
Scripted series · ITV1
Downton Abbey
Who's in it
Cast
The principal ensemble across the run of the series.
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.
How fully written and psychologically layered the ensemble is.
How much the series is designed to affect you.
How hard it is to stop after one episode.
How much each hour depends on the one before it.
How often an episode ends on a hook you can't ignore.
The sustained pressure the series keeps you under.
Visual ambition — scale, craft and set-piece filmmaking.
The scale, internal logic and texture of the world.
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.

Season 0 · Complete
Specials
201112 episodes
Best episode · S00E11 Christmas Day

Season 1 · Complete
Series 1
20107 episodes
7.5IMDbLord 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

Season 2 · Complete
Series 2
20118 episodes
7.4IMDbThe 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

Season 3 · Complete
Series 3
20128 episodes
7.4IMDbThe 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

Season 4 · Complete
Series 4
20138 episodes
7.5IMDbSet 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

Season 5 · Complete
Series 5
20148 episodes
7.1IMDbSeason 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

Season 6 · Complete
Series 6
20158 episodes
7.6IMDbOur 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.

S00E11
Christmas Day
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.

S03E01
Episode 1
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?
- Directed by Brian Percival
- Written by Julian Fellowes

S06E08
Episode 8
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.

S01E07
Episode 7
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.
- Directed by Brian Percival
- Written by Julian Fellowes

S02E07
Episode 7
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.
- Directed by James Strong
- Written by Julian Fellowes

S04E02
Episode 2
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.
Recently aired
Latest Episodes

S00E12
More Manners of Downton Abbey

S00E11
Christmas Day

S00E10
Text Santa 2015

S06E08
Episode 8

S06E07
Episode 7

S06E06
Episode 6
Behind the series
Created by
Showrunners, creators, executive producers and the writers who set the voice of the series.
The craft
Key Crew
Directing, writing, production, camera, music and editing.
Executive production
- Gareth NeameExecutive Producer
- Chris CroucherProducer
- Liz TrubridgeExecutive Producer
- Liz TrubridgeProducer
- Nigel MarchantExecutive Producer
- Nigel MarchantProducer
Writing
- Julian FellowesWriter
- Tina PeplerWriter
- Shelagh StephensonWriter
Direction
- Ben BoltDirector
- Catherine MorsheadDirector
- Brian KellyDirector
- Ashley PearceDirector
- Minkie SpiroDirector
- James StrongDirector
Cinematography
- David MarshDirector of Photography
- David KatznelsonDirector of Photography
- Gavin StruthersDirector of Photography
Music
- John LunnOriginal Music Composer
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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