‘Downton Abbey’ season 5: ITV boss admits that picking up series was ‘big risk’

Was “Downton Abbey” much of a sure thing at all? Far from it. This is really one of those cases where we look back at a hit television show, and comment mostly on how brilliant a move it was to bring it to television. However, at the same time there were many opportunities for it to have potentially failed if just one thing went in the wrong direction.

Speaking about this subject at the Edinburgh TV Festival recently, ITV head Peter Fincham used the word “risk” when talking about the hit show in relation to its other programming, given that you sometimes need to take gambles in order for there to be great success on the other side.

Let’s try to put the level of “risk” here into a certain frame. Back when the show first premiered, period dramas were of course a very risky proposition in that they cost a ton of money to make, especially with this big a cast. They can also be labeled as boring.

This is one of those rare cases, as well, of a show taking off beyond anyone’s expectations. No one should greenlight a show thinking that it will be watched by this many people around the globe. Instead, they should just be happy if they are watched by enough to be a solid hit, and stay on the network a few seasons. This was probably the thought going into picking the show up on ITV in the first place.

What do you think about “Downton Abbey” in retrospect: Was it a risk to bring the show on the air, and would you have picked up an ambitious period drama? Let us know in the comments, and head over here for some further news on the subject now. You can also sign up in the event you want some more TV scoop on all we cover via our CarterMatt Newsletter.

Photo: ITV