It's official...Downton ends after next season...

[joeybee12]

Never doubt Maggie Smith. In early March, the “Downton Abbey” star announced that the coming season, the sixth, of the British costume drama would be her — as well as the show’s — final go around. “They say this is the last one, and I can’t see how it could go on,” she said then. And while Ms. Smith’s publicist insisted that she was joking, it looks like she was right all along.

On Thursday, Carnival Films and ITV announced that indeed, the sixth season of “Downton” would be the last.

“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 Gareth Neame, the executive producer, in a statement. “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 story lines 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.”

TV Line first reported the news on March 20.

http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/03/26/downton-abbey-will-end-after-next-season/?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&module=second-column-region&region=top-news&WT.nav=top-news&_r=0

[Arkansas Granny]

1. I love the show and will miss it, but it does need to come to a close.

I think the last season was prepping us for that, anyway.

[joeybee12]

2. Yeah, and if they keep going, they have to deal with WWII...

And the show, while a drama, can be very light and dealing with WWII would be very dark indeed.

[femmocrat]

3. Noooooooo!

I can't bear it! It could go on forever and I would watch it.

[greatauntoftriplets]

4. ....

[shenmue]

5. Nononononononono

[trumad]

6. Too bad.

I'd love to see it enter WW2 stage.

[Paladin]

7. It's time---maybe a little past time---for it to happen. (nt)