Disappointing start for 24 Season 4 on Sky One

Despite a huge marketing campaign, the new season of 24 got off to a disappointing start on Sky One last night (Sunday, UK).

Early ratings figures show that an average of 610,000 viewers – a 3.5% share of the multichannel audience – tuned in for the first episode at 9pm. The second, screened from 9.55pm, averaged 620,000 (4.1%).

The peak audience came just after 10pm, when 680,000 (4.2%) were watching.

One possible reason behind 24‘s slow start is the success of ITV1’s Sunday night drama premiere Ahead of the Class. The programme, which starred Julie Walters as a headmistress tackling the problems of an unruly school, drew a peak audience of 10.3 million viewers.