‘Downton Abbey’ Christmas Special Teaser: Shirley MacLaine and Paul Giamatti Are Neither Holly Nor Jolly (Video)

Pass the smelling salts; tensions are rising between Cora and Violet

Christmas is coming to “Downton Abbey,” but it’s not all pudding and carols. As a new teaser for the series’ Christmas special reveals, Shirley MacLaine and Maggie Smith are ringing in the Yuletide by knocking heads.

The teaser gets off to a frosty start, with MacLaine — playing Cora’s American mother — declaring, “Well, the gang’s all here, I see.”

“Is that American for hello?” Smith’s Violet Crawley haughtily replies.

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Later on in the clip, Cora  gets her own dig in at Crawley, “My world is coming nearer, and your world is slipping further and further away.”

Happy holidays, everyone.

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The teaser also includes a glimpse of Paul Giamatti as Cora’s brother, who doesn’t seem particularly thrilled with Crawley’s attitude either.

The “Downton Abbey” Christmas special premieres Dec. 25 on the UK’s ITV. Us Yanks will have to wait a little longer to watch the tensions unfold. Is that American for “dissed”?

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