ITV’s programming chiefs will be having nightmares about big budget Jekyll and Hyde, as viewing has halved since launch, with less than two million tuning into Sunday night’s episode.
The £14m drama, which has been the subject of more than 800 complaints by viewers who believe it is too scary to be aired in a teatime slot when kids are watching, slumped to a series low on Sunday night.
ITV, which has so far refused to move the fantasy drama from its early evening slot, postponed last week’s scheduled episode in the wake of the terrorist attacks in Paris.
The episode, the fourth in the 10-part series, contained scenes of violence involving a gunfight. That episode, which also features a scene where a live toad is placed into somebody’s empty eye-socket, was broadcast on Sunday night.
It drew an audience of just 1.7 million, a 7.4% share between 7pm and 8pm, with viewing perhaps at least part-impacted by not airing an episode last week.
The series launched on 25 October with an audience of 3.4 million. Episodes two and three drew 2.5 million and 2.3 million viewers respectively.
