Downton Abbey returns: Filming secretly starts on a new series of the show, when will it air?

Downton Abbey fans rejoice! Those of you who are still mourning the period drama, the last episode aired a little over eight years ago, will be delighted to know that filming has secretly started on a new series. It is not yet known who will be appearing in the seventh series of Downton Abbey, it is of course hoped that the big name stars Hugh Bonneville, Michelle Dockery, Joanne Froggatt and Elizabeth McGovern will be taking part. 

A source told the Daily Mail that “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. Those working on the set have been made to sign non-disclosure agreements so that they don’t give the game away but there is a lot of excitement at the return of Downton. It was such a huge success before and there are so many more stories to be told, it seemed such a shame not to be able to make more of it but they’ve made it happen.”

The finale episode of Downton Abbey aired on Christmas Day 2015 and the viewing figure peaked at 7.4 million. Following the final series, two Downton Abbey movies followed in 2019 and 2022. In the finale of Downton Abbey, the characters Edith and Bertie got married on New Year’s Eve 1925, Edith was played by Laura Carmichael and Bertie was played by Harry Hadden-Patton. 

Over the years, there has been plenty of speculation about whether Downton Abbey would return to our screens. In December 2023, the creator of the period drama, Julian Fellowes told the Radio Times that “I have said goodbye to Downton so many times, and I have written the  last scene about six or seven times. Now I’ve got out of the habit of making permanent statements about whether it’s gone.

“It just gives me a lot of pleasure that so many people enjoyed it, so to feel that you created a show that cheers people up and they had a good time with it, I love that.”

Where will the new series of Downton Abbey air?

It is expected that the new series of Downton Abbey will air on ITV, the channel that broadcast the show from 2010 until 2015. It is not yet known when the new series is set to air.

Can you watch old episodes of Downton Abbey?

It is possible to watch Series 1 to Series 6 of Downton Abbey on ITVX