Shakespeare, his work, come to life in TV series

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Jeremy Irons has a suggestion for Downton Abbey fans: Give William Shakespeare a try, too.

Irons is among the prominent hosts of Shakespeare Uncovered, an inventive series tracing the origins of eight of the writer's plays through a combination of history, new analysis, selected scenes - and, for Irons, a gallop on horseback across a fabled battlefield.

The series begins 9pm (10am Singapore time) to 11pm EST Friday (check local listings) on PBS, which happens to be the home of the hit period soap opera, Downton Abbey. Shakespeare Uncovered, along with PBS' planned fall airing of new films of four of Shakespeare's plays, "open up to this huge American audience this gold dust," Irons told reporters recently, and demonstrates that TV "doesn't end with 'Downton Abbey."'

After then mischievously comparing Shakespeare to an Aston Martin and Downton to a Ford Fiesta, Irons admitted he hadn't seen the serial and was just having a bit of fun. But he's serious about the Bard of Avon.