Downton Abbey aired on ITV between 2010 and 2015. At the time, it was one of the most successful shows, attracting over 10 million viewers for each episode. This impressive number doesn’t even include the US ratings which add, on average, another 10 million.
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On top of being a popular show with viewers, Downton Abbey was a critical success. Though at times the characters and plot lines were close to ridiculous, the show always managed to walk that fine line and remain endearing, funny and addictive.
Finally, Downton Abbey managed to become a cultural and international phenomenon. Even in 2024, it is difficult to stay clear of some of the lines spoken by the Dowager (Maggie Smith) which have now become memes.
Rumours of a Downton Abbey return
These rumours started with the Daily Mail. In an exclusive article released in the late evening of 13 February, the tabloid announced
Downton Abbey returns!
Speaking to an anonymous source ‘close to the project’ the publication explained that filming had started in secret for the seventh and brand new season. The source said:
Filming has been going on for a few weeks now, it is all very, very secret. There are people working on it who have never seen secrecy like it.
The secrecy around the show is reportedly so intense that staff members have been asked to sign non-disclosure agreements. The revival of the series comes after the creators of the show released two movies with the original cast in 2019 and 2022.
The return of the cast
In 2015, when the show came to an end, it was revealed by Gareth Neame, a producer of the show, that Maggie Smith’s exit was the reason. At the time he told The Sun:
We easily could have gone for a 7th season, but if I’d have said ‘We haven’t got Maggie’ it would have been a shadow of itself.
At the time, it was reported that the iconic actress had decided to quit the show therefore pushing production toward making tough choices. However, Dame Maggie Smith did return for both the films just like most of the original cast.
About the seventh season which is supposedly in the works, Daily Mail reports that ‘bosses hoped to be able to bring back some of the big name actors’ including Hugh Bonneville (Robert Crawley), Michelle Dockery (Lady Mary), Elizabeth McGovern (Cora Crawley) and Joanne Frogatt (Lady Mary’s lady’s maid, Anna).
However, no one has confirmed their return. That being said, actors of Downton have often spoken about returning to the show. Talking to Yahoo when the second film was released, Robert James Collier who plays Barrow, Mr Crawley’s butler, said that he would be eager to return.
When it comes to Elizabeth McGovern, who plays Cora Crawley, her return is heavily dependent on the quality of the show. She also told Yahoo:
For me, I would hope that we’d be able to do something that is as good as what we’ve done before, instead of just doing it again for the sake of it.
Finally, as one of the biggest names of the show, all eyes and ears turn to Maggie Smith and her potential comeback. Well, that would be dependent on something major: the chronology of the show.
Indeed, SPOILER ALERT, in the second film the Dowager passes away. The actress’ return would therefore only be possible if the show takes place before that.
We will continue to update this story as more details are released about the show’s seventh season but so far it is believed to be coming out at the end of 2024.
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Sources:
Daily Mail: Downton Abbey returns! Delight for fans as filming secretly starts on a new series of the show in surprise comeback
Independent: Downton Abbey producer says decision was made to end show after Dame Maggie Smith quit
Yahoo News: What Downton Abbey stars have said about show's comeback
