10.35 p.m. Reception The first and second episodes each secured overnights of 8 million, with the first taking a 33% audience share. Ratings grew as the series progressed; episode three scored 9.4 million viewers and the finale drew 10.2 million, with a 42% share. Final figures took it to 10.7 million, making it the eighth most-watched drama and 15th most-watched terrestrial programme of 2003. During production of the series, tabloid newspapers published stories that four funeral scenes had been filmed and a final decision on which would air would be made close to the broadcast. The Sunday Mirror quoted Andy Harries as being "undecided" over who would die in a report published in September 2002, though by this time production on the last episodes was well under way. Critical reviews were favourable and the decision to end the series was welcomed; Paul Hoggart of The Times called the formula of the series "less surprising" and audiences had only "residual interest in the characters". Writing in New Statesman, Andrew Billen compared the appearance of Rachel's ghost to that of Gary Shepherd in thirtysomething, and its inspiration The Big Chill. Billen was unsurprised when Mark told Karen he was a "child hater" and that Jo married Pete solely to stay in the country, suggesting that viewers had seen the plots coming for a long time. Reviewing for BBC News Online, Darren Waters wrote that the finale had a "thankful lack of sentimentality", though called the scenes in Portmeirion an "unnecessary coda". The Spectator's Simon Hoggart believed that Baxendale's portrayal of Rachel as a "fraught and snippy woman" was detrimental to the character, causing him to have less sympathy for her and more for Matthew. He praised the strengths and flaws of all the female characters. Tesco Personal Finance recorded a 20% increase in calls from people wanting to take out life insurance policies. A spokesman attributed the surge to people watching Rachel's death in a car accident. The series secured the Best Comedy Drama award at the 2003 British Comedy Awards and Nesbitt was voted Most Popular Comedy Performer at the National Television Awards in the same year. Other viewer polls placed Rachel's car crash as "Best Drama Moment" at the BBC's annual "TV Moments" ceremony in 2004 and a poll conducted by cable provider NTL in the same year placed the finale as the fourth best of all time. Adam's speech