‘Downton Abbey’ season 6 spoilers: Maggie Smith hints that end is (likely) near

There is little disputing that “Downton Abbey” has had quite an incredible run on TV over the course of the past several years. It has drawn enormous ratings, generated a large fan following, and ensured that it will be relevant to many over the course of the next several years.

With all of this being said, however, all things must end, and series star Maggie Smith makes it rather clear that some things should end sooner rather than later. Speaking to the Times of London at around the time that the season 5 finale was airing on PBS, the actress behind the famed Dowager Countess Violet made it clear that this is a story that should tie itself together sooner rather than later:

“They say this is the last one, and I can’t see how it could go on … I mean, (my character) certainly can’t keep going. To my knowledge, I must be 110 by now. We’re in to the late 1920s.”

Executive producer Gareth Neame, meanwhile, did not confirm with The Wrap that the upcoming season will for sure be the end. Instead, he simply states that they are trying to figure out when the right time to say farewell really is:

“These things always have a shelf life … We always try to judge that properly.

“I’ve said before that we made the fifth season; we’re now shooting Season 6. We won’t be there in Season 10, so somewhere in the next few years. We’d like to judge when the time feels right.”

It pains us to say it in many ways, but we do feel ultimately now quite like the time is right to end it next year. This is a show that has already hits its peak in popularity, and you always want to end before you become an afterthought. If they go on too much later, you run the risk of that happening.

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