Here’s some sad news for fans of Jekyll & Hyde, the recent series from ITV: it won’t be returning for a second series. Boo hiss.
Confirmation was provided by creator Charlie Higson via Twitter, saying: “Sad day today as ITV announce they don’t want any more #JekyllandHyde Ah well, I tried. It was a grand adventure while it lasted.”
Indeed, we certainly had fun, as you can see from our 4-star review. It wasn’t perfect, but there was a lot to like about it nonetheless, with some game performances (particularly Richard E Grant) and a lot of laughs to be had.
Initial complaints about the apparently inappropriate level of violence for the 6.30pm timeslot (supposedly numbering around the 800 mark) was supposedly one of the reasons for the cancellation – even though this figure is a tiny drop in the ocean. Plus, in all honesty, it wasn’t actually that violent.
At a push ITV maybe could have pushed it to an 8pm timeslot. Not that it would have needed it, but there’s certainly nothing in the series that is anymore violent than anything you’d expect to see in, say, Doctor Who, but then who are we to know.
Maybe it was just a convenient excuse for ITV to get rid of a show that had provided a level of controversy they weren’t used to and didn’t want. It’s just a shame that the show didn’t get the chance to provide the resolution it needed.
Still, Higson seemed upbeat, tweeting: “Thanks for all the messages of support #JekyllandHyde I’m moving on to other things.”
Ultimately, it’s ITV’s loss. Whatever you thought of Jekyll & Hyde, there was potential for a good show there, and it’s a shame to see it go so early.
Jekyll & Hyde is available to buy on DVD now – read our review here. For more news about the biggest TV shows, pick up the latest issue of SciFiNow.
