Downton Abbey creator Julian Fellowes opened up about the decision that led to the conclusion of the celebrated period drama.
In conversation with Entertainment Weekly, the 76-year-old writer revealed he brought the series to an end after 15 years because he didn’t want to add the World War II storyline.
He said, “I wanted to leave it at a time when that had not yet become apparent as a threat.” He also added that he didn’t want to get into Nazis and Germany.
Later in the interview, Fellowes jokingly said it was time to set the actors free, as they had come to the end of this job.
Notably, the remarks arrived a day after the Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale movie was released on September 12. The third and final film, which concluded the story of the Crawley family.
For the unversed, the series first premiered in 2010 with an A-list British cast including Hugh Bonneville, Jim Carter, Jessica Brown, and Brendon Coyle, among others.
The show had six seasons and concluded in 1925 with the Crawley family and staff moving towards a new era, with Lady Mary, played by Michelle Dockery, taking control of the estate.
Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale is set in 1930, with the previous two films set in 1927 and 1928, respectively.
RELATED: Downton Abbey’s Hugh Bonneville parts ways with wife Lulu after 25 years