Media Advisory
For Saturday, December 5 – Olney IL, Cape Girardeau MO & Sunday, December 6 – Murphysboro IL
Contacts: Greg Petrowich, Executive Director, WSIU Public Broadcasting, (618) 453-6181, greg.petrowich@wsiu.org; Monica Tichenor, Promotions Director, WSIU Public Broadcasting, (618) 453-6160, monica.tichenor@wsiu.org
WSIU to Host Local Preview Parties Celebrating New Season of Downton Abbey on Masterpiece
Carbondale, Ill. – Reporters, photographers, and camera crews are invited to cover three, free preview parties this weekend hosted by WSIU Public Broadcasting, the public media stations of Southern Illinois University Carbondale, and regional partners to celebrate the upcoming January 2016 premiere of the final season of the Masterpiece series Downton Abbey.
Each event will begin with a one-hour reception, followed by a screening of the first hour of the sixth and final season of Downton Abbey. Scheduled events are as follows:
Saturday, December 5, 1-3pm: Dr. John D. Stull Performing Arts Center at Olney Central College, 305 N. West St., Olney, Illinois.
Saturday, December 5, 3-5pm: Glenn Convocation Center at Southeast Missouri State University’s River Campus, 518 S. Fountain St., Cape Girardeau, Missouri.
Sunday, December 6, 4-6pm: Murphysboro Event Center,1329 Walnut St., Murphysboro, Illinois.
Additional activities include door prizes and photo opportunities with life-size cutouts of Downton Abbey characters Anna & Bates, Carson, Lady Mary, and Violet, the Dowager Countess. Guests have been invited to dress in 1920s-era costume. Interview opportunities include WSIU staff, venue staff, and guests.
Event sponsors include Southeast Health and Hutson’s Fine Furniture in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. Additional sponsors for the Olney event include Olney Central College and Richland Memorial Hospital in Olney, Illinois.
Season six of Downton Abbey on Masterpiece will premiere on WSIU-TV and PBS stations nationwide on Sunday, January 3, 2016 at 8pm and will air Sundays at 8pm through March 6.
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