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Downton Abbey only “halfway” done

Between 5 and 10 seasons of Downton? Actor Hugh Bonneville says "We've made it to halfway."

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downton-abbey5 more seasons of Downton Abbey? Unlikely. But Hugh Bonneville is tipping much more to come, despite previous suggestions there are demands on Julian Fellowes’ time.

“Audiences abroad don’t quite appreciate that it’s written by one person,” he has said. “There’s only so much that one person can do.

“There will be an end. [Producer] Gareth Neame has said that it will run between five and ten years. We’ve made it to halfway. There will be a natural end, and I’m sure [creator and writer] Julian [Fellowes] will want to quit while he’s ahead.”

Earlier this year Fellowes said, “I don’t know yet if there is a season six, but it’s not going to go on forever. It won’t be Perry Mason.”

As well as being a a Conservative member of the House of Lords, he has also been commissioned to write a new American drama called The Gilded Age.

Downton Abbey returns for its fifth series in the UK this weekend but isn’t expected on Seven before February.

Source: Digital Spy

8 Responses

  1. I thought I read that the next one would be the last. They said years ago it wouldn’t go as far as WWII, but if they are doing that many more seasons, I’d say they will.

  2. Agree with Michael Young, Australia does not appreciate period drama’s which is a real shame, A Place to call home should definitely have had a longer run, I know the Sullivan’s was not exactly the same but that was a fantastic long running show which people loved and is still talked about and remembered today. They also stopped making The Miss Fisher Murder Mysteries, but I believe that is back in production again now, another excellent show.

  3. seems bizarre that they blitzed through WWI in 3-4 episodes back in season 2 if they still had another 8.5 season to fill. that was when the show was at its best, WWI provided such a great vehicle for some interesting storylines, but it was over so soon, could have been fleshed out so much more.
    I can’t remember anything that happened in the last season, all i remember is a lot of filler storylines, seemed like Julian was running out of ideas. perhaps having only one writer is the problem, it could really benefit from others coming in with their fresh visions.

  4. A Place to Call home has 50% of it funding from taxpayers in the from of tax subsidies to producers and funding from Government funded arts bodies. And it still wasn’t profitable.

    The UK has 64m people (before tonights referendum and I’m tipping it still will) and large global sales for its output.

    0-5 more seasons is of course highly likely. But that doesn’t guarantee there will be anymore does it.

  5. In the UK they appreciate good period drama and have long runs. Here, we throw away our equivalent, A Place To Call Home, after only two seasons! An absolute disgrace!

  6. They will need to kill off Maggie Smith’s character soon if they are going for 5 more series. Already she must be 100. No one seems to age much in a series that has already moved through 10 years!!!

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