We think the universe was looking out for Harrison today. We were right in the middle of a very deep, very passionate dive into Downton Abbey and the intricacies of 18th-century inheritance when the fire alarm started blaring. It was the perfect exit strategy for Harrison, who was definitely reaching his limit with our period drama obsession.
It’s been a massive 24 hours for the show, starting with Ash reaching her absolute limit with early mornings. After filling in for the Breakfast show, she’s officially hanging up her 5:30 AM hat. Between the pitch-black starts and the heartbreaking goodbyes with her son Buddy, Ash has decided that if there are more babies on the way for the team, someone else is going to have to step up. Those early hours are officially a young person's game.
The energy shifted when we got stuck into our favourite period dramas. From the "hottest" Russian hockey romances to the new Pride and Prejudice adaptation, we were fully immersed in the world of Jane Austen and beyond. We found ourselves mourning Lady Sybil all over again and debating whether a bee sting is a respectable way for a TV lead to go. It was a lot of history and a lot of feelings for one studio.
Poor Harrison was clearly the odd man out, looking more and more lost as we unpacked the Crawley family tree. Just as we were getting into the real niche details, the fire alarm went off, forcing us all to evacuate the building. It was the ultimate "get out of jail free" card for Harrison, who seemed more than happy to trade the TV chat for a trip to the car park. We’re just glad everyone is safe—especially Harrison’s sanity.