ITV warns Downton Abbey sixth series will be the last

LONDON (ShareCast) - ITV (LSE: ITV.L - news) and series producer Carnival Films on Thursday revealed that hugely successful television period drama series Downton Abbey will come to an end at the conclusion of the sixth series. Downton Abbey has been an important product for ITV, as the highest rating UK drama of the past decade across any channel, with an average of 11m viewers over the course of the five series, including Christmas specials.

Goldman Sachs (NYSE: GS-PB - news) has estimated that on its own Downton Abbey accounts for 1% of ITV's total annual audience.

ITV will air the final episode of season-six on Christmas Day 2015 on its ITV 1 free-to-air channel.

The company's director of television, Peter Fincham, said all parties including the show's creator and writer Julian Fellowes had "thought very carefully about the right moment to bring something so special to a close that felt editorially right and left viewers wanting more".

He added: "Christmas Day on ITV this year will certainly be one to remember, as the concluding special brings a series to an end that started as a leap of faith for all of us, and ended surpassing all expectations." The series-five transmission in the UK last year was seen by 25.5m people, with a weekly average audience of 12.9m viewers over its nine-week run, just shy of season four's 13.3m.

The fifth season generated strong online streaming numbers as well, with over 12.6m streams of full episodes across all digital platforms, 13% more streams compared to season four, according to Google Analytics, as well as a huge presence on social media.

Fellowes, writer, creator and executive producer, said he was at a loss to explain why the series had such an impact and reached so many people around the world.

"I suspect the show will always be a principal marker in most of our careers as we set out from here, and if so, I consider that a blessing and a compliment." The drama is the most nominated British show in Emmy history with 51 nominations to date, collecting 11 wins, plus three BAFTA awards and three National Television Awards for best drama as voted for by the British public.