Carnival Films and ITV have announced that Season 6 will be the final chapter for the popular TV drama Downton Abbey.
The show, which is broadcast in over 250 territories worldwide, has been a huge commercial success and has won numerous awards, including a Golden Globe, Emmy and BAFTA.
“Millions of people around the world have followed the journey of the Crawley family and those who serve them for the last five years,” said Carnival’s managing director and executive producer of Downton Abbey, Gareth Neame.
“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.”
Downton Abbey is the highest rating UK drama of the past decade across any channel, with an average of 11 million viewers over the course of the five series, including Christmas specials.
The series five transmission in the UK through Autumn 2014 also reached new heights with over 60 million tweet impressions, and a reach of almost six million on the top Facebook post.
The UK series finale and the 2014 Christmas episode saw @DowntonAbbey trending in the top spot confirming the impact and influence of this global brand in the social TV space.
Julian Fellowes, writer, creator and executive producer of Downton Abbey, added: “The Downton journey has been amazing for everyone aboard. People ask if we knew what was going to happen when we started to make the first series and the answer is that, of course we had no idea.
“Exactly why the series had such an impact and reached so many people around the world, all nationalities, all ages, all types, I cannot begin to explain. But I do know how grateful we are to have been allowed this unique experience.
“I suspect the show will always be a principal marker in most of our careers as we set out from here, and if so, I consider that a blessing and a compliment.”
