All good things must come to an end, even when one of those good things is our favorite guilty-pleasure British TV show Downton Abbey.
Today, creators of the series announced that Downton Abbey's next season, its sixth, will also be its last.
"Inevitably there comes a time when all shows should end and Downton is no exception," says the series' executive producer Gareth Neame.
The show, created by Julian Fellowes, follows a British aristocratic family from the early 1900s to the 1920s. The show, originally broadcast on Britain's ITV, also became a hit in the U.S. after being aired on PBS.
Downton Abbey is not just a series loved by fans, though: it has also won awards in both the U.S. and the U.K., including two BAFTAs, three Golden Globes and 11 Emmys.
Fellowes is taking his talents to a new period drama, The Gilded Age, this one set in New York. Calling Downton Abbey a "unique experience," he recently recalled what it was like when it began filming.
"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," says Fellowes. "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."
Downton Abbey's creators promise that the final season will satisfy viewers of the show.
"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," says Neame. "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."
The series has seen several major characters die, as well as others face hardship, such as a controversial rape scene and jail time for crimes not committed.
The final episode of the nine-episode sixth season will air in Britain on Christmas Day, 2015, and on PBS in the U.S. in 2016. It's likely the conclusion will be dramatic and tear-jerking, so have those tissues at the ready then.
However, there is a small possibility of a Downton Abbey film in the future. When asked by journalists about the likelihood of a movie, Neame said, that it was "definitely something we're contemplating."
Long live Downton.
[Photo Credit: ITV]
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