Line Of Duty has become the biggest show of 2019 so far, with more than 11 million people tuning in for the first episode of the new series.
Jed Mercurio’s police drama returned on March 31 and recorded the highest ratings for an episode in its history, and the largest on any channel this year.
The BBC said the episode received a four-screen consolidated audience – which includes televisions and online devices -) of 11.4 million.
READ MORE: Barry Didcock's TV review: Line Of Duty, BBC One
It is the BBC’s biggest drama since last year’s terrorism thriller Bodyguard, which was also created by Mercurio.
Happy days for AC12, won’t last long. Episode 2 Sunday 9pm
A post shared by Martin Compston (@mrmartincompston) on Apr 2, 2019 at 7:43am PDT
The episode also performed strongly with younger viewers, with 1.5 million 16 to 34-year-olds watching.
READ MORE: Line of Duty star Martin Compston 'dreams in Cockney' after shoot for new series
It was the second biggest audience in the demographic for a programme this year, beaten only by Luther’s 1.6 million launch.
The fifth series of Line Of Duty – which stars Martin Compston, Vicky McClure, Adrian Dunbar and Stephen Graham – continues on Sunday at 9pm on BBC One.
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