or


[03/26/15 - 08:31 AM]
Carnival Films and ITV Announce Season 6 to Be the Final "Downton Abbey"
"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," said Gareth Neame.

[via press release from ITV]

Carnival Films and ITV announce Season 6 to be the final Downton Abbey

Carnival Films, the producer of Downton Abbey and ITV today announce that Season 6 will be the final season of the worldwide hit TV drama.

Carnival's Managing Director and Executive Producer of Downton Abbey, Gareth Neame said,

"Millions of people around the world have followed the journey of the Crawley family and those who serve them for the last five years. 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... "

Julian Fellowes, writer, creator and Executive Producer of Downton Abbey, one of the UK's biggest ever drama exports said,

"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."

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.

ITV's Director of Television, Peter Fincham said,

"When Julian Fellowes and Gareth Neame brought us the idea for Downton Abbey six years ago we thought it would be a great Sunday night series for ITV, but we had no way of knowing that it would become a global phenomenon playing to hundreds of millions of viewers around the world. What a ride it's been - for everyone involved in the production, for the cast, and most of the all for the audience. We all thought very carefully about the right moment to bring something so special to a close that felt editorially right, and left viewers wanting more. Christmas Day on ITV this year will certainly be one to remember, as the concluding special brings a series to an end that started as a leap of faith for all of us, and ended surpassing all expectations."

The Golden Globe(R), Emmy(R), PGA, BAFTA, National Television Awards and Screen Actors Guild award-winning show, debuted on ITV in 2010 and has since become a global phenomenon. Downton Abbey is now in over 250 territories worldwide.

NBCUniversal International Television Production's President, Michael Edelstein said,

"Downton Abbey is nothing short of a global cultural phenomenon, whose compelling storylines and characters are beloved by millions around the world. Julian Fellowes and Gareth Neame's sublime drama has secured its place as a beacon of British creativity that will live on for decades to come. At NBCUniversal, we continue to build on the success of Downton and on our reputation as the creative home for great television content that entertains global audiences."

The drama is the most nominated British show in Emmy(R) history with 51 nominations to date, collecting 11 wins including Outstanding Writing for a Miniseries or a Movie, Outstanding Directing for a Miniseries or a Movie and Outstanding Miniseries or a Movie. As well as its record-breaking Emmy(R) nominations, the show has so far amassed nearly 30 other major accolades around the world, including three Golden Globes(R), three Screen Actors Guild Awards of which two were for Best Ensemble Cast in a Drama Series, a Producers Guild of America Award, three BAFTA awards and three National Television Awards for Best Drama as voted for by the British public.

The series 5 transmission in the UK through Autumn 2014 reached new heights with over 60 million tweet impressions, a reach of almost 6 million on the top Facebook post and weekly trending across hashtags and conversation points, gaining a social media chart spot week on week. 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.

Season 5, which concluded on 1st March, was seen by 25.5 million people. The season had a weekly average audience of 12.9 million viewers over its nine-week run, an audience nearly even with that for Season 4 (13.3 million) (Source: Nielsen Live+7 data). "Downton Abbey, Season 5" had impressive online streaming numbers as well, with over 12.6 million streams of full episodes across all PBS and station digital platforms, 13 percent more streams compared to Season 4 (Source: Google Analytics, 1/5-3/15/15). A huge presence on social media, "Downton Abbey" set records for tweets of a PBS show, with Season 5 generating more than 190,000 total tweets and more than 24 million total impressions (Source: Nielsen, 1/4/15 to 3/1/15, live/new). During its nine-week run, "Downton Abbey" placed in Nielsen Social's Daily Top 5 for series and specials seven times (Source: Nielsen, 1/4/15 to 3/1/15).

Downton Abbey is a Carnival Films/MASTERPIECE co-production.

Exclusive photography from the Downton Abbey Season 6 readthrough is available for Press use from the ITV Picture Desk.





  [march 2015]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S


· DOWNTON ABBEY (PBS)





[11/22/24 - 10:15 AM]
Apple's Drama "Your Friends & Neighbors" Lands Early Season Two Renewal
Starring and executive produced by Emmy Award winner Jon Hamm, "Your Friends & Neighbors" will premiere globally on Apple TV+ on Friday, April 11 with two episodes, followed by one new episode weekly through Friday, May 30.

[11/22/24 - 09:01 AM]
Apple Original Films' "Fly Me to the Moon" to Premiere December 6, 2024
Since its debut in theaters worldwide, the film has received the Verified Hot certification on Rotten Tomatoes by fans.

[11/22/24 - 08:03 AM]
Peacock Exclusively Streams Blumhouse's "Speak No Evil" Beginning December 6
The psychological horror thriller stars James McAvoy, Mackenzie Davis, Aisling Franciosi, Alix West Lefler, Dan Hough, Scoot McNairy, and more!

[11/22/24 - 07:35 AM]
2024 "Emirates NBA Cup" Championship Game Exclusively on ABC and ESPN+ December 17
In addition, ESPN platforms will exclusively present a semifinal game and a quarterfinal game as part of its 2024 Emirates NBA Cup Knockout Round coverage.

[11/22/24 - 07:12 AM]
Peacock and Sky's Original Hit Drama Series "The Day of the Jackal" Scores Second Season Renewal
In the US it ranked #1 on Peacock's Top 10 TV Shows on its platform and was a Top 5 streaming original in the US for its opening weekend (according to preliminary Nielsen data).

[11/22/24 - 06:31 AM]
Video: "Chef's Table" Volume 7 - Official Teaser - Netflix
Meet five world-class chefs who redefine culinary boundaries with delicious, innovative dishes honoring their diverse cultures and personal philosophies.

[11/22/24 - 05:41 AM]
"They Call It Late Night with Jason Kelce" Set for January 2025 on ESPN
Airing on Friday nights/early Saturday mornings, the new personality-driven, one-hour program will take its inspiration from traditional late-night television, emphasizing a comedic approach throughout all five scheduled episodes which run in conjunction with the finale of the NFL regular season and playoffs.

[11/22/24 - 03:01 AM]
Video: "Ad Vitam" - Official Trailer - Netflix
After escaping an attempted murder, Franck Lazarev (Guillaume Canet) must find his wife Léo, who has been kidnapped by a mysterious group of armed men.

[11/21/24 - 04:01 PM]
"Rugged Rugby: Conquer or Die" Premieres December 10: A Battle for Supremacy Begins
In the shadows of Korea's rugby world, seven teams engage in a fierce battle of strength, strategy, and teamwork - all vying to be crowned champion.

[11/21/24 - 04:00 PM]
ABC Presents a Two-Night Special Event To Commemorate the Diamond Anniversary of "Mary Poppins"
First, "The Untold Story of Mary Poppins: A Special Edition of 20/20," a two-hour special from ABC News Studios chock full of rarely seen footage, photos and stories from the film's living legends, airs Wednesday, November 27 on ABC and streams next day on Hulu and Disney+.

[11/21/24 - 01:32 PM]
2024 International Emmy Nominees on Hulu
Check out these Emmy-worthy international series streaming on Hulu.

[11/21/24 - 01:12 PM]
"Dancing with the Stars" Semifinals Is Top Program of the Night in Adults 18-49 and All Key Women Demographics
The spectacular season 33 penultimate episode grew over the previous week's 500th episode celebration in both Total Viewers (5.19 million vs. 5.13 million) and Adults 18-49 (0.75 rating vs. 0.71 rating), hitting a season high in Total Viewers.

[11/21/24 - 01:05 PM]
NBC Orders Five Additional Episodes of Its Friday Night Comedy Hit "Happy's Place"
The "Happy's Place" premiere has hit 14 million viewers across all platforms.

[11/21/24 - 12:14 PM]
NBCUniversal Syndication Studios and Believe Entertainment Group's "Billion Dollar Babies: The True Story of the Cabbage Patch Kids" Is Now Available to Rent on Amazon Prime
The feature-length documentary captures the incredible true story of the dolls, leaving nothing untouched, including the fundamental dispute over who originated the idea.

[11/21/24 - 12:14 PM]
MGM+ Renews Sci-Fi Horror Series "From" for Season Four
The series is set to return to production in Nova Scotia in 2025, and premiere in 2026.