Following months of speculation on whether Downton Abbey would continue after the fifth season, there is new hope that that the popular series will still continue to grace the small screen for a sixth season.

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In an interview with Express on March 16, series creator Julian Fellowes revealed he was optimistic that the show would continue to air past season 5, but nothing would be officially confirmed until after the new season begins to air.

"I think the producers would be happy if you put the record straight and dispelled myths that the next series will be the last," Fellowes said. "I have no plans to stop writing and while ratings are as high as they are I can't see they wouldn't commission another series; it's just that they won't confirm until the fifth series is televised."

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His comments are a change for Fellowes, who previously seemed less secure about the show's future in a December interview with The Wall Street Journal.

"I don't know yet if there is a season six, but it's not going to go on forever," he said at the time. "it won't be Perry Mason."

Michelle Dockery also recently revealed to ITV that she's not sure if the sixth season will happen, but she that doesn't have any plans to leave in the meantime.

"We don't know for how long it's going to go on for," Dockery said. "We're on series five now. What's great is that we have six months of the year to do other things in between so I am still here and whatever opportunities come up, then I will go with it."

Downton Abbey Season 5 is expected to premiere in January 2015. 

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