Downton Abbey's last outing was in A New Era, which hit theatres in 2022, but a new series is heading to TV after a nine-year break from the small screen.
The beloved period drama first aired on ITV in 2010, and went on to become globally loved, spanning six seasons and two feature films, and plenty of merchandise such as cookbooks.
There's great news for fans, as a "secret" new series is in production which will see us returning to the iconic Highclere Castle location, which serves as the main backdrop for the series.
According to the Daily Mail, Downton will be returning to our screens "at the end of the year", where they wrote: "It is understood that it will be on ITV".
"Old episodes of Downton are well watched on the channel's streaming platform ITVX so TV insiders expect they will do what they can to stop it going to rivals such as Netflix or Amazon."
Right now, exact details surrounding the new series have been kept under wraps, and a source teased that the whole thing has been very secret, with people signing NDAs to prevent any leaks.
A source "close to the project" told the paper: "Filming has been going on for a few weeks now, it is all very, very secret. There are people working on it who have never seen secrecy like it.
"Those working on the set have been made to sign non-disclosure agreements so that they don't give the game away but there is a lot of excitement at the return of Downton."
They added: "It was such a huge success before and there are so many more stories to be told, it seemed such a shame not to be able to make more of it but they've made it happen."
Last May, there were reports that Downton could return for a seventh season, so there have been rumours surrounding the project for a while now.
At the time, an insider told the Daily Mail: "There is casting taking place, and it would be great if all of the big stars can return. People loved Downton. It became a British institution and it has been much missed since it left our screens."
The series features some huge names such as Dame Maggie Smith, Hugh Bonneville, Joanne Froggatt, and Penelope Wilton, with the ensemble cast being a huge part of why the series is so loved by many.
Previous episodes of Downton Abbey are on ITVX while the two movies can be rented via Prime Video.
