Jekyll And Hyde creator apologises to 'scared viewers' after watchdog investigation

The creator of ITV's Jekyll and Hyde has apologised to scared viewers, following an Ofcom investigation into the show.

The TV watchdog is opening an investigation after it received 459 complaints about an episode of the ITV drama that was deemed "too scary" by some viewers.Charlie Higson, who wrote half of series told Stuart Maconie on BBC Radio 6:

The episode being investigated aired on October 25 at 6.30pm, hours before the 9pm cut-off point to show adult content.

It featured a half-human half-dog creature called a Harbinger, the physical transformation of saintly Jekyll into evil Hyde, and the brutal murder of Robert's foster parents in Ceylon. It also showed a violent bar-fight and a punch-up in an alleyway.

Higson defended the show, saying ITV had put out a warning about the violent scenes, explaining:

He continued: "I think with a new show, people weren't quite sure what to expect. It was Jekyll and Hyde and people must have known that's a horror story and we worked very hard to make sure it followed the guidelines. And so I do regret some people found it a little bit extreme.

A spokesperson for the broadcast watchdog said:

Following the episode's airing, viewers expressed their views on Twitter, with one asking: "ITV why are you showing Jekyll and Hyde pre watershed?

Too violent and scary when young children still up."

Reactions were mixed, as another viewer tweeted: "All this Hoo Har about Jekyll and Hyde seen much worse on Doctor Who? So what's the fuss?"