‘Downton Abbey’ season 6 officially its last; producer confirms in statement
You most likely knew that this was coming based on recent headlines, and it is now official: “Downton Abbey” will conclude its story on ITV this fall (or in early 2016 on PBS) after six seasons, and after arguably becoming one of the most-successful British series of all time. It may not have the longevity of “Doctor Who,” but it exposed fans all the world over to some British history, interesting characters, and some great storytelling. Has the show been inconsistent at times? Sure. Season 4 was a snooze, but season 5 felt like a significant step in the right direction save for rehashing the Bates / Anna prison story near the end.
Executive producer Gareth Neame was the first to confirm that the series was ending today with a statement:
“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…”
We do feel like the time is right here for a number of reasons, beginning with the fact that the ratings for the series are no longer rising, so it has hit the commercial peak and there is nowhere to go but down at this point. Also, many of the actors’ contracts are expiring, and we imagine that the majority of them were interested in moving on and trying something different after so much success here. Lily James has already become a box-office star thanks to “Cinderella,” while Dan Stevens has taken on a variety of movie roles.
What’s your quick reaction to this confirmation? Let us know now, and head over here to acquire some further TV updates on everything we cover, courtesy of our CarterMatt Newsletter. (Photo: ITV.)