Ends to be tied as curtain falls on Downton

DOWNTON ABBEY will end this Christmas, its creators have announced, saying they felt it was the ‘‘right and natural’’ moment for all the storylines to ‘‘come together’’.

The sixth series, which begins in September, will be the period drama’s final outing, Julian Fellowes, the writer, and Gareth Neame, the executive producer, confirmed yesterday.

However, conscious that fans all over the world want the characters to live on, the show’s creators are mulling the idea of a feature film and a spinoff series.

A film ‘‘is definitely something we are contemplating’’, Neame said.

‘‘It would be great fun to do. It would take a lot of planning and thinking about, and we shall see. It is something Julian and I would be very interested to do,’’ Neame said. He added that he ‘‘couldn’t rule out’’ a spinoff series.

He said the decision to end Downton Abbey was ‘‘tinged with sadness’’ but explained: ‘‘Our feeling is that it’s good to quit while you’re ahead.’’

Neame said the decision was ‘‘absolutely not’’ due to ITV or its American broadcasters PBS ‘‘calling time’’ on the show.

‘‘I don’t think it’s unfair for me to say that they would like the show to continue for as long as possible,’’ he said. ‘‘It would be very tempting and very easy to go on for another year or beyond that, but it doesn’t feel right for any of us.

‘‘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.’’

Neame said the last series would have nine episodes, with the last one shown on Christmas Day.

He confirmed that all the characters would return for the final series, which will take the cast into the year 1925.

Neame also revealed there would be no plot line surrounding a new love interest for the dowager duchess, played by Dame Maggie Smith.

‘‘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,’’ he said.

Rumours of the show’s demise have been circulating for months, and cast members have been discreetly looking for other jobs. Smith recently said: ‘‘I can’t see how it could go on. To my knowledge, I must be 110 by now.’’

Julian Fellowes created Downton Abbey in 2010 and it became a global hit beyond his wildest imaginings.

‘‘The Downton journey has been amazing for everyone aboard,’’ Fellowes said. ‘‘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.’’ ‘‘Instead of loving your enemies – treat your friends a little better.’’ – ‘‘Without pain, there would be no suffering, without suffering we would never learn from our mistakes. To make it right, pain and suffering is the key to all windows, without it, there is no way of life.’’ – Angelina Jolie. ‘‘A belief in hell and the knowledge that every ambition is doomed to frustration at the hands of a skeleton have never prevented the majority of human beings from behaving as though death were no more than an unfounded rumour.’’ – Aldous Huxley. ‘‘He who loves practice without theory is like the sailor who boards ship without a rudder and compass and never knows where he may cast.’’ ‘‘In the long run, we shape our lives, and we shape ourselves. The process never ends until we die. And the choices we make are ultimately our own responsibility.’’ ‘‘I don’t weigh myself. I just go by if my clothes fit. I try not to participate too much in the amount of wasted energy that women have around dealing with food. I just feel like being healthy is sort of a job requirement to be on TV, and being a writer is so much coping with fatigue and stress, and you just eat. You eat to stay awake.’’ – Tina Fey. ‘‘Good humour is a tonic for mind and body. It is the best antidote for anxiety and depression. It is a business asset. It attracts and keeps friends. It lightens human burdens. It is the direct route to serenity and contentment.’’ – Grenville Kleiser. ‘‘Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma – which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition.’’ – Steve Jobs. ‘‘When you are courting a nice girl an hour seems like a second. When you sit on a red-hot cinder a second seems like an hour. That’s relativity.’’ – Albert Einstein. ‘‘You’re never too old, too wacky, too wild, to pick up a book and read to a child.’’ – Dr Seuss. ‘‘A common mistake that people make when trying to design something completely foolproof is to underestimate the ingenuity of complete fools.’’ – Douglas Adams. ‘‘There are no constraints on the human mind, no walls around the human spirit, no barriers to our progress except those we ourselves erect.’’ – Ronald Reagan. ‘‘It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you’ll do things differently.’’ – Warren Buffett. ‘‘Never try to impress a woman, because if you do she’ll expect you to keep up the standard for the rest of your life.’’ – WC Fields. ‘‘The first method for estimating the intelligence of a ruler is to look at the men he has around him.’’ – Niccolo Machiaveli. ‘‘The difference between a democracy and a dictatorship is that in a democracy you vote first and take orders later; in a dictatorship you don’t have to waste your time voting.’’ – Charles Bukowski. ‘‘You know when they have a fishing show on TV? They catch the fish and then let it go. They don’t want to eat the fish, they just want to make it late for something.’’ – Mitch Hedberg. ‘‘Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world.’’ – Harriet Tubman.