Downton Abbey to make Christmas comeback

'Downton Abbey' will return to screens for a one-off special next Christmas.

The ITV1 period drama - starring Hugh Bonneville and Dame Maggie Smith and written by Julian Fellowes - will return for an eight-part second series, which will document the lives of a wealthy family and their servants, in the Autumn before the festive episode airs in December.

Laura Mackie, ITV's director of drama, explained: "Julian has come up with a fantastic story that will give the audience the chance to enjoy the experience of the festive season at 'Downton Abbey'. We're delighted to have this as part of our Christmas schedule for December 2011."

After drawing audiences in the UK of around 12 million viewers per episode, 'Downton Abbey' recently premiered in the US.

However, the show - which focuses on the inner workings of an English aristocratic family battling to protect their inheritance from a distant relative - was simplified and cut from eight to six hours amid fears the complexities of the British legal system would baffle American viewers.

Rebecca Eaton, executive producer for US broadcaster PBS, recently explained: "It is not a concept people in the US are very familiar with.

"American audiences are used to a different speed when it comes to television drama and you need to get into a story very quickly."