SNL's Downton Abbey Trailer Nails the Show's Cozy Magic — with a Twist
Cecily Strong played Lady Mary preparing for a royal visit, while Kate McKinnon became the Dowager Countess.
Sure, the stakes of a Downton Abbey plot may not match the heart-pounding heights of an action movie — but that's a feature, not a bug. And to celebrate the trailer for Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale, premiering in theaters on September 12, we're looking back at Saturday Night Live's pitch-perfect parody of the 2019 film that kicked off the trilogy based on the series.
Among the developments in SNL's Season 45 pretaped "Downton Abbey Movie" sketch: Lady Mary (Cecily Strong) gets a new modern haircut.
"The beloved television show is now a feature film...and it's mostly about cleaning," the voiceover says.
Beck Bennet plays Butler Mr. Carson, who receives an urgent message: the king and queen of England are coming...in a year and a half.
"Here?!" Mary says when she learns the news. "But this is a castle!"
"We'll never pull it off," adds Violet, played by Kate McKinnon.
Aidy Bryant embodies housekeeper Mrs. Hughes, who instructs the staff on the menu for the royal visit.
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"We'll serve breads, long breads, butter, chicken meat, slurpers, nibbles, little bad cakes, twice murdered pig, steak for the horses, and of course, Chicago-style deep dish pizza," she lists off.
Watch the sketch below.
SNL's "Downton Abbey Trailer" sketch stars the Season 45 cast
"Downton Abbey Trailer" aired during the Season 45 premiere on September 28, 2019, hosted by Woody Harrelson with Musical Guest Billie Eilish. It starred cast members Mikey Day, Beck Bennett, Alex Moffat, Cecily Strong, Kate McKinnon, Aidy Bryant, Bowen Yang, and Chloe Fineman.
While the voiceover goes on about how nothing happens, sharing reviews like, "So soothing, I was on the back of my seat," it seems SNL's trailer has overlooked dramatic moments such as when Lord Grantham had an ulcer that burst at the dinner table. We'll also never forget the time Mary's husband Matthew died in a car accident shortly after Mary gave birth to their son!
But as it turns out, this trailer isn't even trying to get you interested in Downton Abbey's theatrical release. Just as the king and queen arrive at Downton, a different voiceover reveals a twist:
"This has been an ad for The Joker. It's not perfect, but at least stuff happens."
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"Downton Abbey Trailer" was in Bowen Yang and Chloe Fineman's first episode
SNL's Season 45 premiere was the first episode for Season 50 cast members Chloe Fineman and Bowen Yang, who both appeared in the Downton Abbey parody. Fineman plays Lady Edith, while Yang plays a member of the downstairs staff who runs up to Lady Mary in a panic.
"Miss!" he says. "We found mud!"
"Where?" Mary asks.
"At the bottom of the lake!"
And that's where mud belongs, so it's all rosy!
Yang also appeared alongside Alec Baldwin as Donald Trump in the cold open, while Fineman's very first sketch was "DNC Town Hall," in which she played presidential hopeful Marianne Williamson.
Watch "Downton Abbey Trailer" from Season 45, Episode 1 above, and stream every episode of SNL on Peacock.
