The Screen Yorkshire funded version of Jamaica Inn became last night’s second most-watched show – even though more than 100 people complained they couldn’t hear what was going on.
The adaptation of Daphne du Maurier‘s bleak classic shot in Yorkshire and Cumbria pulled an average of 6.1 million viewers.
Starring Jessica Brown Findlay and Matthew McNulty, the smuggling tale scored a 25% audience share between 9pm and 10.20pm – with a five-minute peak audience of 6.8 million.
But there’s been many grumbles about the sound with viewers complaining that they had to switch on the subtitles or turn up the volume to the maximum setting to understand what the cast was saying.
A BBC spokeswoman said that the corporation, which received 107 complaints, was reviewing the episode following “issues with the sound levels”.
Jamaica Inn beat ITV one-off drama Tommy Cooper: Not like That, like This, which starred David Threlfall and conjured up an average of 3.5 million viewers. Coronation Street reached 7.7 million viewers.
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.