It’s not easy to be an American right now. Downton Abbey’s sixth and final season hasn’t yet aired here in the U.S. We Americans have to wait until January 2016 to see Season 6 while the rest of world is consuming and savoring every last detail of the final episodes right now. (The last part of the preceding sentence should be read with an increasingly whining tone.)

While I do my best to patiently wait for PBS to air the show in America (and for Amazon to fulfill my pre-ordered DVD of Season 6), I started looking for ways to still be part of the Season 6 hoopla. It’s a bit of a tricky tight-rope walk. For example, I wouldn’t mind seeing some still photos of the production, but I don’t want to know what happens in the plot. I wouldn’t mind seeing reveals of some of the gorgeous costumes Edith and Mary and Cora will wear, I but I don’t want to read editorials that criticize the final season (gasp!).

What’s a patient American Downton Abbey fan to do?

Highclere Castle, site of the fictional Downton Abbey (BritishHeritage.com)

Answer: Turn to British Heritage. I’ve subscribed to this magazine for years, and it’s one of my favorites (see my previous post). And in honor of the show’s final season, British Heritage has included a nice article about Downton Abbey in their winter edition.

Even better, they’ve delivered the first in a series of podcasts that describe the social and economic world of post World War I Britain and how those factors might influence Season 6 plot lines.

The Ladies of Downton Abbey in Season 6 (PBS.org)

Thank goodness! British Heritage delivered just enough Downton Abbey to satisfy me. I think I can wait until January now (although I may have to revisit PBS’s website and watch those one minute teasers a couple more times).

If you’re like me and are patiently waiting (more or less) for the final season of Downton Abbey to air, please leave a comment and share how you’re passing the time.