Death Valley tops ratings
New BBC One comedy Death Valley premiered on Sunday evening and achieved the largest audience for a new scripted BBC comedy in five years.
A BBC Studios Comedy Production starring Timothy Spall and Gwyneth Keyworth, the murder mystery series set and filmed in Wales is written and created by Paul Doolan.
Airing at 8:15pm, it attracted an audience of 2.9 million viewers on BBC One in overnight ratings.
The figure marks the largest overnight viewing figure for a new BBC scripted comedy title since the debut of Martin Clunes sitcom Warren in February 2019, which charted at 3.9 million. The episode was also the most-watched in its timeslot across all terrestrial channels.
Ludwig, the 2024 crime comedy hit against which Death Valley was repeatedly compared by critics and reviewers, debuted with 2.8 million viewers for its first episode, averaging 2m across the rest of the run.