Yawns as Lady Mary talks sex
THE opening episode of Downton Abbey in Britain last week received the lowest audience figures since its first year, despite a dramatic plot featuring extramarital sex, a socialist interloper and a near-fatal fire.
THE opening episode of Downton Abbey in Britain last week received the lowest audience figures since its first year, despite a dramatic plot featuring extramarital sex, a socialist interloper and a near-fatal fire.
The first episode of series five received an average 8.43million viewers, fewer than any other season opening since 2010.
More than a million fans have dropped off since last year's opener, which was watched by 9.51 million, a record high.
The first episode of 2012 was seen by 9.02 million, with 9.2million tuning in in 2011.
This year's viewing figures are the second lowest, following Downton's debut episode in 2010 which was watched by 7.69 million.
The overnight ratings, which will increase once viewers watching the episode on catch-up television are taken into account, may be a disappointment to programme makers, after Downton received warm reviews for its dramatic scenes.
The episode saw a visiting aristocrat caught in a saucy situation with a manservant, Lady Mary discussing her plans for premarital sex, Lady Edith's secret love child and a fire which threatened to tear through the ancestral home.
Despite the lower viewing figures Downton still "won" the slot of the evening, receiving a 38% audience share. The figure is the second-highest in its five-year history, beaten only by a 39.7% share last year.
The period drama also comfortably beat the BBC's Our Girl, which drew 3.9 million viewers in the same slot, making it the highest-rated ITV drama of the year so far.
The British showbiz press this week speculated on a "racier" episode of Downton tonight. The Mirror hinted that Lady Mary will sensationally ask for contraceptives as she plots a naughty weekend away with a new man in her life. Lord Grantham's daughter, played by Michelle Dockery, will ask her maid to buy contraceptives for her, the Mirror reported.