‘Downton Abbey’ season 6 debate: Could Allen Leech, Laura Carmichael star in spin-off?

You may have now heard the news that “Downton Abbey” is about to end after six seasons. It’s hard not to if you spend your days surfing the web for entertainment news. It’s sad to see i come to an end, but at the same time appropriate. There is only so long that this series could actually last before there were clamors from fans that it needed to end and has stayed past it’s welcome. We weren’t there yet, but we were inching ever closer to that day, so having the masterminds behind the show decide to end it while it’s still popular is only going to help it’s legacy.

Now, we look towards the future. Could a spin-off series for the show work? We’re convinced that it could, so long as the right people were involved and there are good stories to tell. While it doesn’t seem like Gareth Neame and Julian Fellowes are planning on one per se, they also have not ruled it out entirely.

Therefore, we’re going to go into pitchman mode here and present five ideas all about what stories a Downton spin-off could focus on.

Tom Branson in Boston – Easily our pick for best idea. Allen Leech is a capable leading man, and rooting for him to find happiness in a new city comes easy. Also, it is feasible to get a few other actors to stop by for cameos from time to time, including the next person.

Lady Rose in America – The series more or less wrote Lily James out in season 5. We’re not sure that Rose is a magnetic enough character to justify her own series, but she would be a great supporting character in one. Her biggest issue is that she was always viewed as a replacement-of-sorts in “Downton Abbey” after losing Sybil.

Edith the Editor – Focus on Edith’s work in the newspaper business in London. You shift the setting slightly so that you surround her with new characters, and then you have ripe possibilities for cameos all over the place. Also, you keep the franchise in Britain, and many out there may prefer that.

Daisy the Dreamer – The true rags-to-riches story of a humble cook who manages to defy the odds and, with the help of Mrs. Patmore and others, manages to break the class system and find a better life for herself. Tom is really one of the few examples of this, although he executed it more due to his romance with Sybil, than career achievements.

The Carson Inn – Mr. Carson retires from Downton and decides to open a bed-and-breakfast with Mrs. Hughes, comedy ensues when the majority of the patrons are people Carson believes to be riffraff. Yep, we basically just threw Mr. Carson in as serious Basil Fawlty. Maybe we really just want to see more “Fawlty Towers.”

Do you want a spin-off? Vote in the attached poll, and then jump over to the link here to get more spoilers on “Downton Abbey. Also, head over here to get some other news on everything we cover via our CarterMatt Newsletter. (Photo: ITV.)