Downton Abbey announces final season, but hints at a movie

THE sixth season of period drama Downton Abbey will be its last, its makers have announced.

“Inevitably there comes a time when all shows should end and Downton is no exception,” said the program’s executive producer Gareth Neame.

The finale will run in England on Christmas Day.

The show has won a string of awards since it began in 2010, including three Golden Globes, 11 Primetime Emmys and three Baftas.

“The Downton journey has been amazing for everyone aboard,” creator Julian Fellowes said in a press release, whose next project will be The Gilded Age, a period drama set in New York.

“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.”

Hugh Bonneville and Elizabeth McGovern have played the Earl and Countess of Grantham since the show began, and special guests have included Shirley MacLaine, Paul Giamatti and Richard E Grant.

“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,” said Neame.

The producer declined to give details about the content of the final season except to suggest the time-period: “We are certainly moving into 1925, but I won’t say more about the new season than that.”

“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.”

Neame told a press conference that the creative team “would be very interested in” aDownton movie. “It is definitely something that we’re contemplating. It would be great fun to do.” He added, “But I can’t confirm that it’s going to happen.”