Julian Fellowes: 'No option' but to kill off Downton's Matthew But this is life. Dan felt that this was right thing for him, and the right moment to move on to different areas. Lord Fellowes, who won an Oscar for his screenplay of Gosford Park, disclosed he would have written an alternative ending for Matthew's character had circumstances been different. If he [Stevens] had been prepared to come back for maybe two or three episodes in a series, that would be different. Then we could have had a foreign posting or invented a career that would have made it possible for him to be away. Otherwise we would have had to make this tremendously successful love affair between Mary and Matthew unhappy, which I didn't feel would be believable. For them to then separate and Matthew never set eyes on his son again would not be believable either. So we didn't really have any option. By him dying, their love can remain in tact. He emphasised there had been no "fall out," saying: "I'm pretty sure he's got a terrific future. We will miss him. Lord Fellowes, who said he found the popular notion that writers and producers made all the decisions about scripts "charming," added: "I'm rather amused by the idea that these plot decisions are taken by producers and writers rather than the actors. In truth, they are taken entirely by the actors. Despite his reluctance to kill off the heir to Downton, Lord Fellowes promised viewers there would be no miraculous Dallas-style re-appearance for Matthew. "Matthew will be dead," he joked. Mary will not find Matthew in the shower; that I can promise. The makers of Downton Abbey have already moved to console devastated viewers about the "untimely and tragic death" of character Matthew Crawley, after an outpouring of furious complaints about the Christmas special. Viewers complained it was "travasty," a "tragedy" and an "outrage," with some saying the ending had "ruined their Christmas." The makers of the programme yesterday released a statement explaining the decision, reassuring fans the death was the only credible exit for the heir to Downton. His "solid and loving marriage" to Lady Mary had meant a separation would be inconceivable, they said. The explanation follows a barrage of complaints about the plot, which saw character Matthew Crawley killed in a motoring accident as he drove to share news of his happy wife and newborn baby.