Warm reception for Cold Feet

Cold Feet cast members (from the left) Robert Bathurst, Fay Ripley, John Thomson, Hermione Norris and James Nesbitt, Picture: Jonathan Ford/ITV/PA Wire

The ITV drama series, which has made a comeback after a 13-year absence, had an average audience of 6.1 million and a peak of 6.6 million.

Readers took to The News, Portsmouth Facebook page to sing their praises for the program which had an audience share of 29% in the competitive 9pm slot.

Sheila Farrar said: ‘Brilliant. Everything I had hoped it would be.’

Julie McDonald Woods said: ‘Loved it. About time we had something worthwhile watching!’

Lynn Plested added: ‘Loved it - characters as strong as ever. Addictive as always.’

The figures for Cold Feet include those catching up on ITV+1, but it still smashed the competition as the second-best programme at the same time was BBC One’s Crimewatch, with over three million fewer viewers.

Crimewatch was seen by 2.7 million and scored an audience share of 13%, but these numbers do not account for catch-up viewers.

An episode from series four of drama series Ripper Street on BBC Two managed 1.8 million viewers and an 8.6% share of the audience.

Cold Feet’s return also saw it successfully gain more viewers than BBC’s Poldark the previous evening, which returned in the prime-time spot with its first episode of series two.

While not including catch-up viewers, Poldark was initially viewed by 5.1 million with an audience peak of 5.3 million, garnering a 22.7% share of the Sunday night audience.

Manchester-based series Cold Feet ran for five series between 1997 and 2003, with more than 10 million tuning in for the emotional finale.

It saw the return of show favourites James Nesbitt, Hermione Norris, Fay Ripley, John Thomson and Robert Bathurst as the five friends who are now battling with the stresses of middle age.

The overall reception from fans and critics was positive, with many thankful for its familiarity and ease at slipping right back into the friends’ lives.

The first episode of the renewed series saw Adam (Nesbitt) announcing his impending marriage to Angela, played by Karen David, as he returned home after years of working abroad.

His first marriage ended in tragedy when his wife Rachel, portrayed by Helen Baxendale, died in a road crash in the fifth series of the show.

Baxendale will not be part of the new series.

Episode two will return next Monday.