Downton Abbey will end while it's still popular, says Laura Carmichael
The actress said Julian Fellowes will want to end the series while he's ahead
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Downton Abbey star Laura Carmichael has claimed Julian Fellowes will end the period drama while it is still a hit with viewers.
Carmichael, 28, who plays Lady Edith, said Fellowes did not want to run the show into the ground.
“I know it’s his intention to write until the point that seems right [to stop]. It won’t be on forever,” she told the Radio Times.
She added: “I say that, what do I know, I don’t know, I really don’t know! But I don’t think that’s his ambition.”
The ITV drama, which is currently in its fifth series, has received a decline in ratings. Its first episode attracted its lowest audience for an opener since the drama began in 2010.
Last month, Hugh Bonneville, who plays the Earl of Grantham, said Julian Fellowes would want to “quit while he’s ahead”.
“There will be an end. [Executive producer] Gareth Neame has said he reckons it will run between five and ten years, so we’ve made it to halfway.
“I think there will be a natural end and I’m sure Julian will want to quit while he’s ahead.”
Neame said at the official Downton Abbey press launch in August that he hoped the series would continue until “Margaret Thatcher’s landslide” in 1983.
“The strange effect of this show about a family, a ‘soap’ if you will, is that the more you get to know them, the more you go on a journey with these characters,” he said.
“Somehow, I’ve found myself more compelled by them, not bored and feeling like their stories are cold.”
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments