PBS TO ISSUE $100 DOWNTON ABBEY BOXED SET<

PBS’s broadcasts of the first three seasons of Downton Abbey, produced by Britain’s ITV, drew more viewers than any other drama ever aired by the public broadcaster. Now it will see whether that popularity can translate to home video sales of a limited-edition boxed set of those seasons can help lift PBS’s precarious finances. The set, which will sell for $100 on Blu-ray Disc and $90 on DVD, will include nearly 24 hours of dramatic content as well as three documentaries: Downton Abbey: The Making of; Downton Abbey: Behind the Drama; and Secrets of Highclere Castle. The series has also reportedly helped boost donations to public television stations, which have been hard hit by national and state cutbacks in arts funding.