Chinese anti-graft TV drama In the Name of People became TV's champion Tuesday night after its first episode pulled in 2.41 percent of total viewers, according to CSM Media Research.
The ratings for the show may have even reached as high as 3.91 percent according to ratings-tracker CSM-huan, which was more than twice the viewership numbers earned by the live broadcast of the World Cup qualifiers (1.45) featuring the Chinese national team going head-to-head against Iran's soccer team.
The show also had a good showing on Chinese streaming platforms.
The first two episodes (the second episode became available on Wednesday) had nearly 19.7 million views on Tencent and more than 12 million views on iQiyi as of noon on Thursday.
The show currently holds a 9.0/10 on Chinese media review site Douban.
"There are two aspects about In the Name of People to which we should pay attention. First, the cast includes a number of veteran and skilled actors, which - during a time when pop stars dominate TV and movie screens - is notable. Second, shooting an anti-corruption show featuring serious political themes under the current censorship system is like trying to dance wrapped in chains. Therefore it is much more difficult to create an excellent show than it is for other genres," netizen Zts wrote in a review on Douban.
Produced with the support of the TV and Film Production Center under the Supreme People's Procuratorate, In the Name of People comes at a time when the Chinese central government has increased its anti-corruption efforts.
The show is based on the novel of the same name by Chinese writer Zhou Meisen, who was also scriptwriter for the series.
