ITV Choice crowns Victoria as UK debut scores

An international ITV network has acquired new period drama Victoria after its debut episode became the most-watched new drama of the year in the UK.

ITV Choice has acquired the Asian and Middle Eastern rights from cousin ITV Studios Global Entertainment.

This comes after ITV debuted Victoria on Sunday, August 28 and took 5.7 million viewers (a 30% share; 6.6 million including catch-up), the highest a new drama has taken in the territory this year.

With ITV desperate to find a new period drama hit, the 30% share (6.6 million including catch-up) is doubly significant as this was the same share Downton Abbey’s first episode took back in 2010.

Victoria follows Jenna Coleman (Doctor Who), as a young Queen Victoria ascending to the throne at the age of 18 in 1837.

ITV Studios-owned Mammoth Screen (Poldark) produces the show, which factual producer Daisy Goodwin wrote as the screenwriting debut.

The series runs to a 90-minute opener and seven subsequent hour-long episodes. It has already sold to platforms such as Scandinavian on-demand service Cirkus.

Entertainment-focused ITV Choice plans to debut it on September 6.