A record 12.8 million viewers tuned in for the final episode of series six of the hit BBC One drama Line of Duty when it aired on Sunday night. Commanding 56.2% of the UK’s television audience, according to overnight figures, the BBC said it was the most watched episode of any drama, excluding soaps, since modern records began in 2002. The last time a TV drama reached higher viewer figures was for an episode of ITV’s Heartbeat in 2001, which attracted an overnight audience of 13.2 million. Sunday’s much-anticipated instalment drew in close to 4 million more viewers than the last series’ finale, which was watched by 9.07 million in 2019. Created by the British writer Jed Mercurio, Line of Duty first aired in 2012.

Source: The Guardian May 03, 2021 12:29 UTC