The premiere of Playmaker Media’s Nine Network drama Love Child has drawn nearly 4.5 million viewers, according to figures released today.
The first episode was watched by 2.2 million people nationally, including catch-up viewing. A repeat screening last Friday attracted a further 531,000 viewers and another airing on Sunday pulled in 422,000.
So the peak audience for the three broadcasts was 3.18 million in the five capitals and 1.27 million in regional areas, for a total of 4.451 million. A further 20,000 have downloaded the first four episodes via Nine’s second-screen app, Jump-In.
The second episode won its timeslot last night with a national average of 1.85 million viewers and a peak of 2.51 million.
“Love Child has been a labour of love for everyone here at Nine and at Playmaker Media,” said Michael Healy, Nine Network Director of Television. "It’s gratifying the series is resonating with audiences in such large numbers all over the country. I can’t recall a time when home-grown drama has been as popular as it is now.”
Created by writer/producer Sarah Lambert, the 1960s-set show stars Jessica Marais as Joan Millar, a midwife who returns home from London to take a job at the Kings Cross Hospital and gets involved in the adjacent home for unwed mothers. The regular cast includes Jonathan LaPaglia, Mandy McElhinney, Ryan Corr, Sophie Hensser and Miranda Tapsell .
A second series looks like a very good bet for Nine.