james journalist© Photo: Channel 5

Deadline: viewers all have the same complaint about Channel 5 thriller

Spoilers ahead!

TV and film writer
April 6, 2022

Channel 5's latest thriller, Deadline, made its debut on Tuesday night and viewers who tuned in to watch the new series all had the same complaint. 

MORE: Meet the cast of Channel 5's latest thriller Deadline

The drama follows washed-up investigative journalist James who takes an interest in his high profile interviewee, Natalie, who is accused of murdering her husband. 

WATCH: What did you think of episode one? 

In episode one, we see wealthy widow Natalie at the centre of a media storm as she insists on her innocence. James initially believes her to be guilty but becomes more and more interested in her story. 

The first instalment ended with a huge twist when Natalie revealed that her brother, Oliver, is in fact alive and responsible for the murder, despite previously claiming that he had taken his own life four years earlier. 

MORE: 7 unmissable shows coming to Netflix in April

MORE: All you need to know about new murder mystery Why Didn't They Ask Evans?

Viewers were left unimpressed by the premiere of the new drama, however, and took to Twitter to complain about the pacing of the episode. 

© Photo: Channel 5

Viewers were left unimpressed with the new drama

One person wrote: "Watched about 20 minutes of #Deadline on Channel 5. So slow couldn't take any more," while another added: "I stuck Deadline for 20 minutes but gave up. Hadn't got a clue what was going on, it was slow and they constantly mumbled!"

A third person compared the drama to the BBC's thriller series, Bodyguard, writing: "#Deadline drama producers should be forced to watch the first episode of #Bodyguard before making shows for an idea of good pacing."

Other viewers felt that the show wasn't gripping enough, with one person tweeting that the episode was "Dull, boring and slow".

© Photo: Channel 5

Some fans praised the opening episode

However, not all viewers were disappointed by the new series, with one person praising the episode: "I loved it. It's going at a nice pace. Just enough to pull you in and get those little grey cells going. Amateur detective me."

Another fan applauded Channel 5 for continuing to carve out a reputation for producing original, scripted series: "I really like the fact that Channel 5 has been making quite a few original dramas."

Deadline continues on Channel 5 on Wednesday at 9pm. 

Like this story? Sign up to our What to Watch newsletter to get other stories like this delivered straight to your inbox.

Sign up to Off Camera for all the gossip and goings-on from the wonderful world of TV and film

Email Address

By entering your details, you are agreeing to HELLO! Magazine User Data Protection Policy. You can unsubscribe at any time. For more information, please click here.

More TV and Film

See more