News / TV crime drama draws in over 4.5 million viewers
OVER 4.5 million people tuned into BBC crime drama Shetland on Tuesday night as series four came to its finale.
Nearly 40 per cent of all people watching TV in Scotland switched on the show.
Fans were also treated to a surprise announcement following the episode that the show will return for a fifth series next year.
The BBC One programme was the most watched show in its time slot (9pm-10pm) last night in the UK, triumphing over the likes of ITV’s 100 Years Younger in 21 Days.
The viewing figures are set to rise when they include catch-up or repeat showings.
The ratings remained constant throughout the six-part series, with the show regularly pulling in between 4-5 million viewers.
The series has attracted widespread praise, including for actor Stephen Walters’ portrayal of Thomas Malone.
Douglas Henshall, who played lead character DI Jimmy Perez, said the support shown over the last six weeks had been “overwhelming”.
Promote Shetland has worked closely alongside the series with a dedicated web portal and profiles of locations featured in the show.
NB Communication managing director David Nicol, whose company recently took on the Promote Shetland contract, hailed the work the programme has done in attracting people to the isles – despite its grisly themes.
“We’re delighted that the series has been received so well, and rightly so. The show this season has been fantastic, and we’re excited to learn that there will be more episodes coming next year,” he said.
“The exposure Shetland receives from being a vital component of such a high quality production can only be a good thing for the isles.”
Read Jordan Ogg’s recap of the series for Shetland News here.
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