'Downton Abbey' Has A Great Sense of Humor

After a rather embarrassing historical flub in one of Downton Abbey’s season five promotional photos — in which a very modern plastic bottle was sitting on a mantlepiece supposedly set in the 1920s — the Internet went wild creating hilarious memes replacing the plastic water bottle with things like iPads and liquor bottles. Though I’m sure that whoever edited the image received more than a slap on the wrist for this major blunder, it seems that the mistake has only helped advertise the show that much more. And what’s even better is that the cast of Downton Abbey posed with water bottles to promote the international charity, WaterAid, and make fun of the innocent gaffe.

It’s nice to see that the cast is not only embracing the slip-up but that they have also cleverly used it to their advantage by helping out with an important cause. With all of the new attention they’ve gained from the photo, it’s likely that they’ll raise much more awareness and possibly even donations to provide clean water to families around the world.

“It brought a really big smile to my face when the cast of Downton Abbey said they wanted to support WaterAid’s work,” Chief Executive Barbara Frost said. “Every pound and penny WaterAid receives will be matched by the UK Government, which means we can reach twice as many people with desperately needed clean water sanitation.”

With a witty hashtag that is sure to begin trending, #wH2oops, the official Downton Abbey Twitter handle has already tweeted the picture, linking it to WaterAid’s website so donors can receive more information about the non-profit. Though what many have deemed as “bottle-gate” had a bit of a humiliating start, it’s nice to know that this has all ended with something positive that can change the world.