PBS Winter/Spring Lineup Including 'Downton Abbey' Finale and 'Mercy Street' Premiere

The final season of Downton Abbey, airing now in the UK, premieres on PBS in the US on January 3.

The winter/spring primetime PBS schedule offers a number of exciting new beginnings, awaited returns and a few goodbyes: most notably to one of television's most beloved dramas, "Downton Abbey" on MASTERPIECE, whose final season premieres January 3. PBS welcomes the highly anticipated premiere of its Civil War drama MERCY STREET on January 17 (see a clip here), and the return of the MASTERPIECE hits "Sherlock" (date TBA), and the British mystery series "Grantchester" this spring.

A chronological listing of winter and spring 2016 PBS programs follows, grouped by month and by premiere dates:

JANUARY ON PBS:

GREAT PERFORMANCES "From Vienna: The New Year's Celebration 2016" - The Vienna Philharmonic under the baton of Mariss Jansons performs favorite Strauss Family waltzes at the opulent Musikverein accompanied by the Vienna City Ballet. Stage and screen legend Julie Andrews returns as host, touring the picturesque city. - Friday, January 1, 2:30-4:00 p.m. and 7:30-9:00 p.m. ET

MASTERPIECE "Downton Abbey, The Final Season" - The top PBS drama of all time approaches its climactic chapter. The year is 1925. Momentous changes threaten the great house, and its owners and its servants, while past scandals loom. The beloved ensemble is back for the farewell season, closing the book on a television legend. - Sundays, January 3 - February 21, 9:00 p.m. ET; series finale March 6, 9:00 p.m. ET

PBS has just released a sneak peek of the final season. Watch below: