Reality check: is this the end for Downton Abbey?
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Version 0 of 1. The claim According to the Daily Mirror, some of the show’s younger stars are said to be in talks to follow in the footsteps of Dan Stevens to Hollywood. Joanne Froggatt, who plays Mrs Bates, Laura Carmichael (Lady Edith) and Allen Leech, who played the off-to-America Tom Branson, were all named in the report as having meetings with producers when they were in Los Angeles for the recent Screen Actors Guild awards. The paper also said that writer Julian Fellowes wants to start focusing his attention on his long-awaited US drama The Gilded Age for NBC. But with reports of the show’s demise having appeared as early as its the second series, makers Carnival and its parent NBC Universal are used to dealing with speculation. So what makes the story any different this time? The evidence Inevitably ITV has been thinking about the future of the schedule without Downton, which has just finished its fifth series. Sources suggest that a number of independent producers have shows in development that could fill the all-important Sunday night drama slot should Downton come to an end. ITV refused to comment on the speculation. But with the departure of Dan Stevens and now Allen Leech, ratings have dropped back – the premiere of the fifth series drew an average audience of 8.4 million in September, its lowest debut since 2010. But the award-winning series still pulls in huge audiences; its top-rating 2014 edition had 10.8 million viewers in early November and it is a huge hit in the US. Sources close to Julian Fellowes say he is not writing The Gilded Age yet and, anyway, it won’t necessarily be the next thing he writes. So was the Daily Mirror right? ITV has not ruled anything in or out, saying merely: “We wouldn’t comment on speculative stories about our programmes” and it is not due to be recommissioned until the autumn. Talks have not yet begun for series seven and are not due to until Fellowes has finished writing series six, which he is currently doing, with production due to begin in Feburary. Talks about the next series usually start after this, in the spring. Leech has left Downton so it is no surprise that he is in talks about other roles; but it is not known what is in store for Carmichael’s and Froggatt’s characters this series. Might Mrs Bates and Lady Edith be departing, hence talking to producers? Carmichael’s agent had not responded to calls for clarification at time of publication. PRs for the show point out that Downton films for six months of the year, leaving the cast plenty of time to do other work; Hugh Bonneville filmed two other projects, including BBC2 satire W1A, in the time between series five and six, while Michelle Dockery (Lady Mary) has filmed dramas such as Restless. They also point out that Downton only airs eight Sundays of the year, leaving 44 others for other producers to fill. Related: Maggie Smith: from Desdemona to Downton – a career of comic precision Sources say that Carnival, NBC and ITV want to do more episodes – unsurprising given the huge audiences it generates in the UK and its popularity in the US – but that the key to the future of Downton is obviously its creator, Fellowes, who likes to collaborate with Carnival managing director Gareth Neame. The key question is does Fellowes want to continue writing Downton or go out on a high? And this remains unanswered by his agent. Some critics argue Downton may have run its course as the storylines have progressed through the decades – but the show’s many remaining fans would disagree. With popular talent such as Maggie Smith, Hugh Bonneville and Michelle Dockery expected to stay, the drama still has pulling power. But at this point it all seems to depend on Fellowes, whose long career has had an international boost with Downton but who has not yet committed to a further series. Perhaps the more pertinent question is should this be the last ever series of Downton? You can have your say in the comments below. |