Ratings Review: Upstairs Downstairs
With the second season of Upstairs Downstairs now having completed its run on BBC One we take a look at how the period drama performed and compare its overnight figures with its final ratings.
There is no denying that the second series of Upstairs Downstairs didn’t perform as well as the first on BBC One. The revived period drama, penned by Call the Midwife writer Heidi Thomas, lost 4.3 million viewers across the season. However, it’s interesting to compare its overnight figures with its final ratings because they are significantly different; Upstairs Downstairs picked up viewers who recorded it to watch later. These figures do not include downloads via the BBC iPlayer service – which would push the figures up even further.
The season two premier of Upstairs Downstairs had an overnight rating of 6.5 million viewers but its final figure was much higher; 7.8 million viewers. It pulled in more viewers because of its strong lead-in in the form of the season one finale of Call the Midwife. The second episode had an overnight figure of 5.8 million viewers with a final figure of 6.7 million viewers.
The third episode saw ratings continue to decline with an overnight figure of 5 million viewers which rose to 5.8 million viewers with consolidated/final ratings – still a drop of nearly 1 million viewers on the 
previous week though. The fourth and the fifth episodes both had overnight figures of 4.8 million viewers both of which rose to 5.5 million viewers with final ratings – the only time that Upstairs Downstairs held steady across its second season.
The final episode saw another drop in ratings with an overnight figure of 4.5 million viewers which only rose to 5.2 million viewers with consolidated ratings. The BBC has not revealed whether or not it intends to order a third season. Given the big drop in ratings across the season it does seem unlikely any more episodes will be ordered but certainly not impossible.
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