When does Downton Abbey series 5 start in 2014? Air Date Confirmed

Question: When does Downton Abbey start in 2014?

Answer: Shortly after the conclusion of series 4 in the UK, ITV announced they had commissioned a new fifth season of the award-winning, period drama.

UPDATE: The Downton Abbey series 5 UK air date and time has now been officially set for Sunday 21 September, 2014 at 9:00pm on ITV. End of update.

All of the shows first four series have previously premiered on British television screens during mid to late September. If ITV stick to this tradition as expected, viewers can expect a start date of around Sunday, 21 September, 2014. Give or take a week. The exact date should be officially announced a couple of weeks prior to the show airing.

Downton Abbey Series 5 ITV Trailer

Over in the US, the premiere date for the new season of Downton has already been set for Sunday, January 4, 2015 at 9pm on PBS’s Masterpiece.

According to ITV, series five will once more be executive produced by Gareth Neame and written by Julian Fellowes.

In addition to when the drama will return, speculation has already begun on whether or not 2014 will finally mark the end of Downton Abbey. It’s hard to see though why TV companies would axe a show that’s been watched by an estimated 120 million people worldwide, at the peak of its popularity.