Ratings slump for Gervais sitcom

Life’s Too Short has lost a million viewers – or more than 40 per cent of its audience - between the first two episodes.

Despite the appearance of Johnny Depp, the second instalment of Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant’s attracted just 1.4million viewers, down from 2.4 million for the series opener last week.

It is less than the average 1.8million viewers who usually tune in to BBC Two at 9.30pm on a Thursday, and less than the 1.5million averaged by the last series of Shooting Stars, which was this week cancelled by the BBC.

Life’s Too Short was trounced in the ratings by I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here! - which attracted 7.7million viewers to ITV1 at the same time.

Rev was also hit by the reality show, with its audience down from 2.4 million to 1.6million.

Published: 18 Nov 2011