2018 may seem like *ages* ago now but cast your mind back, because the BBC has just released all of its full data about your annual iPlayer viewing habits.

And to no-one's surprise, Bodyguard, Killing Eve and Doctor Who were among the top-viewed shows.

But, which show actually came out at the very top? After becoming the most-watched TV drama since records began earlier this year, it's no surprise that Bodyguard topped the iPlayer year-end chart.

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richard madden as david budd, the bodyguard, episode 6pinterest
BBC

The political thriller starring Richard Madden had the most-viewed single episode with 10.8 million iPlayer requests for the series premiere, and all six episodes finished in the top 10 most-viewed episodes across all series.

Coming in at a very close second was Killing Eve, which had 9.2 million requests for its own premiere, and its first four episodes completed the top 10 for most-viewed individual episodes.

Third overall was the opener to James Norton's crime thriller McMafia (4.7m), and rounding out the top five were Jodie Whittaker's first series of Doctor Who (4m for 'The Woman Who Fell to Earth') and surprise Welsh hit Keeping Faith (3.9m for its opening episode).

The rest of the top 10 consisted of The Cry, Dynasties, Our Girl, CBeebies show Bing and England's World Cup match against Sweden.

sandra oh and jodie comer in killing eve season one finalepinterest
BBC

Dan McGolpin, Controller of Programming for the BBC, said: "In 2018 we saw people who use iPlayer increasing the amount of time that they spend watching programmes on it.

"Over the last 12 months viewers have enjoyed an increased number of box sets, along with other upgrades such as a selection of live Ultra HD programmes and increased personalisation.

"In a fiercely competitive market, with global streaming companies investing more and more in content, the challenge for 2019 is how to ensure that audiences can enjoy the full range and breadth of BBC programmes on iPlayer."

Below is the BBC's ranking of 2018's top-requested TV shows, along with figures for its most-requested episode:


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Justin is a freelance entertainment journalist and writer. He first joined Digital Spy as a freelance entertainment reporter in 2010 and also worked as a sub-editor for the brand, serving as Night News Editor from 2016 to 2024. Over more than a decade, Justin has covered numerous major entertainment events from the US and has interviewed a wide-ranging group of public figures, from comedian Steve Coogan to icons from the Star Trek universe, cast members from the Marvel Cinematic Universe and reality stars from numerous Real Housewives cities and the Below Deck franchise. Justin has also been on the ground to cover major pop culture events like the Star Wars Celebration and the D23 Expo. He's written for titles across the Hearst network, plus the likes of CBR and Us Weekly.