Downton Abbey movie: Show’s creator Julian Fellowes says he will 'certainly' write film version of popular drama

After it first aired in 2010, the programme became a global phenomenon with some claiming it went a good way to reviving ITV’s fortunes

Global phenomenon: Downton was aired in 250 territories worldwide (ITV)

Downton Abbey could make a return on the silver screen, according to the show’s creator Julian Fellowes, who said he would “certainly” write a film version of the popular drama.

After six series, 51 episodes and almost a decade on the small screen, the show bowed out with members of the Crawley family singing Auld Lang Syne as snow fell thick outside – a very British happy ending.

Seen by an audience of 6.9 million people, it became the highest watched Christmas Day television programme of 2015. Since then, there have been numerous reports about the possibility of a feature film and Fellowes has said he would be happy to see his multi award-winner on the big screen.

"I'd like a Downton film,” the 66-year-old told ITV's News At Ten. “I mean, I won't be mysterious. If they decide to do it, I'll certainly do it. I think it would be great."

After it first aired in 2010, the show became a global phenomenon, watched in 250 territories worldwide and pulling in over 120 million viewers globally.

It was particularly popular America where ratings continued to rise even as the most devoted fans acknowledged that the writing had slipped.

Some have claimed the show went a good way to reviving ITV’s fortunes. In 2010, the channel trebled its annual profits posting a pre-tax total of £312million up from £108 million the previous year. In March 2014 ITV posted full-year pre-tax profits of £712 million.

Following its Christmas finale, the show’s producer, Graham Neame, said on Boxing Day that they decided to end it after Dame Maggie Smith, who plays Dowager Countess Lady Violet Crawley, had not been secured for any further series.

He said: “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."

"We all feel very blessed. Nobody regrets ending when we did. We have a final season that’s as strong as the first because we quit while we were ahead. We had the ambition that we had a complete show.”