It was a noticeable hole in the Christmas TV schedule for viewers, with many mourning the absence of an Agatha Christie mystery to curl up to in front of on Boxing Day.
And the BBC also appeared to greatly miss having an all-star adaptation to rely upon, after only two of its Boxing Day shows broke the four million mark in the overnight ratings.
The Corporation was forced to pull its big-budget version of 1958 novel Ordeal by Innocence, following three rape allegations against one of its stars, British actor Ed Westwick.
The Miniaturist, struggled to attract the same level of audience as recent BBC adaptations of Agatha Christie’s works, with just under 3million people tuning in
And the drama that it chose to fill the 9pm slot, The Miniaturist, struggled to attract the same level of audience as recent BBC adaptations of Miss Christie’s works.
Just under 3million people tuned in to see Romola Garai and Anya Taylor-Joy star in the dark period drama, set in seventeenth-century Amsterdam and adapted from Jessie Burton’s bestselling novel.
That figure compares to the 4.7million who tuned in to The Witness for the Prosecution last year, and the 6million who watched And Then There Were None in 2015.
Agatha Christie’s The Witness for the Prosecution, broadcast last year, attracted 4.7million viewers
The only two BBC shows to pull in more than 4million viewers were EastEnders and Snow Bears, a dramatised story of the 400-mile journey undertaken by a mother polar bear and her two cubs.
Meanwhile, the opening instalment of Little Women, which combines experienced stars such as Dame Angela Lansbury, Sir Michael Gambon and Emily Watson with newcomers such as Uma Thurman’s daughter Maya Hawke, was watched by 3.6million in the 8pm slot.
Yet some viewers criticised the accents of some of the characters and the music for drowning out some of the dialogue, with several switching off after becoming ‘frustrated’.
The only two BBC shows to pull in more than 4million viewers were EastEnders (pictured) and Snow Bears
In contrast to Christmas Day, when the BBC dominated over its rivals, ITV had three of the top five shows, boasting audiences of over 4million for its double bill of Coronation Street, Emmerdale and Jurassic World.
Last night, the concluding instalment of The Miniaturist showed young Nella Brandt, played by Miss Taylor-Joy, uncovering yet darker secrets about the wealthy family into which she married.