Submarine thriller Vigil is the UK’s most watched new drama in three years, the BBC has said.

The first episode of the six-part series, starring Suranne Jones as a police detective investigating a murder at sea, attracted an audience of 13.4 million viewers, according to the BBC’s 30-day viewing data.

The show, made by World Productions, the company behind Line Of Duty, is now the highest rated new drama launch across all UK channels since Bodyguard, also made by World, in 2018.

Charlotte Moore, chief content officer at the BBC, said: “Vigil kept viewers hooked as Suranne Jones took them on a thrilling journey like no other.

“The series’ incredible success is testament to the power of the writing and a brilliant cast and crew.”

The show, which was set and filmed in Scotland, also starred Rose Leslie, Martin Compston, Paterson Joseph and Shaun Evans and came to a nail-biting conclusion on September 26.

Simon Heath and Jake Lushington, executive producers for World Productions, added: “A very big thanks to everyone who tuned in and stayed for the six weeks of Vigil’s thrilling voyage through the Atlantic.

“The show was brought to the screen by a terrific team in Scotland and these huge figures are the result of their brilliant work.”

The series is available in full on BBC iPlayer.