A premiere date has been announced for the final season of Downton Abbey.

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On Saturday, Entertainment Weekly discovered that the British drama will be returning on Sunday, January 3. This has usually been the approximate time when the series premieres in the United States.

The statement was announced at the Television Critics Association's press tour in Beverly Hills. PBS chief Paula Kerger had also mentioned that the series will be getting its own float at the Pasadena Tournament of Roses parade.

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There is not too much information yet on what the storyline will be when the program premieres, but it'll probably be memorable since this is the final season. In a previous post from GoldDerby, producer Gareth Neame mentioned that the cast and crew are gradually getting into the moment where they realize that the show they've worked so long and hard on is going to be over soon.

"I think it's only beginning to dawn on people that the end is nigh," Neame said. "It's not going to sink in until we shoot each other's final scene or we shoot the last scene at Highclere Castle. As we applaud off each character on their last scene will be quite moving."

The producer also pointed out why he doesn't want to spoil any details right now.

"If you said to your children on the first day of December, 'Would you like to open your presents now?' the kids would all say 'Yes, please,'" Neame said. "Half an hour later they would all be crying because they would have spoiled things."

Tags: Downtown Abbey television PBS