Fans’ frustration over wait for Christie drama
Viewers used to box-set binges express frustration that they have to wait for latest instalment of thriller
Viewers of Ordeal by Innocence, the
BBC’S latest Agatha Christie adaptation, were left dismayed to discover that the three-part drama would only be available weekly and not on demand.
Social media was awash with anguished cries from people desperate to binge-watch the thriller, with one fan calling the wait “ordeal by iplayer”.
Others described it as “old school torture” and fretted that they would forget “the plot twists by next week”.
‘Wish it was on for three consecutive nights, rather than make us wait for a week. I guess that’s the downside of binge watching these days’
THE BBC’S latest Agatha Christie adaptation, Ordeal by Innocence, sparked three burning questions: whodunnit? What was the motive? And why do we have to wait until next week for the next episode?
Viewers used to the instant gratification of Netflix and Amazon were dismayed to discover that the three-part drama is going out weekly.
Ordeal by Innocence was originally scheduled over three consecutive nights at Christmas. But the arrest of cast member Ed Westwick over allegations of sexual assault, which he denies, meant the production had to be re-shot with a new actor.
Social media was awash with anguished cries from people desperate to binge-watch the BBC One thriller and find out who killed Rachel Argyll (Anna Chancellor), with one fan dubbing the lengthy wait “ordeal by iplayer”.
Others described it as “old school torture” and fretted that they will “have forgotten the plot twists by next week”.
One viewer wrote: “Wish it was on for three consecutive nights, rather than making us wait a week between each episode. I guess that’s the downside of binge-watching these days.” An average of five million people tuned in to Easter Sunday’s launch episode.
The scheduling highlights a dilemma for the BBC, which is battling to keep hold of younger viewers.
The corporation warned last week that “as the trend shifts towards on-demand viewing, the BBC risks being overtaken by competitors”, with 16-24 year-olds now spending more time watching Netflix than BBC channels.
Charlotte Moore, the BBC’S director of content, said at a screening last week that Christmas was a time when families sit in front of the television for several nights in a row, but Easter is not, hence the decision to schedule it weekly. Executives also banked on viewers being so hooked by the murder mystery that they would be prepared to come back in a week’s time, with the wait adding to the suspense.
While the biggest BBC drama of the year, Mcmafia, was also a weekly fix, recent offerings Hard Sun and Requiem were available as iplayer box-sets.
Kris Mrksa, Requiem’s writer, told Radio Times that his show lost something when it was made available ondemand. “When everyone is watching it at the same time, you do get the conversation the next day: ‘What is happening?’ ‘Do you think they are a villain?’ That kind of thing,” he said.
“That conversation does unfold more naturally when everyone is fixed to a particular viewing time so I think it’s kind of sad to lose that. But it’s hard to argue with the fact there’s a significant proportion of the audience that want to consume their TV that way.”
The appeal of Agatha Christie spans the age range, with older viewers more likely to prefer weekly viewing.
The most recent data from Ofcom found that 59 per cent of over-65s prefer a series to be released in the traditional manner, compared with 36 per cent of 16-24-year-olds.
Last month’s Sky Atlantic drama Save Me was scheduled in weekly instalments while also being made available on demand from day one.
More than one million people watched the six-part series in less than a fortnight, and almost 700,000 devoured it in the first week.