Hey Devastated 'Downton Abbey' Fans, There Might Be a Musical to Console You

Update, 6/23: With another twist of the tourniquet, Julian Fellowes has made us even more pained/okay about Downton Abbey ending. Here is a recap of the post-apocalyptic DA scraps he's tossed our way:

• the possibility of a Violet Crawley spinoff (opens in new tab) that Maggie Smith apparently wants no part of (opens in new tab)
• the possibility of a full-length movie (opens in new tab)
• the super-sweet endings the actors imagined for their characters (opens in new tab) which could come true in part because Julian has been slacking (opens in new tab)

Add to that a Downton *musical,* which the series' composer says has pretty good odds of making it past the maybe stage, Metro reports (opens in new tab). "There's talk of Julian Fellowes and I and some of the cast doing a live tour the way Dr. Who did," John Lunn said. "Seventy percent of it will be music from the show. There might be some Elgar, there might be some jazz of the periods. Some of the actors will likely recite. We'll have a screen. We may have the music live to several scenes. Julian may be the host. I'd say [there's a] 75 per cent chance it will happen."

So...it's like a reenactment? I might pay student rush for that. (Full price if it's on ice.)

Original post, 3/27: There will be no more Downton Abbey after season six (opens in new tab). There—Band-Aid OFF.

While you crawl toward the nearest corner to have a good cry/sneak a restorative nip from your flask (no judgement, not today), let me deliver the full news: After multiple traitors floated the rumor, executives confirmed that the show is ending (opens in new tab) on Christmas Day this year.

"Inevitably there comes a time when all shows should end and Downton is no exception," said executive producer Gareth Neame in a statement (opens in new tab). "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. We can promise a final season full of all the usual drama and intrigue, but with the added excitement of discovering how and where they all end up."

(You mean gravestones, Gareth? Like the one they just put up for MY HEART?)

All is 99.99999 percent lost, but there's still a microscopic glimmer of hope: Neame said he and Julian Fellowes are "definitely contemplating" a movie based on the soap opera that felt classy because it was British and on at nighttime.

"It would be great fun to do," he said. "I think it would be a wonderful extension of everything people love about the TV show. But I can't confirm that it's definitely going to happen. It would take a lot of planning and thinking about. We shall see."

*guzzles straight Everclear*