Downton ends on a high note after five years

However, the period drama increased to an impressive 12.1 million viewers when consolidated figures, which take into account viewers watching via catch-up services, were released.

Elsewhere, Laura Carmichael, who plays Lady Edith, is seen preparing for an intimate dinner with her character’s former fiance Bertie Pelham. And Lady Mary adds: “There seem to be so many of them these days”. Edith’s past, meanwhile, continues to haunt her, despite the fact she feels she no longer has anything to lose. There could still be a chance for Edith and Bertie but there may be a spanner thrown in the works thanks to the arrival of his hard-as-nails mother, to be played by Miranda star Patricia Hodge.

This might not be the end for Downton Abbey. “I, along with [showrunner] Julian Fellowes, have been great champions of the idea of having the show out there at the same time”, Alan Leech, who plays Tom Branson, told E!

“It was so lovely to show a character coming out of her shell and showcase an original piece while doing so!” The holiday special will serve as the series finale, but Americans will celebrate Christmas with the Crawleys a little later than British fans. “We have a chance”.

AFTER five years, 51 episodes and six seasons, Downton draws to a close as its fans say a fond farewell to the Crawley family, their friends, relatives and staff. The couple certainly deserve some joy after recent events which nearly put Anna in jail for murder and the pair struggled to conceive.

Butler Mr Carson has always had a soft spot for newly married Lady Mary.

A dark cloud will hover over Downton in the two-hour episode as two cast members will be told grim health news. It was just a “nice” watch and did nothing to change my opinion of it as one of the laziest and predictable series I think I’ve ever seen.

BBC One controller Charlotte Moore said: “BBC One brought the nation together with a distinctive range of programmes on Christmas Day and eight of the top 10 most popular shows”.