'Downton Abbey' to get Special Award from BAFTA

LONDON, June 12 (UPI) -- The British Academy of Film and Television Arts says it is planning a tribute to Downton Abbey and will honor the beloved costume drama with a Special Award Aug. 11.

The series, which airs on ITV in the United Kingdom and on PBS in the United States, is going into its sixth and final season.

Members of the show's cast and crew are expected to attend the BAFTA tribute, which will take place in front of a live audience. The event will be filmed and co-produced by BAFTA and ITV Studios for broadcast on ITV later this year.

"I am delighted that BAFTA is paying tribute to Downton Abbey, an extraordinary series that has flown the flag for British drama since 2010," Amanda Berry, chief executive of BAFTA, said in a statement Friday. "Our tribute will take us backstage with the cast and crew to reveal what's made it both a national treasure and a global phenomenon."

"‎As Downton Abbey moves towards its conclusion with the final season this autumn, I speak for the entire cast and crew when I say how honored we are that the academy will recognize the show with this Special Award," added Gareth Neame, executive producer of Downton Abbey and managing director Carnival Films. "Not only is Downton a much-loved show in Britain, it has had huge success in both the United States and right around the world, waving the flag for Britain and our creative content and that's why the BAFTA recognition means so much to us all."