Final Downton Abbey series DVD on sale before broadcast

SPOILERS: It isn’t expected to air in Australia until next year but a Season 6 DVD of Downton Abbey goes on sale at ABC Shops from November 26.

Meanwhile the final series is getting underway this weekend in the UK.

ITV has revealed what viewers can expect to see, with a 90-minute episode set against the uncertainty of the estate’s future in the context of 1925.

Robert, Earl of Grantham (Hugh Bonneville), can feel an era coming to an end, as the old aristocratic way of life disappears.

He starts to consider how the estate can adapt to survive which gains a new urgency when his friend, Sir John Darnley, is forced to sell his estate Mallerton.

There is uncertainty too for Anna Bates (Joanne Froggatt) and Mr Bates (Brendan Coyle) who have yet to find out if they will be cleared of involvement in Mr Green’s murder.

But it’s not all doom and gloom with Mrs Hughes (Phyllis Logan) and Mr Carson (Jim Carter) working out the terms of their upcoming marriage.

Of particular concern is whether their marriage will be a “full” marriage in the bedroom department and they’ve decided instead of talking about it together, to use a rather embarrassed Mrs Patmore as chief negotiator.

The final season will not only be an emotional one for the characters but also for the cast.

Michelle Dockery, who plays Lady Mary, said: “When we started this, it was ours and it was so special.

“That first series was just the most amazing thing, and we never would have imagined that all of these people in 250 territories would fall in love with the show.”

Laura Carmichael, who plays Lady Edith, explained: “It feels a little bit like we’re coming out of school, like we’re graduating and we’ve had the best teachers in the business.”

Not to be outdone, a pithy Dame Maggie Smith, who plays the Dowager Countess, added: “I’m honestly just surprised that I got through it and I’m still here.”

Update: Sanity Stores indicate a sale from April 28 2016.