Earlier this week, comments from Downton Abbey creator Julian Fellowes suggested that the show could end after season 5.
Not so, says executive producer Gareth Neame.
“I can confirm that there are no plans to end the show after the fifth series,” Neame said in a statement released to the media. “ITV commission each series on a year-by-year basis. In an interview given to The Wall Street Journal (published December 31, 2013), Julian Fellowes stated that the show would not go on forever (inevitable of course and something both he and I have been on the record for previously). For now ITV have commissioned series five and that is what we are busy preparing.”
While this doesn’t mean for sure that the show will continue into season 6 and beyond, it’s better news than hearing the show could end after season 5.
In previous interviews, Neame said that Downton Abbey would run for five or six seasons in total. Given that the show has been rising in the ratings (season 4 premiered this past Sunday in the U.S. to a record number of viewers), it’ll be hard for ITV to not commission additional seasons so long as demand is there. Then again, cast members may want to move on to other projects like Dan Stevens, Siobhan Finneran, and Jessica Brown Findlay have all done.
Fellowes made comments about a possible ending because he said he has a show for NBC in the works that he can’t start on until Downton Abbey ends.
Meanwhile, Downton Abbey season 4 resumes this Sunday in the U.S. with episode 2 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on PBS.
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