It was 13 years since Cold Feet last aired new episodes, but the sitcom’s fans proved as loyal as ever with more than 6 million tuning in to its return on Monday night.
The return of the comedy, which stars James Nesbitt, Hermione Morris, John Thomson and Robert Bathurst, drew an average audience of 6.1 million and a 29% share of all TV viewing between 9pm and 10pm.
The show, which tells the tale of three thirtysomething couples in Manchester, originally ran for five series between 1998 and 2003.
It was one of ITV’s biggest showsat the time, described by some as the UK’s answer to Friends or Thirtysomething, with almost 11 million viewers tuning into its tear-stained finale.
ITV will be pleased with the popularity of the first episode of the eight-part series even if Kevin Lygo, the broadcaster’s new director of television, told an audience at the Edinburgh TV festival that he was not completely sure he would have commissioned its revival.
The show easily won the 9pm slot on Monday night, albeit not against the strongest of competition with BBC1 airing Crimewatch, BBC2 Ripper Street and Channel 4 999: What’s Your Emergency?
In 2014, ITV revived BBC hit Birds of a Feather which drew an average of 7.8 million viewers when it returned.
