The Downton Abbey Characters Fans Think Deserve A Spin-Off

"Downton Abbey" is one of the most successful UK exports since fish and chips or The Beatles. This sumptuous period drama struck a special chord with modern audiences during its 6 season run. Whether you were downstairs or upstairs, the show had a magical way of getting you invested in the lives and dramas of nearly every single character. And there were certain characters that stuck out in the minds of fans.

Whenever certain characters become fan favorites on a popular TV series, it's not uncommon for them to get their own spin-off show. "Bridgerton" is already doing that with Queen Charlotte (Golda Rosheuvel), Lady Danbury (Adjoa Andoh), and Violet Bridgerton (Ruth Gemmell). The '90s MTV cultural hit "Daria" was such a successful spin-off of "Beavis and Butt-Head" that many fans would argue it superseded the popularity of its source material. So, what about "Downton Abbey?" Will fans get a spin-off anytime soon? 

As far as a new series goes, there's nothing official as of now. But that isn't stopping fans from speculating about what they'd like to see.

For many people, once they pass a certain age, they stop giving a flip. In "Downton Abbey," the characters who embody this sassy, irreverent sentiment the most are the fancy-dressed frenemies Lady Violet Crawley (Maggie Smith) and Lady Isobel Merton (Penelope Wilton). Both are women of status and privilege. Both are headstrong and determined to get their way. When they clash, the witty banter is as clever as it is scathing. At the end of the day, both women seem to hold equal amounts of contempt and respect for one another because, in many ways, they are so much alike.

Recently, fans on Reddit were reminiscing about the show and started discussing what a spin-off with these two strong female leads would look like. Many fans agreed that a prequel starring both ladies in their younger years would be a fun watch, with fans like u/Kannu2 eager to "see a young sassy Violet." Meanwhile, u/redr2290 had another suggestion for a Violet x Merton spin-off: "I want a show with them solving mysteries."

Some fans had an entirely different medium in mind for the proposed spin-off, with u/Infamous_Fault8353 insisting that "they need a podcast." But would that podcast be Ladies Violet and Merton in anachronistic dress recording in a modern studio? Or the two of them in a fancy 1920s parlor with gramophones? Sadly, the world may never know. But it's fun to think about.