'Downton' does downtown as the Grantham clan goes underground By Alex Smith, TODAY With American audiences boning up on their British accents and peppering words like "livery" and "footman" into everyday conversation,"Downton Abbey" is a bona fide hit in the States after two seasons. The series' cast members have been popping up on every conceivable platform, from the tube to the 'Net. On Sunday, however, "Downton" fans spotted their beloved Grantham clan appearing on a more literal platform -- a subway platform in New York City. Actor Hugh Bonneville (known to rabid Downtonites as Robert Crawley, the Earl of Grantham) tweeted a photo of himself, flanked by the familiar faces of actor Rob James-Collier (duplicitous footman Thomas), Sophie McShera (kitchenmaid Daisy), Joanne Froggatt (lovelorn housemaid Anna) and Brendan Coyle (the earnest valet John Bates), all appearing in the unlikely environs of Manhattan's mass transit system. Bonneville gives a clever nod to the show that put them all on the map by covering the w in downtown in a sign above their heads. Well played, fine sir! Alex Smith is an editor/producer for TODAY who regularly opts for a flamboyant horse-drawn carriage in lieu of the New York City subway.