Idris Elba returned to the role of Detective John Luther this past Tuesday, with the series five premiere of the acclaimed crime drama comfortably topping the New Year’s Day TV ratings here in the UK.
As reported by TV Line, Luther’s first episode drew an average of 5.6 million viewers, matching the ratings highs of the show’s first two series. It also enjoyed 25.7% of the audience share, the biggest in the series’ history.
While the BBC will be pleased with those numbers, it’s sure to be left disappointed by the viewing figures for the Doctor Who New Year’s Day Special ‘Resolution’, which was watched by 5.15 million viewers. That’s the lowest rating for the annual Who special since the show’s revival, and the second-lowest episode rating for Jodie Whittaker’s run as the Thirteenth Doctor.
You can read our reviews of the first two episodes of Luther series 5 here and here.
