ITV has defended killing off Matthew Crawley in Downton Abbey, saying the 'solid and loving' on-screen marriage between him and Lady Mary could not be simply broken up. The network has faced some criticism from fans over the death of Lord Grantham's heir, played by Dan Stevens, in a car accident just after Lady Mary had given birth to their first child. Downton's Christmas Day special lost 1.3 million viewers over last year's to come joint sixth in the Christmas ratings with 7.3 million viewers. In a statement, ITV said that with Dan already having decided not to renew his contract after three series, producers decided to kill off the character as the best way of writing him out of the script. Lady Mary, played by Michelle Dockery, would be shown coming to terms with her loss in the fourth series, which starts filming in February, it added. "Over the last three years, audiences across the world have been captivated by the ups and downs of Mary and Matthew's relationship, culminating in their wedding," it said. "Fans have enjoyed what has become a solid and loving marriage. "It is for this reason that the producers decided Matthew and Mary could not simply be estranged or parted, resulting in his untimely and tragic death at the end of the Christmas episode. "In the next series, alongside all the usual drama, comedy and romance involving the much-loved cast of characters, viewers will see Mary adjusting to her life and attempting to move on without the man she loved." The will-they won't-they love affair between Matthew and Lady Mary was a central part of the first two series of the period drama, before their marriage in the last series.
