>> kroft: she's talking about "downton abbey," the highbrow british soap opera that follows the intrigues of an aristocratic family and their servants at the turn of the last century. it's drawn critical acclaim and record audiences due, in large part, to maggie smith's portrayal of violet, the imperious, sharp-tongued dowager countless of grantham. >> i'm steve kroft. >> i'm leslie stahl. >> i'm morley safer. >> i'm bob simon. >> i'm lara logan. >> i'm scott pelley. those stories tonight on "60 minutes." [ male announcer ] what are happy kids made of? bikes and balloons, wholesome noodles on spoons. a kite, a breeze, a dunk of grilled cheese. catches and throws, and spaghettio's. that's what happy kids are made of. campbell's. it's amazing what soup can do. amyblue shirt: we do.u have all the popular smart phones? that's what happy kids are made of. amy: at&t? blue shirt: yes. amy: sprint? blue shirt: mhmm. amy: verizon? blue shirt: got it. amy: do you make commission on this? blue shirt: no. amy: do you have all the plans? blue shirt: we do. amy: does this make my head look big? blue sh

it's very middle class. >> kroft: how important is maggie smith to "downton abbey"?>> fellowes: maggie is probably the hardest one to replace, could we put it like that. she would be, i think, the greatest loss. >> kroft: don't worry, it's not in the script or on the story boards, and dame maggie has signed on for season four of "downton abbey," which is now filming. at 78 and a breast cancer survivor, she displays no appetite for slowing down. "quartet," her 53rd film, which is now in theaters, is about a retirement home for opera singers. guess who is the diva. >> smith: this is not a retirement home, this is a madhouse. >> kroft: it was directed by dustin hoffman, another strong- willed actor, in his first effort behind the camera. >> smith: it was a great treat. it was such a relief to know that the person behind the camera knew exactly how you were feeling, and when you had problems doing something, knew exactly why. he'd been in that position himself and understood it inside out. >> kroft: how did you get along? >> dustin hoffman: perfectly. i mean, she... she

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(laughter) >> that was a clip from pbs's "downton abbey."es that depicts the lives of an n aristocratic family and their servants and almost as popular as american idol is here and abroad. despite the fact that it makes rich people look good and not evil, stu varney says that's the opposite message of the one we have been getting from some of our elected leaders here at home. stu varney host of varney and company at the fox business network. you see a political message here and you're not the only one. many on the left particularly in great britain have been ripping the show suggesting the creator julian fellow hes is in their view conservative and to the right and more fair-minded people say he's a center right, not far right, but in any event they say -- they accused him of having an agenda of making the rich look good and that's why they hate "downton abbey" and you say what. >> what other tv show have you ever seen, a modern tv show, where the rich are made to look generous, honest, classy, and looking after people with their money and t

. >>> just ahead downton abbey wraps its season in a big way.irst look" on msnbc. [ female announcer ] going to sleep may be easy, but when you wake up in the middle of the night it can be frustrating. it's hard to turn off and go back to sleep. intermezzo is the first and only prescription sleep aid approved for use as needed in the middle of the night when you can't get back to sleep. it's an effective sleep medicine you don't take before bedtime. take it in bed only when you need it and have at least four hours left for sleep. do not take intermezzo if you have had an allergic reaction to drugs containing zolpidem, such as ambien. allergic reactions such as shortness of breath or swelling of your tongue or throat may occur and may be fatal. intermezzo should not be taken if you have taken another sleep medicine at bedtime or in the middle of the night or drank alcohol that day. do not drive or operate machinery until at least 4 hours after taking intermezzo and you're fully awake. driving, eating, or engaging in other activities while not ful

you know "downton abbey," right? drama on pbs about a very proper english family, sort of like an "upstairs, downstairs" type of thing. we love it around here. in fact, the way they act on "downton abbey" is pretty much exactly the way we act behind the scenes here at "late night." the british accents, the dramatic looks, the formal outfits. it's what it's like backstage here at studio 6b. that's where we are. i think you'll see what i mean in part two of the latest episode of "downton sixbey." [ applause ] >> previously on "downton sixbey" -- >> jimmy: carson daly was in yet another hot air balloon accident, and questlove is back to being the heir to downton sixbey. i've made some bad business decisions as of late, and i'm afraid that means rationing the wine. >> turns out, our man, higgins, is on the run. poisoned his wife's cup of tea with roach killer. >> how do you know this? >> the truth is one of your daughters has stolen my heart. i've come to ask her hand in marriage. ♪ ♪ >> jimmy: i couldn't be more pleased

for all of you "downton abbey" fans, here's what that looks like, married to the theme of downton itself. >> our producer, what a great piece of work. when we come back, would i love to take credit for it. racial divide on gun control. scoops a >> they deserve a vote. gabby gifford's deserves a vote. the families of newtown deserve a vote! families of aurora deserve a vote? the families of tussin and blacksburg and countless other communities lift open by gun violence, they deserve a simple vote. chris: welcome back. that was the president's plea for simple vote even on gun control. as amy walter notes in her new political report, cook political report, the assault weapons bass, 46 house republicans voted yes, that could not happen today. here's the story, three-quarters of republicans say the government wants to deny their right to own a gun. highest rate is among southern white men. 64%. barack obama lost noncollege white men by historic margins. democrat hasn't done as badly with them since walter mon mondale. here's how wane lapierre is using statistics. he wrote this online this wee

. >>> just ahead, "downton abbey" wraps its season in a big way. >>> plus, move over lebron, we'll show you a talented sea otter that can do a whole lot more than just catch you fish. you're watching "early today." >>> welcome back. we are watching that storm in the west and then it's heading to the middle of the country today, already well ahead of the storm. just a surge of moisture in north texas. this is the dallas area with light rain, heavier downpours by wichita falls. it's cold in canada. it's coming down with snow and wintry mix. travel trouble beginning early today. but the peak of it, the intensity of the snow will be later on today and tomorrow. you won't want to be traveling. today, around kansas city, everyone's getting prepared for this event. >>> time for entertainment. now that leonardo dicaprio, quote, is taking a break from acting he's looking for other ways to occupy his time. is seems that wildlife activist is on his list. dicaprio is working with the world wildlife fund to take the lead on elephant conservation. >>> record exec clive davis has released a tell-all m

. >>> just ahead, "downton abbey" wraps its season in a big way. we'll tell you why losing at the oscars has its perks. >>> plus, move over lebron, we'll show you a talented sea otter that can do a whole lot more than just catch fish. you're watching "early today." >>> welcome back. our storm is exiting california and heading into arizona. the steadier rain that is. leftover showers and southern portions of nevada trying to sneaking up towards vegas with a little bit of precipitation especially with snow at the highest elevations. now as far as the forecast goes today we do clear you want in california today and as we go towards tomorrow not looking too bad there either very similar weather pattern still kind of chilly. won't be until the weekend we warm up southern cal. >>> time now for entertainment. now that leonardo dicaprio, quote, is taking a break from acting, he's looking for other ways to occupy his time. it seems that wildlife activist is first on his list. the actor has called on the thai government to ban all ivory trade in the country.

we couldn't be more excited about the return of "downton abbey." it's now in its third season.ght? "downton abbey." [ cheers and applause ] it's a period drama on pbs about a very proper english family, sort of like an "upstairs, downstairs" type of thing. we love it around here. in fact, the way they act on "downton abbey," is pretty much exactly the way we act here behind the scenes here at "late night." the british accents, dramatic looks, the formal outfits. it's what it's like backstage here in studio 6b. that's where we are. i think you'll see what i mean in the third episode of "downton sixbey." >> previously on "downton sixbey." >> due to the tragic hot air balloon accident, which claimed carson daly, "downton sixbey" will now pass on to my new heir, questlove. >> questlove, will your mother be joining us for dinner? >> she should be arriving any moment now. ♪ >> my apologies. you must think i'm terrible. >> on the contrary. it's quite lovely. >> the only thing that can save you now is if carson daly himself walks through that door. >> so sorry i'm late. >> what the [ b

>> steve: i watched "downton abbey." [ laughter ] and then went back. because i'm manly, though. know what i mean? >> jimmy: yeah, well, you play a base character in our spoof of "downton abbey," which airs tomorrow night. >> steve: oh, yeah. >> jimmy: tomorrow night and wednesday night is the "downton abbey" spoof on our show, so tune in for that or set your tivos and dvrs. >> steve: dvr it. >> jimmy: i had a great time. i watched the whole thing. loved it. beyonce? >> steve: fantastic. >> jimmy: that was unbelievable. [ cheers and applause ] >> steve: that was, like, a different level. >> jimmy: that's it. i don't think they can do a halftime show anymore. >> steve: how do you follow that? what are you going to do if you follow after that? >> jimmy: i don't know. >> steve: magic? >> jimmy: yeah, maybe magic. that's a good idea. david blaine just hangs out. >> steve: frozen -- >> jimmy: they wheel him out -- >> steve: standing in a block of ice. >> jimmy: ice for 30 minutes. >> steve: yeah. >> jimmy: then wheel him back out. i'd watch that. that would be pretty rad. >> steve: i'

and i bring you the financial angle on "downton abbey." the finale, final episode of three last night. i'm not going to tell you how it it ended, but i will ask you this, which other tv series shows rich people behaving well and when was the last time you saw the pursuit of profit. and isn't that different from the contempt of the fat cat rich. and democrat doug schoen is still with me. any comment on "downton abbey." >> well, i guess my-- >> don't hedge. >> wealth creation is good. more wealth creation is the better and what's missing in this country now is a celebration of growing wealth to expand the pie to create jobs and have a better country. stuart: well, what did you say? in this country right now, we have a celebration of growing wealth? >> we don't have it. stuart: we don't have it. >> that's what i'm saying, we don't have it on either side and we're losing as a result because nobody talks about the centrality of economic growth, expansion of the pie. creating jobs, a better society. stuart: tell me the truth. do you think that p

oh, "ester of wood rosin": my favorite new character on "downton abbey." [ laughter ] anyway, i'm still be serving gatorade at my super bowl party. and, folks, there is no super bowl party more rockin' than the annual bash at captain colbert's goodtime house of balls-out kickin' it. [ laughter ] the whole wrecking crew is gonna be there: lou dawg, small-face tommy, eddie pants-pleats, and vinnie the dentist. [ laughter ] we call him that because he's a dentist. i do a basement tailgate. let me tell you, after three or four breezies and 20 minutes indoors with my idling chevy tahoe, no one walks out under their own power. you have to love people that applaud brain damage. like nfl fans. [cheers and applause] of course, people come for the signature snacks, like my world-famous eight meat chili. this year i even have a vegetarian version, with only six meats. [ laughter ] but the party's in danger of missing out on the main meat. >> guess what? shortage of chicken wings. >> your super bowl chicken wings are going to be more expensive this year and harder to get. >> last year's severe drou

. >>> maggie smith one of the stars of "downton abbey" has admitted she's never seen the show. though smith said she may some day end up watching the show. >>> new york fashion week goes head to head with big celebs. jessica chaft tine and olivia wild study the styles coming down. and michael douglas even enjoyed seeing some of the fashion shows. >>> and with the oscars just over a week away, actresses are busy getting their gowns ready for the big night. this year's host seth macfarlane has picked out his attire. two gucci tuxedos. and apparently he's been courted from jewelers all over the world begging him to wear his tie clip. i actually wish somebody would beg me to take their jewelry. >> a million-dollar necklace. with seth macfarlane, this is so interesting for him. >>> this next one comes from orlando florida. where one little piggy made it ohm. chris p. bacon. get it -- i didn't name him. instead, one veterinarian fashioneded a wheelchair for the little guy made out of his son's toys. chris may outgrow his ride but the internet has not outgrown the love for the bacon v

. >>> golden globe winner maggie smith is grateful downton abbey has a huge following i don't it is frustrating. i always see things i would like to do differently. >> hollywood has movie screenings and exhibitions ahead of the academy awards. >>> and just in time for oscar week argo is out on dvd tomorrow. the film is based on a suck he isful secret mission to rescue six americans from iran during the hostage crisis. >>> also out on dvd anna i didn't know na -- >>> good morning and thank you for watching wusa9 at 5:00 a.m. happy president's day. i'm andrea roane. >>> traffic is going to be a little bit light. >> we can blame it on howard. >> they are so cold right? >> it is really cold up there. >> we have teens this morning. tomorrow we'll be back. >> it has been dry and it shouldn't be an issue. the winds are coming down. here's our day planner for you on this monday morning with temperatures mainly in the 20s right now. as we head toward noon, temperatures only in the mid- 30s with highs this afternoon. some spots west

now things are happening like homeland and downton abbey and more of that english style where they are telling stories in eight or 10 episodes. >> you were writing a vehicle for yourself for cable. that seems to be where there is so much activity. >> because he is excited about this kind of storytelling. it is fun to be with somebody running a network saying, this is what i want to do. we are using the resources of network television. the other side of is they have been spending three or $4 million an episode, so they have the ability to really make which is fun to be part of, because having those extra cameras and having to shoot with that level of production, is fun. as much as i love independent and gritty and the cable version, to tell this story, and we needed the ability to use cmgi and all the effects .riggered > tavis: when i last saw you we were in the old studio. when we were last year you were leaving the studio to head back to new york to continue your training for the new york marathon, which you were running to raise money for a charity that was attempting to do some wond

. >>> maggie smith one of the stars of "downton abbey" has admitted she's never seen the show. she thinks seeing that would make her agonize over her performance. though smith said she may some day end up watching the show. >>> new york fashion week goes head to head with big celebs. jessica chastain and olivia wild study all the different styles coming down the runway. and waxed poetic for michael kors. and michael douglas even enjoyed seeing some of the fashion shows. >>> and with the oscars just over a week away, actresses are busy getting their gowns ready for the big night. this year's host seth macfarlane already has his attire picked out. two gucci tuxedos. and apparently he's been courted from jewelers all over the world begging him to wear their diamond cuff links and tie clips. they love you now but what would they say to you the morning after hosting the world's toughest gig. i actually wish somebody would beg me to take their jewelry. >> a million-dollar necklace. with seth macfarlane, this is so interesting for him. >>> this next one comes from orlando, florida, wh

there has been a lot for us "downton abbey" fans to cope with this season.lso i really hate the wait. to find out what -- where things go from here. >> our household, a lot of emotion. ruth marcus, see you soon. thank you very much. and that does it for us for this edition of "andrea mitchell reports." if you haven't seen it, bring a lot of kleenex. and "news nation" is next with thomas roberts. for over 75 years people have saved money with...ohhh... ...with geico... ohhh...sorry! director's voice: here we go. from the top. and action for over 75 years people have saved money with gecko so.... director's voice: cut it! ...what...what did i say? gecko? i said gecko? aw... for over 75 year...(laughs. but still trying to keep it contained) director's voice: keep it together. i'm good. i'm good. for over 75...(uncontrollable lahtuger). what are you doing there? stop making me laugh. vo: geico. saving people money for over seventy-five years. gecko: don't look at me. don't look at me. all stations come over to mithis is for real this time. step seven point two o

there has been a lot for us "downton abbey" fans to cope with this season.really hate the wait. to find out what -- where things go from here. >> our household, a lot of emotion. ruth marcus, see you soon. thank you very much. and that does it for us for this edition of "andrea mitchell reports." if you haven't seen it, bring a lot of kleenex. and "news nation" is next with thomas roberts.

"downton abbey" fans will recognize him. boy" is his first american show. >> it's great to be doing something on a big network. it's the number one network. >> that number one network cbs has the number one show in all of television. "ncis." and tonight the team springs into action when brian and david are kidnapped. over on nbc it is back to back episodes of betty white's "off their rockers." >>> still to come right here, we have more exclusive vanity fair oscar secrets. >> halle berry, michael and catherine. new shots from the party everyone is talking about. >>> then hollywood's jennifer lawrence obsession. from her first trip to the oscars to being hit on by jack nicholson sunday night. >> announcer: that's coming up when "e.t." with nancy and rob returns. closed captioning provided by -- >>> "entertainment tonight" breaks down the jennifer lawrence factor. because she absolutely owned the oscars. >> she did. earlier we showed you j. law's quick hair change right after the show. >> even that is big news because america c

. >> more plot twists than "downton abbey" at the bolshoi. now to china.estimated 700 million people will tune in to china central television's lunar new year gala. the performance has become unstable family fare, a staple tv moment like few others -- the performance has become family fare, a staple tv moment like few others. >> backstage, a chance to see the performers about to face a very big audience indeed. hundreds of musicians, actors, and dancers are getting ready for one of the most-watched tv shows on the planet. china's lunar new year gala has been growing ever grander since it began in 1983, but this year, the directors have been ordered to produce a show more frugal in tone in line with the recent crackdown on corruption and official extravagance. it is a rare intervention these days. china's diverse ethnicity is always feature underlining national unity, but direct political messages have been scaled back. >> it is a really wonderful platform. i think as a classical musician, this is a very nice place to share our artwork. normally, we play on

. >>> a hit british drama downton abbey raked in 1.2 million viewers for its finale. pbs has quadrupled its primetime average. >>> the runner-ups at the oscars will be taking home swag bags valued at $4500. >>> what are they saying? >> well, this is "first look" on msnbc. "way too early" with guest host peter alexander starts right now. ♪ >>> did you see the pictures of president obama playing golf with tiger woods this weekend? neither did we. >> the media covering the president was shut out. the press corps complained. >> there are a lot of holes in the story, specifically, 18 of them. but i believe america deserves to know, who drove the cart? who rode shotgun? did the president play from the woman's tee? fol folks, you're just as upset as i am, i can tell. >> so, it may not be getting any love from the press but the president still coming out on top, tiger woods confirming that the president has some game. this is "way too early." we have a lot to discuss on this wednesday, february 20th. >>> live pictures right now from across the globe, this is outside the south

could diversity be coming to pbs's wildly popular "downton abbey"? are reportedly advertising for a black actor to join the show's cast. >> he would play a musician called jack ross. and be part of a story line about race relations back in the 1920s. no word on whether this would be a recuring role or just part of an episode or two. >> hmm. wonder if they need a hispanic girl. >> there you go. that show is paying well. very popular. >> they kill people off apparently. >>> and a woman who had a chance to walk away with thousands of dollars has returned that money to its rightful owner. >> this is pat westner. she is posing now with a new york state trooper after picking up more than $11,000 in crash. she was driving behind a brinks truck when money was going anywhere. the truck kept going. she stopped, gathered the money and called police. >> no one was around. so, she could have kept the money quite easily, in fact. but she said, it's not my money. >> good for her. >> would you do the same, america? think about that. >>> we'll be right back. but, you

. > what about "downton abbey?" there is a big company that advertises- or really, i should say sponsors- the pbs show. it's viking river cruises, and they are showing trips along the river that give you castle views. is that helping the river cruise business? > > i think so, because a lot of people, they want to see europe, and they want a more authentic experience when they are staying there, and river cruising takes them to the heart of europe, into small little cities that they may not be able to get to otherwise, or at least with the ease of river cruising they wouldn't be able to. > i would be remiss if i didn't talk about the carnival cruise mishap. do you think something like that could hurt river cruise numbers? > > river cruising i don't think is going to hurt so much, but the ocean liners are probably going to get a little softer at the beginning, but they bounce back really fast as well, so i don't see any long- term effects where that is going to inhibit any bookings on that. > wally, great to speak wit

watched all three seasons of "downton abbey." >> i play solitaire on my phone. >> reporter: sure, new york and l.a. are bad, but try living in the nation's capital. washington d.c. is home to the worst traffic in the country, where what should be a 30-minute drive takes about three hours. >> there's a longer commute because they're going to drive further to get a higher paying job. and so, rather than try to uproot the whole family, you uproot your commute and make it longer. >> reporter: in 2011, commuters wasted more than $800 a year on gas, just to sit in traffic. and that painfully boring ride could be painful for your body, too. studies show a ten-mile or more commute can lead to high blood pressure. 15 miles or more, bigger waistlines. and all that can lead to heart disease, diabetes, even some cancers. >> traffic is no longer something that people are surprised at. they expect it. >> reporter: so, some advice on how to manage it? stay off the roads on friday, the busiest commute day of the week. leave for work before the sun comes up. use a gps to find a detour or a back road.

if you look at historical movies, usually profits are viewed as evil and in "downton abbey", profits,hey employ the various people on the estate that work there and unusual from what you see and also the case that if you look at the rich historically in films they're portrayed as evil and poor working class portrayed as noble. in this case these are a look at the rich in a different way. employees interested in their lives and bankrupt the estate to make sure to continue to employ them. and thing this resonates with americans who are tired of being profits and wealth being seen as evil and fraudulent and nefarious. >> many believing that freedom is a god given right and i want it read a passage from julian fellows to encourage the surrender of freedom in order to avoid danger, is the hall mark of tyranny and-- >> his novels are better than doneton abby and i encourage everyone to read them. what's ooh clear in them. he's libertarian. he does not like the nanny state, the state that americans understand tell you what kind of french fries to eat and big gulp. and we're worse off with th

the drama on "downton abbey" is nothing like what they face on "upside downton abbey." e ceiling. the countess renames the estate to right-side upton abbey. that's cute. >>> and melissa mccarthy knows how to get us laughing. the "bridesmaid" star stopped by jimmy kimmel to promote her new movie, "identity theft." watch how she steals jimmy. >> hello, hollywood. i'm jimmy kimmel. i'll pay for them. i'm jimmy kimmel. >> thank you very much, jimmy kimmel. >> have a great day, miss mccarthy. i loved you in "bridesmaids." >> thank you so much. >> very funny. that show continues to just rock. >> the movie, "identity theft" is in theaters this friday. >>> what national holiday are we celebrating today? very near and dear to one of our own. we're helping sam celebrate it. we'll let you know coming up after weather. >>> sam must know. let's get some weather first. >> what holiday are we celebrating? tell me your names. you made a sign. who is it for? >> it's for my lovely mother, barbara kiss. she is celebrating her 83rd birthday. >> 83 degrees -- 83 degrees. 83 years old. big ki