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Doors to close at Downton Abbey

The sixth season of British television series *Downton Abbey *will be its last, according to producers.

"Inevitably there comes a time when all shows should end and Downton is no exception," said *Gareth Neame *, managing director at Carnival Films and executive producer of the show.

The final season of the hit drama, which is screened on Seven in Australia, is slated to air in the UK later this year.

"We wanted to close the doors of Downton Abbey when it felt right and natural for the storylines to come together and when the show was still being enjoyed so much by its fans."

The period drama, which stars Dame *Maggie Smith *, left, follows the lives of the aristocratic Crawley family and their servants in the early 20th century, and averages a weekly audience of 11 million in Britain alone.

Downton writer *Julian Fellowes *said the show's journey had been amazing for everyone aboard, while *Michael Edelstein *, president at NBCUniversal International, said it was "nothing short of a global cultural phenomenon".