When Does "Downton Abbey: A New Era" (2022) Take Place?
"Downton Abbey: A New Era" is a historical fiction film written by Julian Fellowes that released April 29th, 2022. So when is "A New Era" set?
It takes place in the year:
We know this because the characters are affected by the shooting of a silent film at Downton Abbey titled "The Gambler", which must suddenly attempt to change to be a 'talkie', i.e. a film with synchronized accompanying sound, midway through production. Film director Jack Barber declares, "Eh, it seems the talkies are making too much money to ignore, while our picture is silent and too expensive"... and just a bit before that, ' "The Terror" is the first all-talking picture to show in Britain." and Lady Mary Crowley replies, "I thought that was "The Jazz Singer".' In the real world, "The Jazz Singer" (1927) changed the movie-making industry in the late 1920s when it released on October 6th, 1927 AD. So it must be during or after 1927 AD.
1928 AD
We know this because the characters are affected by the shooting of a silent film at Downton Abbey titled "The Gambler", which must suddenly attempt to change to be a 'talkie', i.e. a film with synchronized accompanying sound, midway through production. Film director Jack Barber declares, "Eh, it seems the talkies are making too much money to ignore, while our picture is silent and too expensive"... and just a bit before that, ' "The Terror" is the first all-talking picture to show in Britain." and Lady Mary Crowley replies, "I thought that was "The Jazz Singer".' In the real world, "The Jazz Singer" (1927) changed the movie-making industry in the late 1920s when it released on October 6th, 1927 AD. So it must be during or after 1927 AD.
More specifically, the 'talkie' version of the film "The Terror" (1928) released in England on October 25th, 1928 AD. So it must be during or after late October of 1928 AD.
Very early on, Mr. Barber says, "Until recently, filmmaking was largely confined to the studios, but now the process has opened up. Abel Gance's "Napoléon" last year showed what a camera can do on location, filming in real houses, real landscapes." The movie "Napoléon" (1927) was written and directed by Abel Gance and released on April 7th, 1927 AD. So it must be sometime in October, November, or December of 1928 AD.
1927 + 1 = 1928.
Additionally, there is an epilogue that introduces a newborn baby of a character who asks, "Does that include any future member of your family?" strongly implying she has recently become pregnant during the main action. Assuming about the average 9-month pregnancy term, it is therefore sometime in 1929 AD– July of 1929 AD at the earliest and September of 1929 AD at the latest.
10.1928 + 9 months = 7.1929
or
12.1928 + 9 months = 9.1929.
It is the second chronological film in the Downton Abbey story [each being sequels to the TV series "Downton Abbey" (2010)] and can be watched at its timeline point after "Downton Abbey: The Movie" (2019).
