Adverts prove to be a major downer for Downton Abbey fans
Costume drama fans have voiced their anger over the volume and duration of adverts during the latest season opener of ITV’s Downton Abbey.
No less than 23 minutes of the 90 minute long period show were dedicated to commercial breaks, prompting one critic to rename the hit show ‘Downton Addy’.
Despite the off putting nature of its broadcast the episode nevertheless pulled in a record audience, becoming the most watched drama of the year so far with a peak audience of 10.5m and average audience of 9.5m.
Armchair critics took to Twitter to voice their frustrations with one wryly observing: ‘continuous adverts with the occasional interruption from Downton Abbey", while another joked they were ‘quite enjoying the little snippets’ of the show.
An ITV spokesperson maintained that the episode contained no more ad breaks than was normal in a 90 min slot.