The Undoing: Nicole Kidman & Hugh Grant HBO series a ratings winner

Last Updated on July 30, 2021

I love seeing adult dramas thrive on TV and it looks like HBO has scored another hit with the limited series, The Undoing, starring Nicole Kidman and Hugh Grant.

Last Sunday's episode reached a series high for the night with viewership that totaled 1.7 million across the linear premiere, including two replays and digital. This is an increase of 18% from episode two and 21% from its series premiere on October 25. This is the kind of growth you want to see from a show because it shows that word of mouth is doing its job week after week.

Since its premiere episode, the first airing of The Undoing has passed 6 million viewers, according to HBO. The premium cable network also expects the viewership to build in the coming weeks given its recent numbers and it's actually showing slightly faster growth than the recently wrapped Lovecraft Country at the same point in its season.

HBO also seems to have an international hit with The Undoing and that's likely due to the overseas appeals of its two leads. The six-part limited series is breaking viewership records outside of the U.S. with the show having the best first season premiere of 2020 for HBO's networks in Nordic and Central Europe. The Undoing is also the best first season launch of all-time for HBO in Denmark and it has ranked #1 among series on HBO GO Latin America.

The Undoing, which has received solid reviews from critics, was created by David E. Kelley, who previously worked with Kidman on another HBO series, Big Little Lies. The show is based on Jean Hanff Korelitz's book "You Should Have Known", and revolves around Grace and Jonathan Fraser played by Kidman and Grant, who are living the only lives they have ever wanted for themselves. That life is interrupted when a violent death takes place that leads to a chain of terrible revelations. 

Have YOU been watching The Undoing? It is available now on HBO and to stream on HBO Max.