George Clooney Is Coming to Downton Abbey, but We Might Never See It

Get ready, lords and ladies — George Clooney is coming to Downton Abbey. Well, sort of. Downton Abbey's UK network, ITV, has confirmed that Clooney will appear in a special charity film to air on Christmas Day. While ITV has said that the actor will not appear in the show's full Christmas episode (which is usually the last episode for American viewers), he will appear in a Downton-themed skit to air alongside the episode. Naturally, the handsome actor's appearance on ITV isn't just about hanging out with the Crawleys, as the film was created as part of the network's Text Santa campaign to raise money for British charities. Clooney is no stranger to some members of the Downton family, as he cast Hugh Bonneville (Robert Crawley) in his World War II film, The Monuments Men. Downton's fifth season will premiere in the US on PBS on Jan. 4, 2015. Since the film is part of an ITV Christmas special and not officially part of the show, Americans might not be able to see Clooney with the Crawleys on the fifth season. But hopefully someone will get us a glimpse of the actor at Downton before then.