'The door will be left open': Downton Abbey producer Gareth Neame insists the hit show may make a comeback after grand finale

TV lovers were left brokenhearted when news surfaced that Downton Abbey would wrap up after its sixth series.

Ahead of the forthcoming finale, executive producer Gareth Neame has hinted that 'the majority' of the characters could return in the future.

The sixth and final season of the beloved show will launch on ITV on Sunday night, much to the combined joy and sorrow of loyal fans.

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Comeback? Ahead of the forthcoming Downton Abbey finale, executive producer Gareth Neame has hinted that 'the majority' of the characters could return in the future

Comeback? Ahead of the forthcoming Downton Abbey finale, executive producer Gareth Neame has hinted that 'the majority' of the characters could return in the future

The drama charts the antics of the upstairs and downstairs occupants of an English country mansion and boasts a cast including Dame Maggie Smith, Hugh Bonneville and Shirley MacLaine. 

Gareth insisted that the last episode of the show, which airs as part of a two-hour Christmas special, will not see a disaster which obliterates the cast but it will not be a happy-ever-after ending.  

The producer works alongside the show's creator Lord Julian Fellowes plan scripts and storylines.

He assured fans that although it is the end of the show the writers have ensured there is scope for the characters to return.

Creators: The sixth and final season of Downton Abbey will launch on ITV on Sunday night, much to the combined joy and sorrow of loyal fans (Gareth Neame pictured right)

Creators: The sixth and final season of Downton Abbey will launch on ITV on Sunday night, much to the combined joy and sorrow of loyal fans (Gareth Neame pictured right)

He told The Daily Telegraph: 'There's a sense of finality... Hopefully there will be a mixture of sweetness and sorrow. They aren't all going to be wiped out by a meteorite.

'At the end, as we leave them to their own lives, yes, the door will be left open to come back to the majority of them in the future...

'We want to answer all the questions that people are asking... I don't know that [the characters] are all necessarily going to be OK because don't forget we've always said that this show is about the end of a way of life, the end of an era.' 

Hit show: The drama charts the antics of the upstairs and downstairs occupants of an English country mansion and boasts a cast including Dame Maggie Smith, Hugh Bonneville and Shirley MacLaine

Hit show: The drama charts the antics of the upstairs and downstairs occupants of an English country mansion and boasts a cast including Dame Maggie Smith, Hugh Bonneville and Shirley MacLaine

Happy couple: Critically-acclaimed Downton, has been a global success since hitting screens in 2010 and rakes in viewers of up to 10 million in Britain alone (Hugh Bonneville pictured with Laura Carmichael) 

Happy couple: Critically-acclaimed Downton, has been a global success since hitting screens in 2010 and rakes in viewers of up to 10 million in Britain alone (Hugh Bonneville pictured with Laura Carmichael) 

Critically-acclaimed Downton, has been a global success since hitting screens in 2010 and rakes in viewers of up to 10 million in Britain alone. 

As well as hints of a screen return, both Lord Fellowes and Neame have alluded to the fact that a Downton movie could be in the pipeline. 

Last month, Gareth said: 'There's rumor and speculation [about a movie]. I'm not denying anything; I think a Downton movie could be a wonderful thing. But we don't have a script or plan yet.' 

Sisters: Laura Carmichael who plays Lady Edith poses up a storm with her on-screen sister Lady Mary, played Michelle Dockery

Sisters: Laura Carmichael who plays Lady Edith poses up a storm with her on-screen sister Lady Mary, played Michelle Dockery

Series six opens in 1925 and the show's creators have remained typically lock-lipped about the fate of characters.

The globally popular show is set to go out with a bang, too, as it has been nominated for an impressive three Emmys ahead of the prestigious awards ceremony next week.

The show is up for Outstanding Drama Series, Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Drama for Joanne Froggatt and Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Drama for Jim Carter.

Downton has thus far won itself a slew of top awards, including 10 Primetime Emmys and three Golden Globes among many others.

Downton Abbey sixth season airs on ITV on Sunday 

Upper class cast: The forthcoming series opens in 1925 and the show's creators have remained typically lock-lipped about the fate of characters

Upper class cast: The forthcoming series opens in 1925 and the show's creators have remained typically lock-lipped about the fate of characters

 

 

 

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