HBO’s “The Leftovers” premiered to 1.8 million viewers for its initial telecast on Sunday night, according to Nielsen estimates, putting it below the network’s other high-profile dramas over the last few years.

It didn’t necessarily have as strong a lead-in as HBO may have hoped, as “True Blood” drew 3.1 million viewers for its regular-timeslot airing on Sunday, down from a little over 4 million for its season premiere of the previous week.

HBO’s most recent drama premiere, “True Detective” in January, drew 2.33 million viewers for its regular-timeslot telecast. “The Newsroom” 2.14 million in June 2012, and “Game of Thrones” attracted 2.22 million in 2011.

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When including a late-Sunday repeat, the two-episode total for “The Leftovers” was 2.1 million. In its two airings, “True Blood” grossed 3.5 million.

“The Leftovers” comes from Warner Bros. Television and was created by Damon Lindelof and Tom Perrotta, based on the novel of the same name by the latter. It centers on the fallout from the abrupt disappearance of 2% of the world’s population, and the people in a suburban community who were not taken.

The cast includes Justin Theroux, Amy Brenneman and Liv Tyler, and the pilot was directed by Peter Berg.

Justin Theroux, Amy Brenneman and Liv Tyler are among the cast of “Leftovers,” which centers on the fallout from the abrupt disappearance of 2% of the world’s population.

Over at Showtime, the first-season finale of “Penny Dreadful” drew 856,000 viewers — up from the previous week (799,000) and the largest audience since the show’s premiere (872,000). After a handful of episodes last month, Showtime ordered a second season of “Penny” for 2015.