It has been a long wait for 'Downton Abbey' fans in the United States, who had to wait for the final season of the British television drama to finish airing in England before they can watch it. PBS has now confirmed that the sixth and final season of 'Downton Abbey' will premiere in the United States on Sunday, Jan. 3, 2016

According to IB Times, following the announcement for 'Downton Abbey' Season 6 premiere at a press meet for the Television Critics Association by PBS, the cast and writers fielded lots of questions regarding the future of the show. In the US, the series finale will air at the end of February and fans are hoping that the show will continue as spin-off series or a movie.

Entertainment Weekly reports that showrunner Julian Fellowes kept the fans' hope alive when he said, "There's speculation about whether we'll ever make a 'Downton' movie, we might, but there are no firm plans."

Meanwhile, 'Downton Abbey' executive producer Gareth Neame also stated that they are "definitely considering a film." According to Vanity Fair, Neme further added that Fellowes could easily balance writing a screenplay as well as writing his new show 'The Gilded Age.' The website claimed that their ideas for a 'Downton Abbey' spin-off show wouldn't essentially focus on the future of the Crawley family, but it's past.

According to Vanity Fair, "If there is a spin-off series, it sounds as though it would be a prequel - but as Neame mentioned multiple times, no further 'Downton Abbey' plans have been cemented."

In fact, both Fellowes and Neame have kept rumors about movies and spin-offs alive throughout the year. When questioned about the possibility of a spin-off series in March, they said that they were open to all possibilities. Neame told Variety, "It is definitely something that we're contemplating. It would be great fun to do," adding, "I think it would be a wonderful extension."

Prior to thinking about what will happen after 'Downton Abbey' Season 6 ends, fans first need to worry about the upcoming season. In the final season, fans will see Mr. Carson (Jim Carter) and Mrs. Hughes (Phyllis Logan) eventually reuniting, but it is not known whether they will get married. In fact, fans will also have to wait till 2016 to know if Barrow (Rob James-Collier) find love or Lady Violet (Maggie Smith) get into trouble.

'Downton Abbey' Season 6, the final season of the show, will premiere on Sunday, Jan. 3, 2016 on PBS. However, a time slot is yet to be announced.