Line Of Duty's nail-biting series five finale triumphed in the ratings stakes as it received the biggest television audience share of the year so far.
The thrilling BBC crime drama saw a whopping 9.6 million viewers tune in to the 90-minute special as the series drew to a close on Sunday night.
The BBC revealed: 'The biggest overnight rating for the series ever and the most watched show of the night across all channels, as well the biggest overnight rating of the year so far.'
Big hit: Line Of Duty's nail-biting series five finale triumphed in the ratings stakes as it received the biggest television audience share of the year so far
The episode, in which fans learned the truth about 'H', had an average of 9.1 million viewers and a 44.1% share, with the show attracting 9.6 million fans at its peak.
Meanwhile, the first four episodes of series five attracted larger audiences than any other programme on UK television this year.
The episodes averaged 10.6million viewers in seven-day four-screen consolidated figures.
Last Sunday's show got the highest overnight figure for Line Of Duty ever - peaking at 8.3million and averaging at 7.9million.
Gripped: The thrilling BBC crime drama saw a whopping 9.6 million viewers tune in to the 90-minute special as the series drew to a close on Sunday night
Success: The BBC said: 'The biggest overnight rating for the series ever and the most watched show of the night across all channels, as well the biggest overnight rating of the year so far'
Line Of Duty showrunner, Jed Mercurio, said of the new figures: 'We're thrilled and flattered by the amazing response to this series of Line Of Duty.'
He added: 'On behalf of the whole production, I want to thank our viewers for their fantastic loyalty, and World Productions and the BBC for their unstinting support.'
Following the grande finale, some fans were thrilled at the prospect of series six, while others were left somewhat disappointed by certain elements of the show.
One moment that left fans less-than-impressed was when Detective Sergeant Steve Arnott revealed he had noticed Dot Cottan tap out 'H' in Morse code during his dying declaration.
Daft: Fans took to Twitter in their swarms, describing the plot twist as 'far fetched' and 'a leap', with many questioning how DS Arnott spotted Dot tapping out 'H' from a single freeze frame
Tap, tap: Zooming in on Dot's hand as he lay dying from a gun shot wound, Steve showed DI Kate Fleming and Hastings how the Caddy had tapped out a clue through Morse code
Fans took to Twitter in their swarms, describing the plot twist as 'far fetched' and 'a leap', with many questioning how Arnott (Martin Compston) spotted Dot (Craig Parkinson) tapping out 'H' from a single freeze frame.
During the episode, writer Jed Mercurio dropped the bombshell there was not just one super villain H, but four caddies.
Steve discovered the vital clue when a clip of DI Matthew 'Dot' Cottan's dying declaration was played during AC-12 boss Ted Hasting's interrogation with Patricia Carmichael (Anna Maxwell-Martin).
Not impressed: Fans were far from thrilled when Detective Sergeant Steve Arnott revealed he had noticed Dot Cottan
