CPTV apologizes after Downton premiere gets chopped

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The weekend ended on down note for Connecticut’s public television affiliate.

Just as a fire consumed Lady Edith’s bedroom at Downton Abbey, the highly-anticipated season premiere of the British television series came to an abrupt end Sunday night on CPTV.

Viewers suddenly found themselves watching an ad for the Smilow Cancer Hospital at Yale-New Haven, followed by alternative PBS programming.

CPTV issued a mea culpa late Sunday night, blaming the snafu on a technical problem.

“We are profoundly sorry and embarrassed by this mistake,” CPTV said on its website.

The network was making arrangements to re-air the entire Season 5 premiere in its entirety multiples times, including at 1 a.m. Monday.

The gaffe immediately drew the wrath of Downton devotees.

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Neil Vigdor