Carnival Films and MASTERPIECE on PBS Announce Upcoming Season 6 to Be Final Season of “Downton Abbey”
Series Is Most-Watched Drama in PBS History
Season 5 Seen by 25.5 Million Viewers; Episodes Streamed More Than 12.6 Million Times
BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Carnival Films and MASTERPIECE on PBS announced that Season 6 will be the final season of the hit drama series “Downton Abbey.”
“We are indebted to our UK partners for making a show which will go down in television history, not just for its impeccable writing, acting and production values, but most importantly, for its enormously warm-hearted audience appeal.”
Carnival’s Managing Director and Executive Producer of “Downton Abbey,” Gareth Neame said, “Millions of people around the world have followed the journey of the Crawley family and those who serve them for the last five years. Inevitably there comes a time when all shows should end and ‘Downton’ is no exception. We wanted to close the doors of ‘Downton Abbey’ when it felt right and natural for the storylines to come together and when the show was still being enjoyed so much by its fans. We can promise a final season full of all the usual drama and intrigue, but with the added excitement of discovering how and where they all end up…”
A runaway hit since it debuted on PBS in 2011, “Downton Abbey”—a Carnival/MASTERPIECE co-production—is widely credited with reigniting American viewers’ passion for British drama. It is the top PBS drama of all time, the most popular series in MASTERPIECE’s 44-year history, and one of the most-watched dramas on American television, frequently beating the competition in its Sunday night time slot. MASTERPIECE is presented on PBS by WGBH Boston.
“PBS and our member stations have been so proud to be the home of ‘Downton Abbey’ on MASTERPIECE in the United States," said Paula Kerger, President and CEO, PBS. “We, like the fans, simply cannot wait to see what will happen to the Crawley family and their beloved staff as this incredible series culminates in Season 6. The series has enjoyed such success over the past five seasons and we'll certainly be working alongside Carnival, MASTERPIECE and PBS member stations to make Season 6 the biggest yet. Until then, Sunday nights on PBS continue to offer fans a full slate of 'must view' British and, soon, American historical drama."
With 51 Emmy® nominations, more than any other British show in Emmy® history, “Downton Abbey” is one of the most honored series on television. It has won 11 Emmys®, three Golden Globes®, three Screen Actors Guild Awards, a Producers Guild Award, and three BAFTAs.
“‘Downton Abbey’ has been a television executive's dream come true: a beautifully-made, returning series that captures a nation's attention and becomes a household name. It's been a game-changer for MASTERPIECE,” said MASTERPIECE Executive Producer Rebecca Eaton. “We are indebted to our UK partners for making a show which will go down in television history, not just for its impeccable writing, acting and production values, but most importantly, for its enormously warm-hearted audience appeal.”
Season 5, which concluded on March 1, was seen by 25.5 million people. The season had a weekly average audience of 12.9 million viewers over its nine-week run, an audience nearly even with that for Season 4 (13.3 million) (Source: Nielsen Live+7 data). “Downton Abbey, Season 5” had impressive online streaming numbers as well, with over 12.6 million streams of full episodes across all PBS and station digital platforms, 13 percent more streams compared to Season 4 (Source: Google Analytics, 1/5-3/15/15). A huge presence on social media, “Downton Abbey” set records for tweets of a PBS show, with Season 5 generating more than 190,000 total tweets and more than 24 million total impressions (Source: Nielsen, 1/4/15 to 3/1/15, live/new). During its nine-week run, “Downton Abbey” placed in Nielsen Social’s Daily Top 5 for series and specials seven times (Source: Nielsen, 1/4/15 to 3/1/15).
“Downton Abbey” has become an indelible part of the popular culture, parodied by Jimmy Fallon and Stephen Colbert, and on “Sesame Street” and “Saturday Night Live.” It has been the topic of countless discussions on Twitter and Facebook, and has garnered as much publicity as any series on television, with the acclaimed cast gracing the covers of Entertainment Weekly and TV Guide and appearing on “TODAY,” “Good Morning America,” “The View” and other popular TV shows.
Julian Fellowes, writer and creator of “Downton Abbey,” said, “The ‘Downton’ journey has been amazing for everyone aboard. People ask if we knew what was going to happen when we started to make the first series and the answer is that, of course we had no idea. Exactly why the series had such an impact and reached so many people around the world, all nationalities, all ages, all types, I cannot begin to explain. But I do know how grateful we are to have been allowed this unique experience. I suspect the show will always be a principal marker in most of our careers as we set out from here, and if so, I consider that a blessing and a compliment.”
“Downton Abbey” is a Carnival Films/MASTERPIECE Co-Production written and created by Julian Fellowes. It is Executive Produced by Gareth Neame, Julian Fellowes, Liz Trubridge and Nigel Marchant. Chris Croucher is the Producer. The Executive Producer for MASTERPIECE is Rebecca Eaton.
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Friday, March 27, 2015
Thursday, March 26, 2015
StarWars.com Sneaks Marvel Comics' "Journey to Star Wars: The Force Awakens"
Journey to Star Wars: The Force Awakens – Shattered Empire #1 from Marvel – Sneak Peek!
This is the first image from Marvel's highly-anticipated event series.
StarWars.com presented the debut image from Marvel’s first entry in Journey to Star Wars: The Force Awakens: the cover to Shattered Empire #1, with the art drawn by comics artist, Phil Noto. The series is scheduled to debut in September 2015.
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Haikasoru Announces Publication of "Red Girls: The Legend of the Akakuchibas"
An Aimless Girl Finds Direction As She Uncovers The Strange Legends And Shocking History Of Her Extraordinary Family
VIZ Media’s Haikasoru literary imprint has announced the release of its newest book with the publication of RED GIRLS: THE LEGEND OF THE AKAKUCHIBAS on April 21st, 2015.
Author Kazuki Sakuraba delivers a textured, multi-generational mystery that follows an aimless girl’s quest to find meaning and direction in her life as she uncovers the history, secrets and strange legends of her unique family.
RED GIRLS: THE LEGEND OF THE AKAKUCHIBAS will be available in print in an English edition from Haikasoru for $15.99 U.S. / $18.99 CAN. An eBook edition also will debut on April 21st for $9.99 (U.S. / CAN) for the Amazon Kindle, Apple’s iBooks Store, Barnes & Noble’s Nook Book Store, the Kobo eBooks Store, and the Google Play store.
When the outlanders abandoned a baby girl on the outskirts of a village, few imagined that she would grow up to marry into the illustrious Akakuchiba family, much less that she would develop clairvoyant abilities and become matriarch of the illustrious ironworking clan. Her daughter shocks the village further by joining a motorcycle gang and becoming a famous manga artist. The outlander’s granddaughter Toko—well, she’s nobody at all. A nobody worth entrusting with the secret that her grandmother was a murderer. This is Toko’s story.
“Toko Akakuchiba is an ordinary woman, from an extraordinary family. When Toko sits to write her family history, she uncovers the truth about her grandmother’s past, and the woman’s clairvoyant powers,” says Nick Mamatas, Editor. “Author Kazuki Sakuraba skillfully creates an atmospheric multi-generational saga set amidst the turmoil of Japan’s postwar era. Readers will be swept up in the engrossing story of this legendary clan!"
Author Kazuki Sakuraba was born in 1971 and began publishing while still in college. Her early Gosick light novels were bestsellers and her adult fiction is also popular and acclaimed throughout Japan. RED GIRLS: THE LEGEND OF THE AKAKUCHIBAS won the Mystery Writers of Japan Award in 2007 and Watashi no otoko, a suspense novel about an incestuous relationship, won the Naoki Prize for popular fiction in 2008.
For more information on RED GIRLS: THE LEGEND OF THE AKAKUCHIBAS and the Haikasoru imprint, please visit the dedicated website at www.haikasoru.com.
About VIZ Media, LLC
Headquartered in San Francisco, California, VIZ Media distributes, markets and licenses the best anime and manga titles direct from Japan. Owned by three of Japan's largest manga and animation companies, Shueisha Inc., Shogakukan Inc., and Shogakukan-Shueisha Productions, Co., Ltd., VIZ Media has the most extensive library of anime and manga for English speaking audiences in North America, the United Kingdom, Ireland and South Africa. With its popular digital manga anthology WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP and blockbuster properties like NARUTO, BLEACH and ONE PIECE, VIZ Media offers cutting-edge action, romance and family friendly properties for anime, manga, science fiction and fantasy fans of all ages. VIZ Media properties are available as graphic novels, DVDs, animated television series, feature films, downloadable and streaming video and a variety of consumer products. Learn more about VIZ Media, anime and manga at www.VIZ.com.
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Wednesday, March 25, 2015
Manga Creator Aya Kanno Announced for Toronto Comics Art Festival 2015
Announcing Featured Guest Aya Kanno!
Author of the hit manga Requiem of the Rose King and Otomen
TCAF 2015
@ Toronto Reference Library, 789 Yonge Street
Saturday May 9, 9am-5pm
Sunday May 10, 11am-5pm
Free to attend
www.torontocomics.com
TORONTO, CANADA—The Toronto Comic Arts Festival (TCAF) proudly announces that international manga superstar Aya Kanno will attend the 2015 Festival as a Featured Guest! Aya Kanno is the author of the Blank Slate, the New York Times bestselling series Otomen, and the newly-released Requiem of the Rose King, all published in English by VIZ Media. Kanno will participate in a variety of programs at the Festival including a feature interview, panel discussion, and book signing sessions. Aya Kanno will attend TCAF 2015 with her editor Yuri Yamamoto of Akita Shoten, and with the support of VIZ Media.
“We’re so happy to be able to welcome Aya Kanno to North America for the first time,” enthused Festival Director Christopher Butcher. “To my mind Kanno’s work really reinforces what TCAF is all about: unique, diverse voices and great comics! Shoujo manga, or ‘girls’ manga, doesn’t really get the respect it deserves in general, and Kanno’s work is specifically great, smartly interrogating the medium and its approach to gender, sexuality, and storytelling.”
Aya Kanno’s best-known work in North America is the romantic comedy series Otomen, which ran for 18 volumes, frequently appearing on the New York Times bestseller list. The romantic comedy series explores a wide variety of characters that rebel against traditional gender roles in Japanese society, starting with the titular character who is an Otomen (“otome,” Japanese for young girl, combined with the English word “men”). Kanno’s newest work is the just-released Requiem of the Rose King, a dark fantasy retelling of Shakespeare’s Richard III and Henry VI, which continues the manga creator’s exploration of gender, sexuality, and identity, but this time in the context of historical and literary fiction.
Aya Kanno will join a very diverse array of Japanese manga creators already announced for TCAF 2015, including the cartooning duo Gurihiru (Avatar: The Last Airbender), gay manga originator Gengoroh Tagame (The Passion of…), and indy manga creator Ken Niimura (Henshin, I Kill Giants).
A full schedule of Aya Kanno’s appearances at TCAF 2015 will be announced in April, 2015.
The Toronto Comic Arts Festival 2015, Saturday May 9, 9am-5pm, and Sunday May 10, 11am-5pm, @ Toronto Reference Library, 789 Yonge Street. Attendance is FREE to the public. Select guest bios and images are available upon request. Please send all inquiries to media@torontocomics.com.
SPONSORS:
The Toronto Comic Arts Festival would not be possible without the assistance of our sponsors and partners, including presenting sponsor Toronto Public Library and primary sponsor The Beguiling Books & Art.
TCAF is produced with the support of the City of Toronto through the Toronto Arts Council.
We would also like to acknowledge funding support from the Ontario Arts Council, an agency of the Government of Ontario.
We acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts, which last year invested $157 million to bring the arts to Canadians throughout the country. Nous remercions le Conseil des arts du Canada de son soutien. L’an dernier, le Conseil a investi 157 millions de dollars pour mettre de l’art dans la vie des Canadiennes et des Canadiens de tout le pays.
TCAF would like to recognize VIZ Media LLC for their support of the Festival. For more information on VIZ Media’s publications, please visit viz.com.
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Final Book In Alan Moore and Kevin O'Neill's "Nemo" Trilogy Now in Comic Books Shops
Alan Moore & Kevin O’Neill present NEMO's final voyage down a RIVER OF GHOSTS
MARIETTA, GA — Alan Moore and Kevin O’Neill’s LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN reaches a new milestone today, as Top Shelf Productions & Knockbout releases the grand finale of the NEMO spinoff trilogy, a pulse-pounding 56-page hardcover entitled RIVER OF GHOSTS.
In 2012, with the stunning conclusion of Century, the top-selling third volume of the League saga, creators Moore and O’Neill brought their literary-crossover saga to an incredible climax. Critics called it “magnificent,” a “glorious creative tapestry,” and “arguably one of the greatest comics of all time.” The authors might have been tempted to stop there and rest on their laurels... but one character, Captain Nemo’s steel-hearted daughter Janni, demanded the spotlight for herself, and a spinoff was born!
With a classic two-fisted spirit of adventure, the Nemo graphic novels have followed the terrifying pirate queen in her confrontations with unearthly Antarctic horrors (in 2013’s Heart of Ice) and mechanical metropolitan monstrosities (in 2014’s The Roses of Berlin).
Now, Top Shelf Productions and Knockabout Comics present what may be the Captain’s final voyage! It’s 1975, and our aging heroine is beginning to display a tenuous grip on reality. Pursuing shadows from her past—or her imagination—Captain Janni Nemo steers her wondrous ship Nautilus on an obsessive journey into the tropical mysteries of the Amazon, in a last attempt to put to rest the blood-drenched spectres of old. What awaits? New allies, outrageous enemies, inscrutable youths, impossible creatures, and a truly flabbergasting final battle. Don’t miss Nemo: River of Ghosts — available today wherever books and comics are sold.
“These are Victorian-influenced pulp fiction tales, and that’s enough, but they are also monuments to world-building as Moore and O’Neill construct enormous fictional amalgamations from the literature of the past. No one else has ever done it nearly as well as these two.” — Comic Book Resources
“Perfect, potent adventure comics, cramming in crazy amounts of characters while maintaining an addictive forward plot momentum.” — Heeb Magazine
“A wonderful concluding chapter to an excellent series. Moore and O’Neill have done that rare thing of creating a spinoff that actually betters the original.” — Pipe Dream Comics
IN STORES TODAY: Nemo: River of Ghosts • 56-page hardcover • $14.95 (US) • ISBN 978-1-60309-355-2 • Diamond code JAN151622
Also available:
Nemo: Heart of Ice • 56-page hardcover • $14.95 (US) • ISBN 978-1-60309-274-6 • Diamond code DEC121247
Nemo: The Roses of Berlin • 56-page hardcover • $14.95 (US) • ISBN 978-1-60309-320-0 • Diamond code JAN141334
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: Century • 256-page hardcover • $29.95 (US) • ISBN 978-1-60309-329-3 • Diamond code MAY141615
TOP SHELF PRODUCTIONS, based in Marietta, Georgia, has published critically acclaimed and popularly beloved graphic novels since 1997. Now an imprint of IDW Publishing, Top Shelf continues to showcase the vanguard of the comics medium, publishing works of literary sophistication, visionary artistry, and personal resonance.
IDW PUBLISHING is an award-winning publisher of comic books and graphic novels, renowned for its diverse catalog of licensed and independent titles. Based in San Diego, California, IDW publishes some of the most successful and popular titles in the comics industry, and operates such acclaimed imprints as the Library of American Comics, Yoe! Books, IDW Artist’s Editions, and Top Shelf Productions.
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MARIETTA, GA — Alan Moore and Kevin O’Neill’s LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN reaches a new milestone today, as Top Shelf Productions & Knockbout releases the grand finale of the NEMO spinoff trilogy, a pulse-pounding 56-page hardcover entitled RIVER OF GHOSTS.
In 2012, with the stunning conclusion of Century, the top-selling third volume of the League saga, creators Moore and O’Neill brought their literary-crossover saga to an incredible climax. Critics called it “magnificent,” a “glorious creative tapestry,” and “arguably one of the greatest comics of all time.” The authors might have been tempted to stop there and rest on their laurels... but one character, Captain Nemo’s steel-hearted daughter Janni, demanded the spotlight for herself, and a spinoff was born!
With a classic two-fisted spirit of adventure, the Nemo graphic novels have followed the terrifying pirate queen in her confrontations with unearthly Antarctic horrors (in 2013’s Heart of Ice) and mechanical metropolitan monstrosities (in 2014’s The Roses of Berlin).
Now, Top Shelf Productions and Knockabout Comics present what may be the Captain’s final voyage! It’s 1975, and our aging heroine is beginning to display a tenuous grip on reality. Pursuing shadows from her past—or her imagination—Captain Janni Nemo steers her wondrous ship Nautilus on an obsessive journey into the tropical mysteries of the Amazon, in a last attempt to put to rest the blood-drenched spectres of old. What awaits? New allies, outrageous enemies, inscrutable youths, impossible creatures, and a truly flabbergasting final battle. Don’t miss Nemo: River of Ghosts — available today wherever books and comics are sold.
“These are Victorian-influenced pulp fiction tales, and that’s enough, but they are also monuments to world-building as Moore and O’Neill construct enormous fictional amalgamations from the literature of the past. No one else has ever done it nearly as well as these two.” — Comic Book Resources
“Perfect, potent adventure comics, cramming in crazy amounts of characters while maintaining an addictive forward plot momentum.” — Heeb Magazine
“A wonderful concluding chapter to an excellent series. Moore and O’Neill have done that rare thing of creating a spinoff that actually betters the original.” — Pipe Dream Comics
IN STORES TODAY: Nemo: River of Ghosts • 56-page hardcover • $14.95 (US) • ISBN 978-1-60309-355-2 • Diamond code JAN151622
Also available:
Nemo: Heart of Ice • 56-page hardcover • $14.95 (US) • ISBN 978-1-60309-274-6 • Diamond code DEC121247
Nemo: The Roses of Berlin • 56-page hardcover • $14.95 (US) • ISBN 978-1-60309-320-0 • Diamond code JAN141334
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: Century • 256-page hardcover • $29.95 (US) • ISBN 978-1-60309-329-3 • Diamond code MAY141615
TOP SHELF PRODUCTIONS, based in Marietta, Georgia, has published critically acclaimed and popularly beloved graphic novels since 1997. Now an imprint of IDW Publishing, Top Shelf continues to showcase the vanguard of the comics medium, publishing works of literary sophistication, visionary artistry, and personal resonance.
IDW PUBLISHING is an award-winning publisher of comic books and graphic novels, renowned for its diverse catalog of licensed and independent titles. Based in San Diego, California, IDW publishes some of the most successful and popular titles in the comics industry, and operates such acclaimed imprints as the Library of American Comics, Yoe! Books, IDW Artist’s Editions, and Top Shelf Productions.
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Black Mask Studios Announces "Space Riders #1"
Black Mask launches a new comic: SPACE RIDERS #1
From the galactic core to the outer quadrants, one name strikes terror in the hearts of evil beings everywhere: the Space Riders! Sailing the cosmos in the Skullship Santa Muerte, Capitan Peligro and his fearless crew deal harsh justice to the scum of the galaxy while searching for the forbidden truths of the universe! Fabian Rangel Jr (Doc Unknown) and Alexis Ziritt (The Package) bring you a new and exciting space adventure that will destroy your brain! (in a good way)
Artist: Alexis Ziritt
Writer: Fabian Rangel, Jr.
In stores April 1, 2015
SPACE RIDERS is a love letter to the psychedelic space operas of Heavy Metal, Moebius, and EC Comics, but done with a modern twist. Artistic genius and obvious lunatic Alexis Ziritt is doing psychedelic work like no one else in comics, and rising start writer Fabian Rangel, Jr. is making a name for himself with his hugely successful Kickstarters for his pulp adventure series DOC UNKNOWN. Together with designer Ryan Ferrier they form the perfect team to make comics unlike anyone else is making right now.
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