ITV received 160 complaints to Ofcom for airing pandemic disaster movie Contagion on Thursday night.
Industry regulator Ofcom was inundated with nearly 200 angry calls when the 2011 film was shown, as it depicts a deadly pandemic much like coronavirus.
Viewers also took to Twitter to complain, with one calling the decision to air the film "tasteless".
The film stars Gwyneth Paltrow as Beth Emhoff, one of the first patients to die of a virus which spreads terrifyingly fast, with Matt Damon playing her husband.
Marion Cotillard plays Dr Leonora Orantes, an epidemiologist studying the virus, and Jude Law plays Alan Krumwiede, a conspiracy theorist who believes the government is not being honest about the illness.
Kate Winslet plays Dr. Erin Mears, an Epidemic Intelligence Service officer, and the film was directed by Steven Soderbergh.
Contagion was inspired by real-life pandemics, the SARS outbreak in 2002 and Swine Flu pandemic in 2009.
It was aired on ITV at 9pm on Thursday, and reactions from viewers were mixed.
One viewer wrote on Twitter: "As if Contagion is on TV tonight.
“Very tasteful while we’re dealing with a pandemic.”
“ITV screening Contagion? Really?” added another. “Might as well throw in Cabin Fever, Dawn of the Dead and a Walking Dead marathon.”
Another furious user wrote: "Think ITV should be ashamed of themselves for putting on the #CONTAGION film tonight. Extremely bad taste.!!"
But some suggested it served as a good warning, with one writing: "Maybe the idiots who won't stay inside will watch #Contagion and suddenly GET IT. Maybe this was a genius move for ITV."
Damon and Winslet have now recorded a coronavirus PSA, urging people to wash their hands and stay safe.
They teamed up with scientists from the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health to create the videos.
Their co stars Laurence Fishburne and Jennifer Ehle also starred in the videos, where Winslet warns: “One of the most important things [the experts] taught me: wash your hands like your life depends on it.
“Because right now in particular, it just might.”
Damon urged viewers: “Social distancing means staying six feet away from another person. It means not gathering in groups and it means staying home or sheltering in place if that’s what government officials are telling you to do.
“People can have Covid-19 and have very mild symptoms or no symptoms at all, so even if you think you’re healthy or they’re healthy, don’t take that chance, it is not worth it.”
