BBC viewers say same thing as they switch off 'quirky' new crime drama minutes in

BBC viewers settling down to watch a brand new comedy drama series ended up switching off just moments in to the show, with many sharing the same complaint.

Death Valley began on Sunday night (May 25), starring Timothy Spall as reclusive actor John Chapel famed for his role as a TV detective. However, it transpires he also has a knack for solving crimes in real-life too.

Despite his efforts to live a quiet life, he crosses paths with detective Janie Mallowan (Gwyneth Keyworth) who is investigating a mysterious death nearby. It turns out she's the actor's biggest fan, and the pair find themselves drawn together to solve crimes as an unlikely duo.

The show was filmed entirely in Wales and features a glittering cast alongside Spall and Keyworth. It includes Gavin and Stacey star Steffan Rhodri, Alexandria Riley of Silo and The Pembrokeshire Murders fame, Sian Gibson known for her work on Peter Kay's Car Share plus additional writing from comedian and actor Sian Harries.

Despite the fun premise and promising early reviews, some viewers were left disappointed and flocked to social media to share their initial thoughts.

While The Guardian pitched the show as "a fun new crime spoof for Ludwig fans," not everybody agreed. One viewer vented: "Just what I thought! It's too silly. The Guardian says people who love Ludwig will love Death Valley. NO! I LOVE Ludwig - this is absolute rubbish!"

"Five mins & switching off - this is AWFUL. So bad," said another, while a third viewer described the show as having "BBC1 weekday afternoon vibes to it."

"Hmm ... Not hitting the spot yet," said someone else tuning in. "Ten minutes in...boring...screaming unintelligible actors...no thanks," penned another.

Not everybody was disappointed though with many viewers hailing Timothy Spall's standout performance as the reclusive TV star, and others comparing it to other shows they had seen.

"Love Timothy Spall," one fan gushed, while someone else likened it to ITV drama, Professor T starring Ben Miller. "#DeathValley this is very much like #ProfessorT," they penned.

Ahead of the series' debut, its creator Paul Doolan described where the inspiration for the show came from.

"I liked the idea of a TV actor who played a detective, and a fan of them, and the awkward relationship, but I couldn't really get beyond what else was funny about that," he told the BBC.

"Then I thought 'what if they solve murders?', which is all really meta, and then started plotting it based around that."

Death Valley airs Sundays at 8.15pm on BBC One and iPlayer