Ofcom has found ITV‘s cancelled Jekyll and Hyde TV series in breach of broadcast standards. The series stars: Tom Bateman, Donald Sumpter, Stephanie Hyam, and Tom Rhys Harries.
Jekyll and Hyde was cancelled by ITV, during the first week of January. Creator Charlie Higson first broke the cancellation news on Twitter. The Jekyll and Hyde sets have already been shipped to Calais, to be used in the building of refugee shelters.
Ofcom is the independent regulator and competition authority for the UK communications industries. You can read their findings, here.
Here are more details, from Digital Spy:
The broadcasting regulator had received 504 complaints, while ITV itself had 400 disgruntled viewers contact them about Charlie Higson’s fantasy horror series. It didn’t help that its first episode was slotted at 6.30pm on a Sunday.
The premiere featured a character being bludgeoned to death in the first scene, while there were plenty of other violent deaths, including a person getting set on fire.
“We found this programme broke our rules requiring children to be protected from unsuitable material by appropriate scheduling,” said Ofcom.
“The cumulative effect of violent and frightening scenes made this programme – the first in the series – unsuitable for children when scheduled to start at 6.30pm on a Sunday, and without a clear warning before it started.”
ITV had argued that the violence was “limited and fantastical”, and refused to move the show to after the 9pm watershed.
“ITV notes that Ofcom said this was a ‘finely balanced’ decision on their part, and that the programme was suitable for pre-watershed transmission, but not suitable for 6.30pm,” said an ITV spokeswoman. “We have taken this decision on board for future programming.”
What do you think? Do you agree that the Jekyll and Hyde TV show was too violent for its timeslot? Do you think it should have been cancelled, or rescheduled and renewed?
Sad to hear it was cancelled. Loved it. The scenery, the story and cast amazing.
I was 16 years old when I saw it I (LOVED ) it. It was my best show on TV at the time and me and my family all watch it. please PLEASE please bring it back PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Nothing surprises me now with ITV and BBC cancelling decent programmes only to favour the crap reallity that they spew out.
Its a joke that Jekyll was deemed as scary – how many kids play violent computer games? Remember the great Atlantis – cancelled by BBC yet the same BBC will keep X Factor and BGT only cos they make money.
If BBC and ITV continue to do this with good dramas then more viewers will wonder if the licence fee is really worth the money – whats the point?
If you don’t carry it on with ITV, put it on Netflix because me and my daughter absolutely love watching it! We got very upset that it got cancelled so bring Jekyll and Hyde back…please?
Still do not understand why another network, even something like Netlix, could not pick up the series and continue a Season 2. They did it with Star Trek 40 years ago and look what that turned into? And Charlie, don’t try to shuck & jive reader complaints that there was no “ending” in E10 of Season 1 by saying: “Well, they’re all dead.” Obviously when you filmed S1, you had plans for a Season 2–you even said you had some great ideas! Maybe if iTV had tried a little harder to revamp schedule and/or the writers/producers/whomever offered the series to… Read more »
No I didn’t think it was violent I actually sat down and watched it something decent to me we pay £148 TV license what for the best progs get stopped it really is a good progrem I want jekyll n Hyde back so do my friends, violence there’s more violence in half the films children watch are we living in a nanny state??????
Sad sad to hear this is cancelled. I really enjoyed this show and I’m 61. It was different and well done. Not another mindless crappy show. Maybe move to later time or maybe those people who want to control what I watch could change the channel and watch the weather channel.
wtf what a load of bull **** the parents are to blame for letting kids watch it what about the adults who loved the show dont we get a say in it typical of these tv producers now a days they ax the best shows and keep the crap on wth at this rate no wonder people go to other networks to watch shows its because of **** like this i am blazing it was a great show interesting and far from to graphic i have seen a lot worse in corrie and other soaps but dont get axed do… Read more »
It is up to parents to determine what they allow or don’t allow their children to watch. However it is somewhat irresponsible to slot in an adult show while kids are still up. Even a kindergartener is still up @6:30 on Sunday night! I also think to cancel a good show is just as wrong. Compromise and just air it very late at night, like 10 or 11 when the very young should be asleep. After that it is the parents fault if they leave a small kid up at that hour & watching “scary stuff”. Responsibility must be shown… Read more »
To some extent, I agree with you Jul; certainly it would be more appropriate to schedule the show at a later time in the evening–and maybe even on a different day M-F instead of Sunday. However…What does it say about the “parents” who were letting their children watch the show and then complained about the violence?! Considering the original story of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, as well as this show’s billing in the “horror” genre, what on earth did they think this show would be about? Why did they think it was appropriate for children in the first place?… Read more »
When will Jekyll and Hyde be shown in America?
I’ve never even seen the show, but the description didn’t sound that bad to me, especially for British TV. We have had way worse here just on The Walking Dead. If that’s the only reason, then putting it at a later time slot seems like what they should have done.