Did the Islamic State Prompt the BBC to Kill Off a Beloved 'Downton Abbey' Character?

Islamic State terrorists have allegedly caused the demise of a "Downton Abbey" character.

The new season of the BBC's popular period drama premiered in England last month and shortly after its debut, the Internet rumor mill was churning with speculation that the Islamic State prompted the demise of one of the show's beloved characters.

New episodes of "Downton" won't hit American television until January, but many of the show's fans outside the U.K. follow previews, episode updates and plot leaks from fan sites and the show's Twitter account.

Spoiler alert: If you don't want to know what's coming in the new season of "Downton Abbey," stop reading here!

The curious connection between the Grantham family and the Islamic State has nothing to do with Lady Mary's new hair style, Lady Edith's confirmation that Mr. Gregson was killed in Germany or the dowager countess revealing her "secret assignation" with Prince Kuragin.

Which character has gotten the hook? You can see the victim in the show's opening title sequence.

Isis, the yellow Labrador frequently seen by Lord Grantham's side and who shares a name with the violent militant group taking hold in Iraq and Syria, will not survive the season.

Early episodes hinted that Isis was not long for this world. The Granthams noted that the dog was "terribly listless" and Mary speculated, “I wonder if she’s picked up a germ?”

Downton Abbey dog is called.... ISIS. Radicalised Labrador #awkward

— Robin Galloway (@djrobingalloway) September 28, 2014

The U.K. Independent confirmed that Grantham's Labrador was written out of the show.

For their part, the show's producers are not admitting that Isis' demise has a direct connection to the Islamic State. They pointed to the age of the Labrador and called the timing "an unfortunate coincidence.”

The "Downton" crew is not the first to find itself in a name conundrum following the terrorist group's rise this year: a Belgian chocolate company and mobile wallet app both have undergone some rebranding.

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Follow Mike Opelka (@Stuntbrain) on Twitter.