Downton Abbey Series 5 to have cinema screening before TV broadcast - Digital Spy

Downton Abbey is to screen the opening episode of series five at Leicester Square Empire cinema.

The event will be hosted by the Cinema and Television Benevolent Fund (CTBF) in association with ITV, Carnival and Telegraph Bespoke.

The screening will take place on September 17, four days before the latest series begins its broadcast on ITV.

There will be a pre-screening Q&A session with Downton creator Julian Fellowes, executive producer Gareth Neame and cast members including Jim Carter (Mr Carson).

CTBF chief executive Richard Wilson said: "This partnership strengthens our ties with the television industry, in which many of our beneficiaries work. Our choice of venue, the iconic Empire Leicester Square, further highlights the charity's strong links in cinema and film."

Downton Abbey is the latest television series to receive a cinema premiere, following the successful screenings of the new series of Doctor Who last month.

Series five of the period drama is set in the 1920s and will see a number of new faces join the cast, including Richard E Grant and Anna Chancellor.

Watch the official trailer for Downton Abbey's fifth series below: