The Northumbria Mysteries made its debut on BBC One on Friday, and while viewers praised the plot and recognised the North East filming locations, many took issue with one thing: the time it was on.
The new series, produced by North East-based Lonesome Pine, the company behind Channel 5 dramas such as The Feud and The Fortune, stars Robson Green as Joe Ruby, alongside Liz White, Simon Callow and Gurjeet Singh. It had its Newcastle premiere last week, where cast and crew, along with invited guests, watched episode 1 before anyone else.
Unexpected 2pm airtime
Full of charm and humour, with mentions of quintessentially North East things like Greggs, the show aired in a rather unexpected 2pm slot on BBC One on October 23, as the first few instalments were released onto iPlayer. Given that many fans were hoping The Northumbria Mysteries would be an ideal replacement for Vera, the much-loved North East drama that ended at the start of 2025, the timing confused a lot of people, and that has so far been the only major issue raised with the programme.
Viewer reactions
As the first part went out on BBC One, a ChronicleLive reader commented: "Thought it was on tonight, then checked and its 2pm. Who has time to watch it at 2pm??" In agreement, a second, while enjoying the show, responded: "Should be on in the evening, the scenery is fab, I enjoyed it something a bit different will watch all the rest," as another wrote: "First episode was good, I hope it becomes an evening slot programme."
Mixed opinions on the slot
Taking a different stance, other viewers said they "could see why" The Northumbria Mysteries had been given an afternoon slot, describing it as "an easy watch" while also seeing all the North East locations on their TV, as others suggested that people complaining about the time it was on just watched on iPlayer at a time of their choice.
