Downton Abbey, the popular British period drama, will officially wrap up its run at the end of its forthcoming sixth season.

‘Downton Abbey’ Ending

Downton Abbey‘s executive producer and the managing director of Carnival Films Gareth Neame announced the sad news for fans of the show Thursday afternoon.

“Millions of people around the world have followed the journey of the Crawley family and those who serve them for the last five years. Inevitably, there comes a time when all shows should end, and Downton is no exception,” Neame said in a statement. “We wanted to close the doors of Downton Abbey when it felt right and natural for the storylines to come together, and when the show was still being enjoyed so much by its fans.”

“We can promise a final season full of all the usual drama and intrigue, but with the added excitement of discovering how and where they all end up,” Neame added.

Paula Kerger, President and CEO of PBS also weighed in on the impending end of the critical and commercial success.

“PBS and our member stations have been so proud to be the home of Downton Abbey on Masterpiece in the United States. We, like the fans, simply cannot wait to see what will happen to the Crawley family and their beloved staff as this incredible series culminates in Season 6,” Kerger said. “The series has enjoyed such success over the past five seasons and we’ll certainly be working alongside Carnival, Masterpiece and PBS member stations to make Season 6 the biggest yet.”

Since debuting in 2010, Downton Abbey – with Maggie Smith, Michelle Dockery, Joanne Froggatt, Elizabeth McGovern and Hugh Bonneville among its cast – has received 11 Emmys and 3 Golden Globes.

While Neame says there are no plans for a Downton Abbey spin-off, he did reveal that a movie based on the series is a possibility.