The Blame Ends on a Series Best — ITV’s Biggest New Drama of the Year

“The Blame” has ended its run with its biggest audience. Broadcast reported on Saturday, October 24, that the six-part Quay Street Productions thriller closed with a series-best 6.6 million viewers for its finale, measured on seven-day consolidated figures — a performance that makes it ITV1’s best-performing drama since “Protection,” Broadcast said.

The series stars Michelle Keegan as DI Emma Crane, working opposite Douglas Booth as DI Tom Radley. The story opens with the body of teenage figure skater Sophie Madsen found in the fictional town of Wakestead, and Radio Times reported that the case soon exposes lies, cover-ups and misconduct within Crane’s own police station. Ian Hart, Joe Armstrong and Josh Bolt play other key roles in the cast, Radio Times said.

ITV’s own verdict on the series arrived earlier in the run. The broadcaster hailed “The Blame” as the UK’s biggest new drama across any channel or streaming platform so far in 2026, based on 14 days of viewing, according to figures ITV shared and Radio Times reported. The series was released in full on ITVX on September 20 and finished the month as the platform’s top title of September.

One figure in the coverage needs care, because it appears twice, attached to two different episodes. In ITV’s early-October release, reported by Radio Times on October 6, the 6.6 million was the average for the launch episode: “the launch episode averaging 6.6 million viewers so far,” Radio Times wrote, “and viewing continuing to rise.” In Broadcast’s ratings report of October 24, the same 6.6 million is the finale’s series-best figure, on seven-day consolidated viewing. The two attributions are printed side by side in the Facts box below; they are two separate reports of the same number, and this story does not merge them into a single claim.

The shape of the run was set early. Broadcast’s ratings coverage put the opening episode at 4 million viewers when the series got under way on Sunday, September 21, before catch-up and streaming viewing built across the six weeks — the pattern ITV pointed to when it made its biggest-new-drama claim on 14-day viewing figures.

The drama also headlined a record month for the streamer. ITVX passed 3 billion streams for the year on September 9, reaching the milestone two full months faster than in 2025, ITV reported. “The Blame” was the platform’s top title of September. Second for the month was “Trigger Point,” whose first episode has been seen by 6 million viewers and which Radio Times described, citing ITV’s figures, as ITV’s biggest returning drama.

Keegan marked the figures on Instagram. “So so grateful,” she posted. “Thank you to everyone who’s watched the show and for all your lovely messages.” Sharing a group photograph from filming, she thanked the team behind the production, and added: “It was an absolute privilege to be part of a show that not only entertains, but shines a light on a subject that really matters.”

The series was adapted by Megan Gallagher from Charlotte Langley’s 2023 novel, Memorable TV reported. All six episodes are available on ITVX, where the series launched in full on September 20 ahead of its weekly ITV1 run.

Sources: Broadcast; Radio Times; ITV; Hello Rayo; CSI Magazine; Memorable TV.