Look who's smooching who at Downton Abbey this Christmas Special

Teaser trailer reveals exciting goings on at the Granthams' <b>*Spoiler alert!*</b>

From top left: Branson and the new maid; Mr and Mrs Bates; Earl and Countess Grantham; and Lady Mary and Matthew Crawley

A teaser trailer for this year’s Downton Abbey Christmas special reveals high jinks are in the offing for the Crawley household both upstairs and downstairs - most of it involving kissing.

Mr and Mrs Bates get cosy at a nice picnic. Branson seems to be cheering up rather following the death in childbed of his wife Lady Sybil (swings and roundabouts) with the help of a buxom new maid played by MyAnna Burling.

And that racy Rose, niece of the Dowager Countess, who was unceremoniously shipped off to Scotland at the end of Series Three, appears to be back looking racier than ever.

Earl Grantham and Lady Cora engage in some sentimental smooching, suggesting she’s forgiven him for not listening to Doctor Clarkson’s warnings about Sybil’s eclampsia (which might ultimately have saved her life). It's the little things...

And driver-turned-political firebrand Branson is seen without his shirt on, snogging the new maid (who from behind could be mistaken for Anna aka Mrs Bates. Which would have been a to-do, as Carson would say ).

Meanwhile Lady Mary and Matthew Crawley are busy baby making, punch-ups are occurring between Thomas and someone else, cars are being driven around and the servants are learning to dance.

Looks like it’ll be a jam-packed 90 minutes on Christmas Day.

Downton Abbey, Christmas Special, 25 December, 8.45pm, ITV1