Viewers of the ITV programme The Long Shadow have complained about the show’s low sound quality.
The five-year investigation into convicting Peter Sutcliffe, known as the Yorkshire Ripper, who murdered 13 women between 1975 and 1980 is explored in the true crime series.
The first episode of the thriller, starring Katherine Kelly and Daniel Mays, debuted on Monday (September 25) and tries to put the victims, their relatives, and cops at the core of the plot rather than Sutcliffe.
However, users complained on X, formerly known as Twitter, that they were unable to hear and were forced to utilise subtitles owing to the noise.
One lamented: ‘Dear #ITV when you commissioned #TheLongShadow did everyone involved watch it back? One minute the sound is very low, then it’s too loud!! I can’t make out what Katherine Kelly is saying, will have to rewatch it again with subtitles #TheLongShadow should have gone to @Specsavers.’
‘@ITV#TheLongShadow loving it but the sound is really poor – background music higher than speaking in a lot of key parts #whatdidhesay? missed most of it! anyone else agree or just me ?’ another asked.
A third remarked: ‘TheLongShadow is being spoiled by the awful sound! It is so muffled, and the speech is really difficult to understand at times. Disappointing!’
It’s not the first time The Long Shadow has received criticism when screenwriter George Kay disclosed that the title was altered due to concerns voiced by the victims’ relatives.
He said in a statement to The Telegraph: ‘We started by calling it The Yorkshire Ripper but in the beginning we hadn’t learnt, as we did when making the show, that the moniker used to describe Peter Sutcliffe – which obviously began before anyone knew his real name, but continued after – was disrespectful in many ways.
Some great actors on what is such a heartbreaking story but the sound is awful and ruining it #thelongshadow
— trudi brazier (@Trudibrazier) September 25, 2023
@ITV #TheLongShadow loving it but the sound is poor – background music higher than speaking in a lot of key parts #whatdidhesay ? missed most of it ! pic.twitter.com/L2EwPVxf4x
— Nanny Bobbins (@NannyBobbins) September 25, 2023
Such a relief to see everyone is struggling with the sound & not just me! #TheLongShadow
— Lisa Hignett (@Lolisa46) September 25, 2023
#TheLongShadow is being spoiled by the awful sound! It is so muffled, and the speech is really difficult to understand at times. Disappointing!
— Claire Field (@clfvegan) September 25, 2023
Dear #ITV when you commissioned #TheLongShadow did everyone involved watch it back? One minute the sound is very low, then it's to loud!! I can't make out what Katherine Kelly is saying, will have to rewatch it again with subtitles#TheLongShadow should have gone to @Specsavers pic.twitter.com/fEjbcX3H33
— just a (@TweetPeepGhost) September 25, 2023
@ITV #TheLongShadow loving it but the sound is really poor – background music higher than speaking in a lot of key parts #whatdidhesay ? missed most of it ! anyone else agree or just me ? pic.twitter.com/8FpxWuUVGh
— Nanny Bobbins (@NannyBobbins) September 25, 2023
‘The victims’ families certainly don’t want that name being applied to Peter Sutcliffe because it creates a dark brand around a man who doesn’t deserve that sort of attention, and especially not that verb.’
Sutcliffe, played by Mark Stobbart in the ITV drama, was captured by police in 1981 and condemned to 20 concurrent life terms.
His sentence was commuted to life in jail in 2010, and he died three years ago in prison at the age of 74 after getting Covid.
The Long Shadow continues on Monday at 9pm on ITV1 and ITVX.
