The numbers exceeded all expectations, especially the performance among younger adults, because it had been thought that the audience for Bible stories might be heavily tipped toward older viewers.

The record pace being set by cable programming continued Sunday night as “The Bible,” a series on the History network, reached 13.1 million viewers, the biggest audience for an entertainment show on cable television this year.

Even by the standards of broadcast television, that would be an enormous audience, about twice as big as any show on NBC over the last month. Just as impressive was the show’s performance among viewers in the age groups sought by most advertisers.

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