HBO Nabs ‘Downton Abbey’ Creator’s NEXT Period Drama, ‘The Gilded Age’

Sounds like the next period drama from Downton Abbey creator Julian Fellows, The Gilded Age, will be headed to a new home at HBO, from it’s previously revealed network of NBC.

HBO announced today a 10-episode production commitment to the series, with HBO President of Programming Casey Bloys saying:

“Given the opulent scope and scale of this richly textured character drama, HBO is the perfect home for ‘The Gilded Age’. We’re all huge fans of Julian and I know I speak for Bob Greenblatt – who was involved in the development of this series while at Universal Television – when I say we’re thrilled to bring his undeniable genius to our viewers.”

There was also a series logline released, describing what we’ll be seeing in the series:

The American Gilded Age in 1885 was a period of immense economic change, of huge fortunes made and lost, and the rise of disparity between old money and new money, which is being reflected again today. Against this backdrop comes young Marian Brook, the orphaned daughter of a Southern general, who moves into the home of her rigidly conventional aunts in New York City. Accompanied by the mysterious Peggy Scott, an African-American woman masquerading as her maid, Marian gets caught up in the dazzling lives of her stupendously rich neighbors, led by a ruthless railroad tycoon and his ambitious wife struggling for acceptance by the Astor and Vanderbilt set. Will Marian follow the established rules of society, or forge her own path in this exciting new world that is on the brink of transformation into the modern age?

“I feel very privileged to be making The Gilded Age with HBO and Universal Television,” Fellows said of the announcement. “It has been a dream of mine for some time, as I am fascinated by this brutal and intensely glamorous period of America’s history. It will be about ambition, of course, and envy and hatred and, perhaps most of all, about love. I hope people will enjoy the series. I know I will enjoy making it.”

We’ll let you know when we hear about a possible production start date, casting, and release date.