Goodbye to Downton – Series filmed in Hampshire ends

Butler Carson, played by Yorkshire actor Jim Carter, is philosophical about the new developments at Downton: “I hope you’re not too unhappy about the way things have turned out”, the aristocrat tells his employee in the trailer released by ITV.

“We easily could have gone for a seventh season, but if I’d have said “We haven’t got Maggie” it would have been a shadow of itself”. It’s the series finale, a longer episode than usual, a chance to see whether or not these characters can have the happy ending that we want for them.

“Downton Abbey” will air its final episode via a Christmas special on December 25, 9 P.M. on ITV.

It was the first time Downton had ever topped the Christmas ratings and a fitting end to the beloved series.

It feels extraordinary, we remember the first day we were here and now here we are and it feels very, very odd not to be coming back here.

An antiques centre in Shropshire is now offering customers the chance to create their own Downton Abbey-style festive feast over the Christmas period.

But the Queen’s speech, broadcast on BBC and ITV, was the most watched programme, with a combined audience of 7.2 million. In 2014, it had drawn 7.61 million overnight viewers, ahead of BBC soap opera EastEnders, which aired opposite Downton Abbey, with 7.55 million. It was the only returning show to increase viewers on last Christmas, up over 1 million viewers.

Other popular entertainment programmes on Christmas Day were the Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Special and Mrs Brown’s Boys.

Tune in at 8.45pm on Christmas Day to find out. “I think it would be interesting to know how many people are on their second screens or how many have got their tablets on”.