With the main story arc in the first batch of Red Rock episodes approaching a climax tonight and scheduling competition from RTÉ big gun Operation Transformation safely out of the way for now, viewing figures for the TV3 soap are nudging upwards again.

Last Thursday’s episode, which saw schoolgirl Rachel Reid (Ann Gallagher) manipulated by villainous Sgt Brian McGonigle (Sean Mahon), had 173,000 viewers overnight. The series average up to then was about 159,300 viewers, while the consolidated ratings average for the run, which includes any playback of recorded episodes that takes place within seven days, is higher at 206,000.

Red Rock, which goes out only twice a week, is not replicating the popularity of the British soaps Coronation Street and Emmerdale poached by UTV Ireland, while the audience for TV3's roster of 9pm shows has also suffered in the absence of a Coronation Street inheritance.

But TV3 says it's happy that the ABC1 viewership for the slot, 8.30pm on Wednesdays and Thursdays, has increased on 2014, when it put out imports such as Nothing to Declare, Booze Patrol Down Under and Tipping Point: Lucky Stars.

Perhaps some Gardaí are tuning in: Red Rock has the highest proportion of ABC1 viewers of any soap opera broadcast in Ireland, with the exception of the Chester-set, teen-led Hollyoaks, which garners only a small audience here.

The soap opera, made for TV3 by Element Pictures and UK production house Company Pictures, is due to take a 12-week summer break after a cliffhanger episode on June 4th. It will return for its autumn run on September 2nd with the addition of some “brand new faces” to the relatively small cast of regulars.

TV3 has to date committed to two years of Red Rock, or a total of 160 episodes.