Downton Abbey Season 6 News: Season 6 Will Be Series Finale, Producers Reveal
After months of speculation, "Downton Abbey" will indeed come to a close and its upcoming sixth season will be its last, producers of the crossover hit drama revealed.
In a statement, executive producer Gareth Neame said that after five years, they feel that the time is right to close the doors leading to Downton Abbey.
"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," Neame said.
"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," he added according to the Entertainment Weekly.
Neame expressed hope that a sense of story conclusion will "make the sixth season the most satisfying of them all" in a conference call with reporters on Thursday.
PBS Chief Executive Officer and President Paula Kergey promised to work hard with Carnical, Masterpiece, and PBS member stations to make the sixth season the biggest yet.
"The series has enjoyed such success over the past five seasons and we'll certainly be working alongside Carnival, Masterpiece and PBS member stations to make Season 6 the biggest yet," Kergey said, according E! Online.
"Until then, Sunday nights on PBS continue to offer fans a full slate of 'must view' British and, soon, American historical drama," she added.
In a separate statement, creator and writer Julian Fellowes admitted they have no idea what was going to happen since they started making the first series.
"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," she added, , according to E! Online.
But Fellowes said the producers are in favor of making a Downton movie after the series is over.
"We would be very interested in that. [A movie is] definitely something we're contemplating, it would be great fun to do," Neame said, clarifying there's no deals in place for such a project yet.
He added there are currently no plans in place for a Downton spin-off, either while refusing to give any details about the content of the final season except to suggest the time-period setting.
"We are certainly moving into 1925, but I won't say more about the new season than that," he added, according to Entertainment Weekly.
Downton Abbey is PBS' most popular drama of all time, with the most recent fifth season having averaged 12.9 million viewers on PBS.
