Production Begins on 'The Gilded Age' Season 2

Production on Season 2 of the period drama The Gilded Age has officially begun, with shooting taking place in Rhode Island and New York state.

The series hails from Julian Fellowes and is his long-awaited attempt at making an American version of Downton Abbey, set among the old money snobs and nouveau riche strivers of late-nineteenth-century New York's uber-rich. The Gilded Age may not have quite found the right way to balance its sprawling cast and its upstairs versus downstairs stories. However, the period series boasts enough lavish sets and sumptuous costumes to make it a more than pleasant Monday night diversion, and a proper addition to the HBO lineup.

Premium cable network HBO announced the start of filming on social media with a behind-the-scenes shot featuring stars Morgan Spector and Carrie Coon as railroad tycoon George Russell and his wife, Bertha. She is determined to take her place among the elite of New York society. (Basically, they know what the people want, and it is everyone's favorite robber baron romance, is what I'm saying.) Season 2 will also star Christine Baranski and Cynthia Nixon as Agnes and Ada, the old money family across the street who are not so fond of the social climbers.