Although season four of the PBS hit television series Downton Abbey is still quite some time away from its 2014 premiere, there have been several spoilers that have managed to turn up on the web.

While it was previously announced that the casting department was bringing an African-American character aboard to play the part of musician Jack Ross, it's now being reported that he'll be igniting some race-related controversy by Café Mom.

In a Feb. 4 interview conducted online, actress Joanne Froggatt (Anna) spoke about her own character's development to PBS, and commended creator Julian Fellows for a job well done on the future scripts.

"I obviously can't say more than that but I think it may be the best yet and there are certainly aspects of Anna's character that have never been seen before ... I think these scripts are the best yet. [Julian Fellowes] has done such an incredible job," she said.

In other Downton news, Michelle Dockery (Lady Mary), who was in the midst of shooting season 4, had dished to TV Guide about the prospect of shackling up with Allen Leech (Tom Branson).

"Oooh, I can't do that. He's my brother-in-law!"

Leech concurred with Dockery on the seemingly awkward predicament to the television site, and was quick to point out the character's differences.

"While it would be great for drama, I don't think it would be right for those two. As much as they respect each other, they come from very different worlds."

Although Lady Mary and Tom will be spending a significant amount of time with one another, future romances for both seem highly certain.

"We're going to be spending so much more time together, from what we've already seen in the early episodes. We're delighted by that. It's going to take them both some time before they find someone new," Leech said.

Downton Abbey is set to premiere its fourth season in the U.S. on Jan. 5, 2014, according to the Huffington Post.

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Downton abbey, Television