The opening episode of BBC One’s new fantasy adventure drama series pulled in a Live +7* audience of 8.4 million viewers. This is the biggest new Saturday night drama series launch across all channels since Robin Hood in 2006 and it is also up on the launch of hit BBC One series Merlin in 2008.
From the creators of the hit show Merlin and the creator of the BAFTA-winning series Misfits, Atlantis is currently airing on Saturday nights on BBC One. This week’s thrilling episode will see our hero Jason join his new friends Hercules and Pythagoras, as they are forced to compete in the death-defying sport of bull leaping.
With their lives on the line, it’s up to Jason to pull his motley crew together in this ultimate test of bravery. But watching from the crowds is a dark force who hopes to turn the favour of the Gods against them.
The stellar cast includes Mark Addy, Jack Donnelly, Robert Emms, Sarah Parish, Juliet Stevenson, Jemima Rooper and Aiysha Hart.
Atlantis was created by Julian Murphy (Merlin, Hex, Sugar Rush), Johnny Capps (Merlin, Hex, Sugar Rush) and BAFTA-winning Howard Overman (Merlin, Misfits, Dirk Gently) from Urban Myth Films for BBC One.
Charlotte Moore, Controller, BBC One, says: “It’s great to see Atlantis launch so strongly on Saturday nights for BBC One - the live +7 figures only show further the audience appetite for distinctive and British fantasy drama.”
Ben Stephenson, Controller BBC Drama Commissioning, says: “We are delighted to see such a strong launch for our epic new drama series Atlantis and I can’t wait for the audience to see the characters and stories unfold in the coming weeks.”
The series continues this Saturday at 8.30pm on BBC One where Jason’s (Jack Donnelly) hasty actions have dire consequences for the trio. Over the coming weeks viewers will discover whether romance will blossom between Ariadne and Jason and learn more about Pythagoras’s mysterious background. Plus, as Jason comes face to face with familiar names from Greek Mythology, we learn more about who he really is.
Julian Murphy, Johnny Capps and Howard Overman are the executive producers for Urban Myth Films and Bethan Jones is the executive producer for BBC Cymru Wales.
* Total viewing figures to a programme including PVR, narrative repeats (and their PVRs) and BBC iPlayer
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