Downton Abbey: Season 6—The Final Season

The BBC series Downton Abbey revived the Upstairs Downstairs melodrama centering on families living on inherited wealth and the servants who work for them—presenting a portrait of a culture that was going extinct in the 1920s. The series was a phenomenon in both Britain and the U.S. (where it ranked as the most popular show on PBS), winning multiple Emmy Awards and Golden Globes over its first five seasons. There exists a kind of nostalgia for that kind of class system, at least as practiced by patriarch Lord Grantham (Hugh Bonneville) and his family, notably his more modern-thinking (but still class-conscious) daughter Lady Mary (Michelle Dockery), who are supported by the servants raised in this way of life, led by head butler Carson (Jim Carter). The sixth and final season of the series delivers happy endings all around, rewarding viewers for their devotion to the lives of the wealthy and the service classes alike. Tom (Allen Leach) returns to the family manor, marriages ensue (both among aristocrats and servants), and characters grow and learn as they witness the passing of an era (one family is forced to sell their manor, and the Crawleys open their home to visitors as a fundraiser). And cousin Rose (Lily James) comes back for the finale, while Maggie Smith continues to offer her hilariously withering commentary throughout as Violet Crawley, the Dowager Countess. Compiling all nine episodes from 2015 in their original U.K. versions, extras include behind-the-scenes featurettes. Presenting a satisfying conclusion to a passionately embraced show, this is highly recommended. (S. Axmaker)