Brooding: Jamaica Inn
Complaints about the locally filmed and funded Jamaica Inn have soared and last night saw the BBC lose a significant chunk of its audience for the second episode.
The BBC One adaptation of Daphne du Maurier’s gothic novel, which is being aired over three consecutive nights, started with an average audience of 6.1m viewers on Easter Monday. This had dropped to 4.5m by last night, according to overnight figures.
And now nearly 800 people have now complained to the BBC about the drama, according to the in-house magazine Ariel.
As we first reported yesterday, the complaints were mostly about audibility issues, but there were also some complaints that scenes were too dark and gloomy.
After the first episode aired on Monday, 117 people complained. This rose to 429 in advance of the second episode, with an additional 252 complaining after its broadcast on Tuesday.
The complaints have risen despite assurances that the sound would be turned up before subsequent instalments.
The BBC said in a statement: “We are adjusting the dialogue levels in episode two and three to address audience concerns so they can enjoy the rest of the drama, and would like to apologise to those viewers who were affected.”
The Yorkshire Content Fund cash ensured that a “significant part” of the Jamaica Inn production took place in the county, with further filming in Cumbria and Cornwall – where the novel is set.
The production team was based at the North Light Studios in Huddersfield, with scenes for the inn filmed at Crow Edge, Penistone.
* Are you enjoying the adaptation or finding it hard to follow? Let us know in the comments below.
