year-old Bolger first achieved fame in her role in Jim Sheridan’s 2002 film ‘In America.’ More recently, she has featured on Showtime’s series, ‘The Tudors’ alongside other Irish actor Jonathan Rhys Meyers.
__________
Read More:

The comedy series and the British period drama both took home four accolades from the prestigious ceremony at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles, while 'Mad Men' and 'Mildred Pierce' were also awarded some of the top prizes.