BREAKING. MASSIVE SHOCKER coming; Downton Abbey the heir apparent of Dallas as major character gets killed off in season ending cliffhanger!

This is as massive as it gets in television - a massive fatal plot twist so breathtakingly spectacular and surprising that shocked British television viewers sat stunned as a major main character unexpectedly got killed off in the 3rd season finale of the worldwide British TV hit Downton Abbey last night.

While Britons are reeling in shock, if I were BBC Worldwide Channels I'd start showing the new 3rd season of Downton Abbey not from April in South African on BBC Entertainment (DStv 120) as their plan is currently, but right now.

Last night in the 3rd series finale on ITV in the United Kingdom viewers saw a great character die and that news is not going to remain a secret to South African viewers who will have the show spoiled by the time its seen many months from now on BBC Entertainment.

Britains are reeling this morning (and word will very soon get out as to who it is who died as the spoiler spreads quickly around the world) after last night's 3rd season finale of the worldwide British TV hit in which Downton Abbey all but finally and firmly took over television's cliffhanger crown.

Whereas Dallas in the 80s started the modern-day trend of season-ender cliffhangers in television giving viewers an unexpected jolt in the last seconds of a season with unbelievable plot twists (inaugurated by the shocking second season "Who shot JR?" finale), Downton Abbey has now firmly entrenched itself as the show making viewers' jaws drop and keeping them buzzing until a new season starts.

As if one massive death earlier in the new 3rd season of Downton Abbey wasn't enough, another major main character, never close to death, danger or old age, suddenly got killed last night in the extremely popuar Julian Fellowes British period melodrama.

BBC Worldwide Channels which pipes the various BBC channels to South Africa through MultiChoice's DStv play-TV platform will get a lot more bang for its buck from the ITV bought series if the new 3rd series of Downton Abbey starts showing in South Africa now.

By April when the show is due to start on BBC Entertainment in South Africa, pay-TV subscribers to DStv will not be able to experience the same shocking sensation as the TV production intended, since the shocking surprises, twists and the death packed into the final episode will be firmly all over the internet and have been seen, unwillingly, by a lot of people who didn't want to know and will have the dramatic television narrative spoiled for them due to online media.

The actor who just got killed told The Telegraph that it was "very emotional shooting the end of the series because those guys are like family".