Here comes the prequel you didn't even know you wanted.

"That's right. I'm fabulous."

So, here's the deal and the deal is this: Aaaaaaahhhhhhhh! There may be a Downton Abbey spinoff headed our way. It will be a prequel and tell the story of Lord Grantham shamelessly pursuing his future wife like something out of my favorite Edith Wharton novel.

My mind is wild with delightful possibilities. Who will play the young Dowager Countess? Woe unto that actress if she does not adequately shoulder the crushing expectations we all have for our favorite character. In fact, can't they just use some sort of CGI to age-regress Maggie Smith, for surely nothing else will do.

What other familiar faces will we see? Young Carson? Young Mrs. Hughes? Young Mrs. Patmore? As a kitchen maid herself! Aaaahhhh! I'm betting a young Mr. Bates will show up as well, having fought with Lord Grantham in the Boer Wars. Perhaps even Baby Thomas will appear, having materialized out of a cloud of sulfur.

"Evil. And born this way."

One thing I can guarantee: the clothes will be fabulous. Nothing in the history of fashion can match the Gilded Age in my opinion.

I really shouldn't get too excited just yet since they still have to write the thing, cast it, film it, show it in Britain, wait a punishingly long amount of time, and then finally show it in the US, but I cannot help myself. Something has to pass the time whilst I wait for three Hobbit movies.