Photographer: Steve Brown. Designer: Mark Jones. Copyright GE.
ITV has cancelled its Jekyll and Hyde TV show, after just one season of ten episodes, leaving fans with no in-story closure. Today, creator Charlie Higson made the cancellation public on Twitter. Thus far, ITV has not commented publicly, on the status of Jekyll and Hyde.
Set in London, this 1930s period drama stars Tom Bateman as the grandson of the original Dr. Jekyll, as he tries to understand the awful legacy inherited from his grandfather. The cast also includes Donald Sumpter, Stephanie Hyam, Tom Rhys Harries, Natalie Gumede, Michael Karim, Richard E. Grant, Phil McKee, and Oliver Gilbert.
Here are some of Higson’s tweets regarding the cancellation of Jekyll and Hyde:
Sad day today as ITV announce they don’t want any more #JekyllandHyde Ah well, I tried. It was a grand adventure while it lasted.
— charlie higson (@monstroso) January 5, 2016
We had some great stories lined up for series 2 #JekyllandHyde
— charlie higson (@monstroso) January 5, 2016
Thanks for all the messages of support #JekyllandHyde I’m moving on to other things.
— charlie higson (@monstroso) January 5, 2016
if you want to watch and keep #JekyllandHyde for ever now you can. in glorious 5.1 sound https://t.co/VLKXJcBIZw
— charlie higson (@monstroso) January 5, 2016
When a fan expressed dismay, complaining the series did not get a proper ending, Higson provided grim, instant closure.
@sil_martinz well… they’re all dead.
— charlie higson (@monstroso) January 5, 2016
Another tweet from Higson strikes the bell we are always ringing, here — ratings:
@stuheritage You can’t argue with the figures. TX for your message, though
— charlie higson (@monstroso) January 5, 2016
Broadcast reports the production team has been told there will be no second series (season):
Broadcast understands that the production team on the 10-part ITV Studios show have been told that there will be no second series, despite some pre-production work being done in preperation [sic] for a recommission.
Charlie Higson’s reimagining of Robert Louis Stevenson’s iconic story made an explosive start in October, attracting 4.3m (18.9%) viewers and a blaze of publicity.
The first episode generated more than 800 complaints and a flurry of headlines for depicting violence and potentially disturbing scenes ahead of the 9pm watershed.
The programme remains under investigation from Ofcom and the media regulator is expected to make a ruling early this year.
But it appears that interest in the show waned and its consolidated ratings decreased to a low of 1.8m (7.6%) for its final episode on 27 December. Overall, Jekyll and Hyde averaged 2.6m (10.8%) viewers.
What do you think? Did you like the Jekyll and Hyde TV show? Do you think it should have been cancelled, or could the ratings problem have been fixed with a scheduling change? Would you have watched a second season?
I m not watching any ITV show ever. Jekyll and Hyde was awesome
I just discovered this series last week, they need to do a second season!
I would certainly have watched a 2nd series. Well written and entertaining programmes such as this are increasingly rare
I can’t believe they cancelled it ! It was good and made for a nice change to all the blooming soap operas that run constantly !! Change the time to 9.00 and make a second series and more – give us 2.6m something to watch that we want to watch. Disgusted with ITV.
Brilliantly clever series. Thankfully I recorded the whole serious and have just finished watching them back to back. Ridiculous S2 has been cancelled
Poor viewing figures isn’t the show’s fault, it’s ITV’s fault because they kept moving the times around! Jekyll and Hyde was my favourite show, the story line and the actors were amazing so they shouldn’t have cancelled it! I’m sure many fans like me are thinking the same thing that they can’t end it like that on such a cliffhanger!
#bringJekyllandHydeback
Absolutely loved it. And I would never watch any of the reality rubbishy that’s on. Will ITV not see sense?
As ever ITV cancels a fantastic series because the brain dead of this country would rather watch “I’m a celebrity get me out of here” because that is all they can understand. I wish they would pander to the more intelligent rather than making these other programmes where the only people that benefit are the Z listed egos and to be honest I would rather squeeze blackheads than watch this dross – far more satisfying
Disappointed series two has been cancelled. Great show, great actors, great story lines but a crap ending because it needs to be continued.
A later showing time would attract the right audience & stop the immature complainers.
#bringbackjekyll&hyde
screw the ITV, looking forward there will be a S2
Really sad..if people don’t like it don’t watch it, it was a little early to be shown to be fair, I have young children so recorded it and watched as soon as bed time came. There are a lot worse things being broadcasted that’s inappropriate for example a lot of today’s music videos shown before 7:30 @night!! Why stop a shoe people clearly enjoy
I don’t bloody believe it! Another amazing show with awesome actors in it, great story lines and always left me really wanting more and more! I do think it started off, on a little early but that is NO reason to cancel it! just giggle things around! Gutted 🙁
I was devastated to learn that there wasn’t going to be a second season. I was really enjoying Jekyll And Hyde, I didn’t want it to end! It always kept me on my toes and trying to figure out the mysteries as it went on. It hasn’t even aired in my country yet (I got a sneak peak on my broadcaster’s website); I’m sure there’s plenty more viewers out there who will be tearing their hair out with that ending. Can’t they find another funder? maybe, have moved their allocated time slot? Jekyll And Hyde was harmless compared to the… Read more »
Yeah i enjoyed it and was hoping for second season. How can they moan about ratings when they played with the scheduale so much. One was cancled after the paris attacks for no apparant reason then the last 3 all within a week. If people didnt like it why watch it then spend there time complaining. Theres more violence in the news and games if thats what there worried about. What about lloyalty to the fans who put up with all the swapping and changing of episodes?
I loved it and think ITV are very short sighted. Re-schedule it if people are unhappy with the violence but I think it would soon have rivalled Dr Who (personally I understood J & H much more) and Tom Bateman was just brilliant!