The Crawley family might have to say goodbye soon as more reports are claiming that "Downton Abbey" will be airing its last season. According to TVLine, several sources already confirmed that season 6 will be the final one for the series, with an insider claiming that the decision to pull the plug is actually a practical one since the contracts of most of the main cast members will expire after that season.
"You can keep the show going without Matthew and Sybill, but you can't continue it without the entire Crawley family," a source mentioned.
One of the stars who believes that she can already let go of the show is Maggie Smith, who portrays the role of Violet Crawley. In one of her interviews with The Sunday Times, the critically-acclaimed actress claimed that she cannot be in the period drama forever.
"I mean, I certainly can't keep going," Smith said. "To my knowledge, I must be 110 by now. We're into the late 1920s."
However, there are no confirmations yet from ITV or PBS if the rumors about the show's final season are true.
Still, the speculations about its validity are further strengthened when reports surfaced that series creator Julian Fellowes is preparing for a new show titled "The Guilded Age." Based on reports, the production for the new show is still in limbo, but once his production schedule for "Downton Abbey" begins to relax, he could immediately begin his work on the next project.
The production of "Downton Abbey" has yet to begin, and there is no information yet about the possible plot for season 6. It is expected, however, that most of the characters will return, including Smith as the Countess Dowager, Hugh Bonneville as Robert Crawley, Laura Carmichael as Lady Edith, Jim Carter as Charles Carson, Brendan Coyle as John Bates, Elizabeth McGovern as Cora Crawley, and Penelope Wilton as Isobel Crawley.
