BOSTON, Mass.— DOWNTON ABBEY, the Emmy® and Golden Globe® award-winning drama that has become an international hit, will return to MASTERPIECE on PBS for a sixth season.
A Carnival Films/MASTERPIECE co-production, Downton Abbey, Season 5 completes its run in the UK on Sunday, November 9th. Season 5 will premiere on MASTERPIECE on PBS on Sunday, January 4, 2015.
MASTERPIECE Executive Producer Rebecca Eaton says, “Good news! Just as our audience settles in for the beloved Crawley family drama, we can announce that Season 6 will arrive a year later. How lucky can you get?”
The sixth season will go into production in 2015 and will be written by Julian Fellowes.
Carnival’s Managing Director Gareth Neame, Executive Producer of Downton Abbey, said, “We have had an amazing reaction to the story lines, acting and production values of Downton Abbey this year and the whole team is thrilled to be moving ahead with a new season of the show. This will provide audiences with a fresh opportunity to see what will befall our much loved characters.”
Viewership and social media stats have soared since Downton Abbey launched in January 2011. Season 4 drew an average audience of 13.2 million viewers, making it the top PBS drama of all time and one of the highest-rated dramas now on American television.
“At its heart, television is about storytelling, and Downton Abbey is certainly storytelling at its finest. Downton Abbey and the Crawley family have kept us on the edge of our seats as they navigate through some of the biggest moments of the 20th century,” said Paula Kerger, PBS President and CEO. “Along with our member stations, PBS can’t wait to share the next season of Downton drama with our audiences.”
