Scripted series · ITV1

Downton Abbey

8.1IMDb1K votesStrongly recommended
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2010 – 20156 seasons · 47 episodes~66 min per episodeTV-14Ended
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The Nutevio profile

TV DNA

How Downton Abbey actually feels to watch, measured on the traits our editors track across every series.

Signature profile

Downton Abbey reads strongest on Character Depth, Emotional Weight and Bingeability.

Character DepthDefining9.5

How fully written and psychologically layered the ensemble is.

Emotional WeightVery strong7.0

How much the series is designed to affect you.

BingeabilityStrong5.9

How hard it is to stop after one episode.

SerializedStrong5.5

How much each hour depends on the one before it.

Cliffhanger IntensityPresent4.0

How often an episode ends on a hook you can't ignore.

TensionPresent4.0

The sustained pressure the series keeps you under.

SpectacleLight3.5

Visual ambition — scale, craft and set-piece filmmaking.

World BuildingLight3.5

The scale, internal logic and texture of the world.

HumourLight2.5

How often the series is genuinely funny, by design.

The story

What it's about

A chronicle of the lives of the aristocratic Crawley family and their servants in the post-Edwardian era—with great events in history having an effect on their lives and on the British social hierarchy.

The run

Seasons

6 seasons · 47 episodes.

  • Official poster for Specials

    Season 0 · Complete

    Specials

    201112 episodes

    Best episode · S00E11 Christmas Day

  • Official poster for Series 1

    Season 1 · Complete

    Series 1

    20107 episodes

    7.5IMDb

    Lord Robert Crawley and his family live a life of leisure, while a fleet of servants, including butler Carson, attend to their every need. But two events conspire to shake things up: the sinking of the Titanic, which claims Crawley's heirs, and the return of his valet, Bates. Since Crawley and Lady Cora have three daughters, his distant solicitor cousin, Matthew, becomes heir to the estate. With that, the scheming begins, since Thomas the footman views Bates as an interloper and Crawley's mother, Violet, feels the same way about Matthew's mother, Isobel.

    Best episode · S01E07 Episode 7

  • Official poster for Series 2

    Season 2 · Complete

    Series 2

    20118 episodes

    7.4IMDb

    The Great War rages across Europe, and not even the serene Yorkshire countryside is free from its effects. The men and women of Downton are doing their part both on the front lines and the home front, but the intensity of war only serves to inflame the more familiar passions: love, loss, blackmail, and betrayal.

    Best episode · S02E07 Episode 7

  • Official poster for Series 3

    Season 3 · Complete

    Series 3

    20128 episodes

    7.4IMDb

    The Great War is over and a long-awaited engagement is on, but all is not tranquil at Downton Abbey as wrenching social changes, romantic intrigues, and personal crises grip the majestic English country estate. As other great houses are crippled psychologically and financially in the wake of World War I, Robert, Earl of Grantham, sticks to his duty to maintain Downton more firmly than ever. But in this changing landscape nothing is assured, and could it be that even the war-weary Crawleys must fight a new battle to safeguard their beloved Downton? 

    Best episode · S03E01 Episode 1

  • Official poster for Series 4

    Season 4 · Complete

    Series 4

    20138 episodes

    7.5IMDb

    Set in 1922, the fourth series sees Lady Mary mourning her loss as the Crawley family and the servants who work for them remain inseparably interlinked.

    Best episode · S04E02 Episode 2

  • Official poster for Series 5

    Season 5 · Complete

    Series 5

    20148 episodes

    7.1IMDb

    Season 5 finds the Crawley family and the staff struggling with responsibilities and choices as they adjust to life in the Roaring Twenties. A new Labour government heralds changes that are being felt throughout the land, and Robert, Mary and Branson together must navigate these shifting sands to ensure the future of the estate for generations to come. As Branson finds himself playing a more crucial role at Downton than ever before, he can’t help questioning his place in this world. Mary is finally coming to accept that she would like to marry again, but will she ever be able to find the same happiness that she had with Matthew? Meanwhile with still no news of her beloved Gregson, Edith suffers under the burden of her terrible secret.

    Best episode · S05E01 Episode 1

  • Official poster for Series 6

    Season 6 · Complete

    Series 6

    20158 episodes

    7.6IMDb

    Our time with the Crawleys draws to a close and we see what will finally become of them all. Secrets and rifts threaten the unity of the family, while those below stairs continue to navigate social changes which put their futures in jeopardy. Will Mary choose the right path? Will her sister Edith finally get a break?! Will Carson and Mrs Hughes actually make it up the aisle? And will Anna and Bates overcome the many hurdles that have been set before them?

    Best episode · S06E08 Episode 8

Where the series peaks

Best Episodes

The hours that define the show, ranked by audience response and editorial signal.

Still from Christmas Day

S00E11

Christmas Day

8.3IMDb15 votes

Mary endeavours to build bridges with her sister while Edith’s secret continues to pose a threat, despite having nothing left to lose. As Henry settles into the role of husband and stepfather, finding his place at Downton proves more difficult. Below stairs, Carson faces some personal challenges, which prove that even he is not invulnerable to change.

25 Dec 201598 min
Still from Episode 1

S03E01

Episode 1

8.2IMDb22 votes

Cora’s mother sweeps into Downton for Matthew and Mary’s wedding, but with the couple’s relationship under strain will they even make it to the altar? New footman Alfred strives to meet Carson’s high standards, under the watchful eye of his aunt O’Brien. Robert’s shocking news brings financial worries to the fore, on an unprecedented scale. Might he lose Downton itself and all it stands for?

16 Sept 201269 min
Still from Episode 8

S06E08

Episode 8

8.0IMDb13 votes

Bertie's circumstances change suddenly, leaving Edith uncertain whether to risk telling him the truth or keep her past a secret at all costs. Mary wonders if she can ever make peace with her sister as hostilities escalate, Spratt shows some hidden talents and Molesley's first day as a teacher does not go according to plan. Mrs Patmore's bed and breakfast attracts unwanted attention, leaving her in need of the Crawleys' help.

8 Nov 201576 min
Still from Episode 7

S01E07

Episode 7

8.0IMDb17 votes

Cora's pregnancy throws the inheritance issue into doubt. Matthew must wait for an answer to his wedding proposal. O'Brien discovers more compromising information about Bates. Thomas leaves.

7 Nov 201065 min
Still from Episode 7

S02E07

Episode 7

7.9IMDb16 votes

How long can Sybil and Branson keep their secret? Carlisle puts Anna in a difficult position, Bates is left reeling from the news about Vera, and Thomas embarks on a new scheme.

30 Oct 201156 min
Still from Episode 2

S04E02

Episode 2

7.9IMDb20 votes

Mary starts to get over the grief she is feeling, and takes an interest in the running of the estate. Lady Rose MacClare, Lady Flintshire's daughter, ends up in a predicament at a tea dance in York. Hughes attempts to convince Carson to heal an old wound.

29 Sept 201350 min

Recently aired

Latest Episodes

Still from More Manners of Downton Abbey

S00E12

More Manners of Downton Abbey

5.0IMDb1 votes
28 Feb 2016122 min
Still from Christmas Day

S00E11

Christmas Day

8.3IMDb15 votes
25 Dec 201598 min
Still from Text Santa 2015

S00E10

Text Santa 2015

7.0IMDb2 votes
18 Dec 201510 min
Still from Episode 8

S06E08

Episode 8

8.0IMDb13 votes
8 Nov 201576 min
Still from Episode 7

S06E07

Episode 7

7.8IMDb11 votes
1 Nov 201550 min
Still from Episode 6

S06E06

Episode 6

7.7IMDb11 votes
25 Oct 201550 min

The craft

Key Crew

Directing, writing, production, camera, music and editing.

Executive production

Direction

Cinematography

Music

Recognition

Awards

1 win

Screen Actors Guild Awards

1 win · latest 2014

  • WinnerScreen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series2014

    Downton Abbey · Downton Abbey

Where to watch

Streaming

Availability verified against regional listings.

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