The first episode of the new X-Files has provided Channel 5 with its biggest audience ever for a drama in the channel’s history, with more than 5 million viewers watching the show live or catching it in the week after it was first broadcast.
The debut episode, the first new X-Files in 13 years, drew an average of 3.35 million live viewers and a 15% share of total TV viewing in its Monday night slot – the best new US drama launch since 2009.
Nearly 2 million further viewers chose to record and watch the first episode over the following week.
The boost in viewing gave the X-Files a total consolidated audience of 5.1 million, and a 19% share of all consolidated viewing between 9pm and 10pm, the biggest for any drama since the channel launched in 1997.
For Channel 5 it is the biggest show since the launch of Celebrity Big Brother in 2011. The only other programmes to beat it were England versus Poland in Euro 2000 and a World Cup qualifier match in 2001.
While Channel 5 bosses will be ecstatic with the consolidated viewing figures the second episode, which aired on Monday, saw a major fall in viewing.
The X-Files dropped over 1 million viewers with an average live viewership of 2.2 million and a 10.4% share between 9pm and 10pm.
Channel 5 said this figure has jumped to 2.7 million when viewing is included by those who recorded the second episode and watched it in the first 24 hours after the live broadcast.
Tuesday night also included the debut of the reboot of one-time hit Heroes, called Heroes Reborn, on digital spin-off 5star.
The show premiered with an average audience of 341,000, and a 1.6% share, which is more than triple the 2015 average for the 9pm slot on Tuesday.
Channel 5 said it was 5star’s highest rating new drama since Alphas in 2011.
