“Downton Abbey” grabbed 9.6 million total viewers with its two-hour series finale Sunday on PBS’s “Masterpiece.” It got a 6.1 household rating across PBS stations nationwide.
That average figure made Sunday the most-watched season finale of the series. The upstairs-downstairs drama previously ran its final episode ever overseas, where it nabbed 8.8 million total viewers.
Stateside, the previous Season 5 finale had earned a 5.3 household rating and 8.4 million total viewers. Crunching the numbers, Sunday’s Season 6 farewell — the final show of the entire series — nabbed 12.5 percent more overall eyeballs.
“These six seasons of ‘Downton Abbey’ have truly been a fantastic ride for all of us in the public television family,” said PBS President and CEO Paula Kerger. “A sincere thank you to Carnival Films, ‘Masterpiece,’ Gareth Neame and Julian Fellowes, and all of our member stations for their part in this tremendous success. Most of all, thank you to all of the loyal viewers whose enthusiasm and engagement with the show made ‘Downton Abbey’ a global sensation.”
“It’s incredibly hard to say goodbye to a show that has brought so much pleasure to so many people,” said “Masterpiece” executive producer Rebecca Eaton. “A huge thanks to everyone at ‘Downton’ — upstairs and downstairs, on-screen and behind-the-scenes. You’ve given us a historic piece of television. And, American viewers, please rest assured that, even after the sun sets on ‘Downton Abbey,’ ‘Masterpiece’ will continue to shine on with the very best of British drama!”
Read our post-mortem interview with creator Gareth Neame here. The executive producer previously updated TheWrap on future movie plans for the franchise.