A 1930s reimagining of a Victorian classic that faced immediate regulatory and public backlash
In short: The 2015 television series Jekyll and Hyde attempted to modernize Robert Louis Stevenson's iconic novella by transplanting the narrative to 1930s London and Ceylon. Despite its ambitious scope, the show was short-lived, cancelled after a single ten-episode season following significant controversy regarding its violent content and disappointing viewership numbers.
The series follows Dr. Robert Jekyll, the grandson of the original Victorian Dr. Henry Jekyll, as he discovers his inherited split personality. After leaving his life in Ceylon, Robert arrives in London to settle an inheritance, only to be thrust into a conflict involving the Tenebrae organization and the secret service agency MI0. The narrative explores his family history, including the mystery of his missing father, Louis, and his twin sister, Olalla, while introducing a cast of characters caught between supernatural phenomena and clandestine power struggles.
The production faced immediate scrutiny upon its debut. The opening episode triggered 459 complaints to the UK regulator Ofcom, primarily concerning the depiction of violence during a 6:30 pm broadcast slot. Ofcom eventually ruled that the series breached the Broadcasting Code, concluding that the scheduling failed to protect children from unsuitable material. This public backlash, combined with poor viewing figures and unfavorable comparisons to other genre staples like Doctor Who, led ITV to cancel the show on 5 January 2016.
Beyond regulatory issues, the series was impacted by real-world events. The broadcast of the fourth episode was delayed by one week following the November 2015 Paris attacks, as producers felt the content would be insensitive given the timing. Although creator Charlie Higson later revealed plans for a second season—which would have seen Robert working for MI0 and returning to Sri Lanka—these stories remained unproduced. The series, which utilized locations such as the Historic Dockyard Chatham and 3 Mills Studios, remains a singular, controversial entry in the adaptation history of Stevenson's work.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: Jekyll and Hyde (TV series)
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