` ` ' Abbey '' will return in September 2014 . Next season will air in Britain in the fall before coming to America , and will include the return of Shirley MacLaine as the moneyed and less-mannered Martha Levinson , as well as several new faces such as Tom Cullen , Joanna David , and Gary Carr ( playing the show 's first black character ) , among others . The new series will run for eight weeks . There will be several new characters .
` ` ' Abbey '' will return in September 2014 . The new series will run for eight weeks . There will be several new characters .