'Downton Abbey' Will End After Next Season

— -- "Downton Abbey" is coming to an end.

The PBS drama's upcoming sixth season will be its last, PBS announced today.

"Millions of people around the world have followed the journey of the Crawley family and those who serve them for the last five years. Inevitably there comes a time when all shows should end and 'Downton’ is no exception," executive producer Gareth Neame said in a statement on the network's website. "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…”

Earlier this month, Maggie Smith, who stars as the Dowager Countess Grantham on the series, said she thought her time on the show was coming to an end soon. After all, she noted, her character "must be 110 by now!"

"The ‘Downton’ journey has been amazing for everyone aboard. People ask if we knew what was going to happen when we started to make the first series and the answer is that, of course we had no idea," said Julian Fellowes, the show's writer and creator. "But I do know how grateful we are to have been allowed this unique experience. 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."