His Dark Materials writer Jack Thorne’s latest drama got off to a strong start on Thursday night for Channel 4 ahead of its Hulu release on November 22.
Starring Sarah Lancashire and produced by George Faber’s indie The Forge, the four-part series debuted with 2.8M viewers. This made it Channel 4’s best drama premiere since Thorne’s Kiri in January 2018.
It was the best-rated show in the 9PM slot alongside BBC One’s The Met: Policing London, which was also watched by 2.8M. It beat BBC Two’s rival drama Giri/Haji, which scored 780,000, according to Barb figures from Attentional.
The Accident (formerly known as The Light) is set in Wales and follows the story of a fictional community wracked with grief after an explosion at a local regeneration project claims the lives of several teenagers. Lancashire plays the wife of a local politician who championed the project.
The drama’s strong start further cements Thorne’s reputation among Britain’s A-list television writers. There are high hopes for His Dark Materials, which will premiere on BBC One on November 3 before its HBO debut.
All3Media International is handling global sales for The Accident.
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