Many "Downton Abbey" fans take their favorite nighttime soap seriously, and, this third season of the Emmy-winning series won't change that. It starts screening in the US on Sunday on PBS.

Many "Downton Abbey" fans take their favorite nighttime soap seriously, and, this third season of the Emmy-winning series won't change that.

Critically, it may be the best reviewed television series currently out there. And, in terms of plot, it's unquestionably the darkest. The third season unravelled for English audiences last fall, and concluded with a shocking special finale just before Christmas。

One thing that is safe to reveal: the widely reported addition of veteran actress Shirley MacLaine to the ensemble for the third series' first two episodes, as Martha Levinson, the progressive, outspoken mother of Cora Crawley, Countess of Grantham, played by Elizabeth McGovern. Enough said Levinson quickly clashes with Cora's mother in law, the conservative, equally razor-tongued Violet Crawley, Dowager Countess of Grantham, played by Maggie Smith.

Which gets one thinking: Which of the 78-year-old Oscar winners would triumph in a celebrity death match -- both physically or verbally? MacLaine or Smith?

Elizabeth McGovern, actress of Downton Abbey, said, "I suppose where it was staged would make a difference. Well, when Shirley MacLaine first met Maggie Smith, much to my shock, she swooped her up in her arms in a bear hug, which I wasn't sure if Maggie's feet were still on the floor. So, I think, perhaps, if it were in mud, all of Shirley's years of dancing have given her a sort of physical strength that would make her triumph."

But in a war of words?

Elizabeth McGovern said, "We might have to give it to Maggie, but by a slim margin. It would be a good battle."

McGovern's TV husband, actor Hugh Bonneville, who portrays Robert Crawley, Earl of Grantham, replied without giving the question a second's thought:

Hugh Bonneville, actor of Downton Abbey, said, "Maggie Smith, because she's bigger. She's a little bit taller, I think. But, now, it would be a tough one. I would love to see them flinging mud at each other. That would be fantastic, especially in the big skirts. It would be very funny."

Other actors also weighed in on whether costar Shirley MacLaine or Maggie Smith would win in a celebrity death match. Downton Abbey has been held as the best period drama after "Pride and Prejudice". Starting in September 2010, the series has been popular both in the UK and the US.

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