Downton Abbey Season 6 will be show’s final season

It had been speculated about a bit recently, and today the producers of Downton Abbey confirmed the news that fans have been dreading: that Season 6 of the international hit drama will be the series’ last.

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Carnival Film’s Managing Director and Executive Producer of Downton Abbey, Gareth Neame said in a release, “Millions of people around the world have followed the journey of the Crawley family and those who serve them for the last five years. Inevitably there comes a time when all shows should end and Downton is no exception. We wanted to close the doors of Downton Abbey when it felt right and natural for the storylines to come together and when the show was still being enjoyed so much by its fans. We can promise a final season full of all the usual drama and intrigue, but with the added excitement of discovering how and where they all end up…”

Downton Abbey has been a television executive’s dream come true: a beautifully-made, returning series that captures a nation’s attention and becomes a household name. It’s been a game-changer for MASTERPIECE,” added Rebecca Eaton, executive producer of MASTERPIECE, which airs Downton in the United States. “We are indebted to our UK partners for making a show which will go down in television history, not just for its impeccable writing, acting and production values, but most importantly, for its enormously warm-hearted audience appeal.”

Julian Fellowes, writer and creator of Downton Abbey, said, “The Downton journey has been amazing for everyone aboard. People ask if we knew what was going to happen when we started to make the first series and the answer is that, of course we had no idea. Exactly why the series had such an impact and reached so many people around the world, all nationalities, all ages, all types, I cannot begin to explain. But I do know how grateful we are to have been allowed this unique experience. I suspect the show will always be a principal marker in most of our careers as we set out from here, and if so, I consider that a blessing and a compliment.”

Downton Abbey Season 6, the final season, will air in the United States on PBS beginning in January 2016.

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Maggie Smith (Violet, Dowager Countess of Grantham) and Michelle Dockery (Lady Mary Crawley) during a a Downton Abbey Season 6 read-through: Courtesy of Nick Briggs/Carnival Film & Television Limited 2015 for MASTERPIECE