‘Downton Abbey’ season 6: Brendan Coyle quiet on future as Mr. Bates

As of right now, the good news we have for you when it comes to “Downton Abbey” is merely that there is going to be a sixth season coming up on ITV / PBS. Beyond that, though, almost everything else is a mystery, including which cast members are going to be a part of it.

As of right now, the British press is currently running somewhat amok over the idea of Brendan Coyle (Mr. Bates) seemingly leaving the show, and much of it stems from the following comment that the actor gave in a new interview with the Sunday Express:

“Everything’s finite. We can’t go on until the 1960s, that would be weird … There may be life after Downton Abbey, it won’t be as big as this, but that won’t bother me, that’s not how I quantify success.”

While we have no inside information on the subject, we feel like the odds are lower of Coyle leaving after this season than the Abbey hosting a BBC crossover courtesy of the Tardis arriving on the front lawn. Bates and Anna are one of the show’s most popular pairs, and we cannot imagine the series getting rid of him now, or Coyle opting to leave before what could end up being the final season. No one affiliated with the show has said anything about that, but we do personally feel like this should be the end of the road. Six years is a good length for any show to last, especially one in Great Britain, which traditionally has shorter seasons in the first place.

Unfortunately, there are still big rumors surrounding some other stars of the show, as well. For example, Allen Leech is still being coy about whether or not we will see Tom Branson again.

We’ll have some further news on “Downton Abbey” and the cast moving forward as it comes out.