by Ardeana Hamlin of The Weekly Staff   ORONO — The PBS period drama, “Downton Abbey” Series 4, left millions of fans with a lot of questions and eager for Series 5. Will the widowed Lady Mary Crawley remarry and, if so, who will the lucky man be? Will her sister, Lady Edith, reveal to her family that she has a daughter fathered by her lover Michael Gregson? Will Tom Branson, Lady Sybil’s widower and the family’s former chauffeur, continue to thrive at Downton Abbey or will Lord Grantham thwart the plans Tom has for making improvements to the estate? Fans of the series, set in the era just before and after World War I, will get a small hint to what the answers to those questions, and many others, may be at a special event sponsored by the Maine Public Broadcasting Network. A free screening of the first hour of the Season 5 premiere episode of ‘Downton Abbey’ will take place at 2 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 3, at The Collins Center for the Arts, University of Maine. Tickets are free, but must be reserved in advance at MPBN.net. Doors will open for the event at 1 p.m. for tea and cookies. “When MPBN presented us with the opportunity to show the season premiere of ‘Downton Abbey,’ we jumped at the offer. It not only adds something distinctive to our season, it gives fans a chance to see their favorite show in a different way. We have a beautiful venue, comfortable seats, great sound quality and the ability to broadcast onto our 40-foot high-definition screen. All we need now are the ‘Downton Abbey’ enthusiasts — and we know they’re out there in droves,” said  Daniel Williams, executive director, Collins Center for the Arts. Questions hang in the air below stairs in the “Downton Abbey” servants’ hall, too. Will Daisy, the assistant cook, find her feelings for Alfred the footman returned, or will he continue to moon about after Ivy the kitchen maid? What kind of mischief will Thomas Barrow the footman stir up in Season 5 — will he be the one to learn about Lady Edith’s out-of-wedlock child? Will the fondness that exists between Mrs. Hughes the housekeeper and Carson the butler deepen into something more? “This event gives ‘Downton’ followers a chance to gather, talk about their favorite aspects of the show, and guess at what will happen this season. We are encouraging people to dress in period costume. The prize for best costume will be two tickets to the April 23rd performance of the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain,” said Karen Cole, associate director, Collins Center for the Arts. “Downton Abbey” Season 4 drew an average audience of 13.2 million viewers, making it the top PBS drama of all time and one of the highest rated dramas now on American television, according to an MPBN fact sheet. The drama, set in Yorkshire, England, has won 11 Emmy Awards and has received 51 nominations, the most-nominated non-U.S. series in Emmy history. And what of Mrs. Crawley, mother of Matthew Crawley, who died in a car crash and left Lady Mary a widow? Will Mrs. Crawley and the Dowager Lady Grantham continue their understated alliance to keep things in the family on an even keel, or succumb to the thinly veiled animosity that sometimes arises between them when the Dowager’s old school, upper crust ideas clash with Mrs. Crawley’s more liberal sensibilities? Will there be more situations in which the Dowager feels compelled to employ her blunt honesty and barbed sense of humor to guide the lives and loves of the inhabitants of Downton Abbey? When it comes to the plots, counter-plots and subplots of “Downton Abbey,” written by Julian Fellowes, the twists and turns of the storylines are as complex as the vast expanse of corridors and rooms in the great house itself. Viewers never know for sure what will happen next and that frisson of suspense is the thread — that, and desire to know what the ladies of the house will be wearing this season — that keeps them coming back for more. “The phenomenon which is “Downton Abbey” is extraordinary, and has captivated millions of viewers nationwide,” said MPBN President and CEO Mark Vogelzang in a press release. “We are delighted to be able to provide fans here in Maine with the opportunity to see the first hour of Season 5’s premiere episode before it is aired, and to meet other ‘Downton Abbey’ lovers.” The premiere of “Downton Abbey” Season 5 will be broadcast on MPBN Television at 9 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 4. For information, go to mpbn.org.