VIDEO: George Clooney Charms Downton Abbey In Special Christmas Charity Sketch

(ITV)

The special “Downton Abbey” Christmas charity mini-episode featuring George Clooney has premiered. The special nine-minute sketch imagines what would happen if Lord Grantham were replaced by a dashing “Lord Hollywood” played by Clooney. The results are pretty amusing. Watch the video below!

The tone is obviously much different than “Downton Abbey” viewers are used to seeing. For instance, Maggie Smith’s character literally faints and rolls to the floor when Clooney’s charming lord kisses her hand. Plus, there’s an angel. It’s a much more comic, surreal version of “Downton,” a kind of manic “It’s A Wonderful Life” take on the typically staid British series.

Also featuring cameos from Jeremy Piven and Joanna Lumley, the holiday video is part of the Text Santa campaign to raise funds for a number of cancer and children’s charities around the United Kingdom. It was originally organized by ITV, the network that broadcasts “Downton Abbey.” Good news: Thanks in part to the publicity surrounding the Clooney appearance, Text Santa has raised its highest ever total of donations. Check out the sketch below, and tell us what you think!