With season three now at a close, fans of the hit British-American TV drama Downton Abbey will now have to inevitably wait it out until the fall for their favorite aristocratic series to return.

While there are no clear-cut spoilers to report on the show at the present time, Joanne Froggatt (Anna Bates) recently sat down with BANG Showbiz to dish on the progress that the cast and crew is currently making in terms on the upcoming season's production.

"We've just started filming the fourth season. We've been filming for about a month so we've got a long way to go," she said.

Froggatt was also adamant about the strength of the series' writing moving forward, adding that a few surprises will be coming as well.

"I'm really excited about it. I think this year, the scripts are really, really fantastic. I think it's upped its game again. There's certainly quite a few surprises this year. Hopefully people will love it!!

Brendan Coyle (Mr.Bates), who plays Froggatt's onscreen love interest, recently conducting an interview with Red Carpet News, and also remained confident that Downton will still be a TV hit, despite the departures of Dan Stevens and Jessica Brown Findlay.

"[The cast] is a rolling thing, and we miss everyone [who has left] ... [When it comes to the new season] I can't give any spoilers. It's amazing how much it fluctuates. It's a phenomenal thing."

To top it off, he even feels that the series' upcoming installment will outduel its first three seasons.

"And I think it is the best series yet.

"Coyle's Mr. Bates character undoubtedly had a rather interesting journey throughout Downtown's third season, as his love, Anna, had to think off the cuff in order to rescue him from a horrendous fate.

Downton Abbey is slated to make its return in September of 2013. More information on the upcoming season will be posted as it comes out.

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