Third series?
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ITV director of drama Laura Mackie has revealed that Julian Fellowes has already outlined a third series of Downton Abbey - but has warned indies against pitching “clones” of the hit show.
The period drama has already been reordered for an 8 x 60-minute second run and pulled in its biggest audience so far on Sunday with an average of 9.05 million (33.27%) viewers over the 9pm hour.
Mackie revealed that writer Julian Fellowes provided detailed plans for a second and third series when Downton’s first run was ordered - opening up the possibility for a further recommission.
The Gosford Park scribe has already started work on the first episode of the second series, which will feature the characters in the middle of World War I.
But Mackie is not currently hunting for a surfeit of bonnets.
“We’re doing more Downton, we have Julian’s Titanic project - that’s a four-part historical piece - and we have a few other things [in development],” she said. “What we absolutely are not looking for is Downton clones.”
However, she added that ITV would be keen to replicate the “scale and event” of Downton. Mackie said that “bringing deficit funding to the table” could make a pitch more attractive.
Carnival Films topped up funding for Downton based on estimated international sales.