Downton Abbey: 'outrage' as two characters killed off and another raped It was a moment of controversy in the 80-minute show, which represented an otherwise gentle end to a tumultuous series. The next season, confirmed by ITV last night, will go on to explore Lady Mary's relationship with her two potential suitors, Tom Branson's flirtation with a village schoolteacher and Lady Edith's pregnancy, as well as the fallout from Lady Rose's broken engagement. Viewers will have to wait to learn whether Bates is implicated in the death of Green, after Lady Mary appeared to rally to protect him. Last night, he was seen asking for permission to go to York to do "this and that," before storming up the long driveway of Downton Abbey. Moments later, viewers learnt of the death of Green when his master Lord Gillingham said "lots of people" saw him slip from a crowded pavement into the path of a "bus or lorry." The twist came despite reassurance from the show's executive producer before this series began that "we don't want to have any more deaths at the moment." Liz Trubridge said the show's team had been "very conscious" of the effect the deaths of much-loved characters had on viewers. However, the series finale is unlikely to match the complaints generated by previous plotlines. More than 400 people contacted Ofcom to object about the depiction of the sexual assault of Anna. The controversy helped to garner the programme a record audience though, making it the highest-rated drama on British television this year with an average 11.8 million viewers. ITV confirmed a fifth series would follow another Christmas special. A new production of Wind in the Willows, written by Lord Fellowes, is to become the first major West End musical to be funded in part by fans. The musical is seeking to bring in 10 per cent of its funding from individual