‘Downton Abbey’ Ending: Season 6 Officially Will Be Show’s Last, Networks Confirm

Season 6 of Downton Abbey will be the last, just as many fans had feared. There had been speculation brewing that the season filming now would mark the end of the British series, but now the news has been made official. What is known so far?

Entertainment Weekly shares that executive producer Gareth Neame confirmed the news regarding the ending of Downton Abbey via a conference call on Thursday. Though reports recently indicated that the decision had indeed been made to end the show, this is the first that it has been officially confirmed.

Neame says that Season 6 of Downton Abbey should be the most “satisfying of them all.” Luckily the timing of the decision to end the show seemingly comes early enough that the show can put together a series finale that will wrap things up fully and give fans a true show ending rather than leave people hanging.

While fans will be heartbroken to see the show end, it seems there may be a bit of reason for hope. Neame says that he and show creator Julian Fellowes are both interested in perhaps creating a follow-up movie. While they seem game and clearly have discussed it a bit, there are no deals in place yet at this point.

There are also some rumblings that perhaps a spin-off show could come after the Downton Abbey finale. Fans can definitely envision some scenarios that would keep some of the characters alive and on television screens for a bit, but again, there are no deals in place at this point. Neame simply says the possibilities of something coming after the finale are being contemplated and nothing has been ruled out, notes Zap2It.

Why end Downton Abbey now? It seems those with the show feel that it’s “good to quit while you’re ahead.” The show remains quite popular and it seems the storylines ahead for Season 6 are strong, but they don’t want to go too long and end on a sour note.

It had also previously been said that cast contracts would end after Season 6, and many of the actors had expressed a desire to move on to other projects rather than sign new contracts to stick with Downton. Previous key cast departures have been challenging for fans at times, and it sounds like the show would have had a difficult time moving ahead without serious changes to the canvas.

What can fans expect from Season 6? Little is known at this point, though Neame teases that “all of the characters will be in the final season.” That should be good news for fans of the character of Tom Branson, despite his heading to America as Season 5 ended. Stay tuned for more details Downton Abbey spoilers as Season 6 films and the premiere dates approach.

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