Could Downton Abbey series 4 be cancelled in the United States? In an e-mail to viewers, one PBS affiliate threatened that it may no longer air if they can’t raise enough funding.

With an attention grabbing e-mail headline that reads “Sequestration: the end of “Downton Abbey?,” Washington DC’s PBS affiliate wrote that they need to raise $725,000 by June 30, or else they may have to “face other difficult decisions regarding the programs you love.”

The e-mail goes on to specifically reference not only Downton Abbey but also Sherlock and Call the Midwife when speaking about shows they hope to continue airing.

PBS Washington DC’s e-mail may have been a slight bluff to encourage people to donate money, or they could be very serious about it. Either way, if the show was to be pulled from D.C., good internet users know that it’s easy to obtain shows like Downton Abbey for free online. The problem with Downton is that it also appeals to an older audience who is not as internet-savvy. This could also set off a domino affect where other PBS affiliates are threatening the show’s removal.

The 2013 sequestration cuts affect federally-funded programs including PBS. The network holds annual fundraisers every year in hopes that viewers will support the “public broadcast system,” and with very popular shows now airing on PBS the stakes are higher than ever.

Downton Abbey series 4 is scheduled to premiere January 5, 2014 in the United States. A United Kingdom premiere date, which will likely be sooner than the U.S.’, has not been announced yet.

We learned earlier this week that beloved actor Paul Giamatti will appear in Downton Abbey’s series 4 finale.

Thanks, The Hill.