Downton Abbey: Crawley Family Will Return as Show Gets Renewed For Fifth Season

Popular period drama show Downton Abbey has been renewed for a fifth season. ITV and Carnival Films, who make the TV series, made the announcement on 10th November.

Gareth Neame, the managing director of Carnival Films, said: "Audiences have enjoyed their regular Sunday evening visits back to Downton once again this autumn and we are thrilled to produce a new series of the show next year. We promise all the usual highs and lows, romance, drama and comedy."

"All the actors and makers of the show continue to be humbled by the extraordinary audience response and want to take the show from strength to strength next year," he said.

ITV's Director of Drama Commissioning, Steve November, also commented on the renewal announcement: "We know it will be as warm, witty, romantic and dramatic as previous series and we can't wait to catch up with our favourite characters again."

Season 4 debuted on ITV this year on September 22nd, and grabbed its best-ever premiere ratings. It went on to average 11.8M viewers making it Britain's highest-rated TV drama in 2013. The US will see Season 4 starting on Masterpiece on January 5th. Coming off of the demise of Dan Stevens' Matthew Crawley at the end of Season 3, Season 4 is set in the Roaring Twenties and adds a bevy of guest stars and new regulars, as reported in Deadline.

Season 5 of 'Downton Abbey' is reportedly set to air on ITV in 2014 and on PBS' Masterpiece in the US.

"Like millions of other 'Downton' fans, I can't wait to see what's next for the Crawley family," said Paula Kerger, President and CEO of PBS. "We're proud to be the home of this extraordinarily entertaining series, and, along with our stations, we look forward to sharing season five with US audiences."