Although the hit British-American drama Downton Abbey won't be returning for its fourth season until next year, its loyalists will be happy to know that they just may be in for a lot more of their favorite period piece.

Downton executive producer Gareth Neame recently told the New York Daily News that he thinks that the show may have six additional years of high quality stories to tell following Season 4.

However, while Neame would prefer that the series go 10 seasons, he would much rather it finish out on a high note than wear out its welcome.

"I would rather that we picked the right year [to end] and that in 20 years time the show was loved rather than we went on a season too long and people fell out of love with it," he said while in Los Angeles this past weekend for Santa Monica's Britweek.

Downton Abbey, which airs in 219 countries across the world, follows the ups and downs of the royal Crawley family and their staff in the 1920s.

The series is set to premiere its fourth season in the U.S. on Jan. 5, 2014, according to The Huffington Post.

Keep checking back for more of the latest details on the popular show.

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