Emmys 2011: 'Downton Abbey' Lands in Guinness Book of World Records

12:49 PM PDT 9/14/2011 by Lauren Schutte

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Courtesy of Masterpiece

The PBS show, which is nominated for 11 Emmys, ousted "Mad Men," "Sons of Anarchy" and "Modern Family" to take the record.

Downton Abbey is one for the record books. Literally.

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The miniseries, which is nominated for 11 Primetime Emmy awards (including outstanding miniseries), was awarded the Guinness World Records title for "highest critical review ratings for a TV show."

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Abbey, a family-centered drama set in Edwardian England, averaged a Metacritic score of 92 out of 100, making it the most critically well-reviewed TV show in the world.

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The PBS show, which aired on the channel's Masterpiece series, bumped out AMC's Mad Men, Fx's Sons of Anarchy and ABC's Modern Family, who have all shared the title since 2009.

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"Downton Abbey oozes class from every pore,” Guinness World Records Editor-in- Chief Craig Glenday said in a statement. “It’s not surprising that it’s been listed in the record book – every aspect of its production, from the cast and the set design to the costumes and the sophisticated writing, is exceptional.”

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The show's second season will return to Masterpiece on PBS in Jan. 2012