NEED TO KNOW
After six seasons and two feature films, the Downton Abbey saga is officially coming to an end with the third and final movie.
Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale — which hit theaters on Sept. 12 — will bring the aristocratic Crawley family and their staff into the 1930s and serve as a farewell to the franchise. The film will not only conclude the iconic story, but it will also feature a heartfelt tribute to the late Dame Maggie Smith and her beloved character, the Dowager Countess.
Smith starred as the Crawley family matriarch, Violet Crawley, Dowager Countess of Grantham, on all six seasons of the historical drama, which aired on PBS from 2010 to 2015. She reprised her role in the 2019 movie adaptation along with the 2022 sequel, Downton Abbey: A New Era. The second film’s ending — in which the Dowager died — has become even more significant following Smith’s death in September 2024.
Speaking to TVLine in December 2024, executive producer Gareth Neame confirmed that the third film will feature a “meaningful” tribute to the actress.
“The fact that Dame Maggie herself has now passed away since that time, I do think, has given a real added poignancy to a story that we would have planned anyway,” he said. While the characters on-screen are grieving the Dowager, the actors themselves are “mourning the matriarch of the show, and it feels more genuine and more meaningful,” he added.
Here’s everything to know about how to watch every episode of Downton Abbey and all three movie adaptations.
Downton Abbey
CARNIVAL FILMS / Album
Downton Abbey chronicled the lives of the aristocratic Crawley family and their servants as they navigate the social and political changes of the twentieth century. The series originally aired on ITV in the United Kingdom in 2010 and on PBS in the United States, running for six seasons.
All six seasons of Downton Abbey are available to stream on Peacock, Amazon Prime and BritBox, a subscription service dedicated to the best in British TV. You can also stream the series with a subscription to The Roku Channel.
For those looking to own all the episodes, you can purchase the entire series on Fandango. Apple TV also offers the option to rent or buy the seasons.
Downton Abbey (2019)
Alamy
In 2019, Downton Abbey returned to the screen with the first movie adaptation. The film — also titled Downton Abbey — was set in 1927, two years after the series finale. It followed the Crawley family as they prepared to host King George V (Simon Jones) and Queen Mary (Geraldine James) at their estate.
The film is available to stream on Netflix and Peacock.
You can rent or purchase the Downton Abbey movie on Amazon Prime, Apple TV or Fandango.
Downton Abbey: A New Era (2022)
Ben Blackall / Focus Features
Following the success of the first film, the sequel premiered in May 2022. Downton Abbey: A New Era picks up where the previous movie left off in 1928, with some members of the family traveling to France while others stay behind at the estate to host a film crew making a silent movie.
“It’s really a new era,” creator Julian Fellowes told PEOPLE in November 2021. “The further the ’20s went along, the more the world was changing in so many ways. Everything from entertainment to transport was really different by the end of the ’20s.”
Downton Abbey: A New Era is available to stream on Peacock and Fandango.
If you don’t have a subscription to either service, you can rent or purchase Downton Abbey: A New Era on Amazon Prime and Apple TV.
Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale (2025)
Rory Mulvey/2025 FOCUS FEATURES LLC
The final Downton Abbey film follows the family into the 1930s as they grapple with the Dowager Countess’ death. At the same time, Mary (Michelle Dockery) faces scandal amid her divorce from Henry Talbot (Matthew Goode) and the Crawleys deal with near-financial ruin.
“The Crawleys must embrace change as the staff prepares for a new chapter with the next generation leading Downton Abbey into the future,” a synopsis concludes.
The movie also features a tribute to Smith, who died in September 2024. Other members of the cast — which include Hugh Bonneville, Elizabeth McGovern, Lily James, Laura Carmichael and Paul Giamatti — have also spoken about Smith’s absence from the final film.
“It was not the same without her, but it felt very much like in her honor in some way,” Giamatti told PEOPLE in April 2025. “She certainly still feels present through the whole thing.”
Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale is available to watch in theaters. It premiered on Sept. 12.