Viewers fume at BBC’s new crime drama Rellik over ‘mumbling’ actors and ‘back-to-front’ story
NEW crime drama Rellik is proving a turn-off for viewers as a new mumbling row rattles the BBC.
The thriller, which began on Monday, was panned by social media critics who said they could not understand what the actors were saying.
Its back-to-front storyline also proved an irritation as the show, created by the same writers behind last year’s BBC ratings hit The Missing, drew a relatively modest audience of 3.8million.
One Twitter user said: “Between the crap sound and reverse action Rellik is pretty much unwatchable.”
Another fumed: “Rellik, another BBC drama that I can’t hear... more bloody mumbling.” And a third moaned: “Not a patch on The Missing #rellik #mumbling #confused.”
Rellik features Game of Thrones and Fortitude star Richard Dormer as a detective hunting the serial killer who has left him scarred in an acid attack.
It was screened at the same time as ITV’s controversial rape drama Liar, which was also written by The Missing creators, brothers Jack and Harry Williams.
Liar attracted 5.2million viewers.
Rellik is the latest in a long line of BBC dramas criticised over poor sound and mumbling actors.
The problem was first highlighted in 2014 when period drama Jamaica Inn prompted 2,200 complaints.
Last year, fans of Yorkshire police drama Happy Valley said they could not understand what star Sarah Lancashire was saying. BBC bosses blamed the regional dialect.
But the controversy continued this year when Nazi war drama SS-GB and the fifth series of Ripper Street were criticised for their inaudible dialogue.
Some claimed it was down to poor quality TVs, while veteran actors claimed younger screen stars were simply not up to scratch.
The BBC, which has yet to receive any official complaints about Rellik, declined to comment.
