ITV viewers spotted an inaccuracy just minutes into the new drama series Adultery, with the fictional A&E department drawing particular criticism.
The six-part series began tonight (October 25), starring Romola Garai and Dominic Cooper as two parents who strike up an affair after a chance encounter. Their relationship is complicated by the fact their children are also dating, leading to a complex web of lies and a secret that could tear their families apart.
Premise of the new ITV drama
A synopsis for the ITV show reads: "Adultery is a provocative love story of passion, parenthood and peril that raises questions about class, grief and the effects of social media."
"Naturally authentic and bristling with forbidden desire, it focuses on two families and the love affair that threatens to uproot their whole lives."
The show has been written by Danny Brocklehurst, who has previously worked on Harlan Coben adaptation Fool Me Once, Ten Pound Poms, Brassic and Lazarus. Discussing Adultery, he revealed: "This is a drama about passion and I've passionately wanted to write it for some time." He went on to describe it as "a show about how love and sex have the capacity to lift us to the highest highs and the lowest lows."
Viewers react to A&E scene
Those who tuned into episode one tonight saw fitness instructor Beth (Romola Garai) and GP Tom (Dominic Cooper) cross paths for the first time after Beth hits him with her car. After taking him to A&E and finding they have immediate chemistry, their relationship quickly escalates.
However, some viewers were unhappy with the depiction of A&E on the show, which appeared remarkably clear of people. Dominic's character Tom also received treatment very quickly, while in real-life British A&E departments, patients face hours-long waits as standard.
"F*** me he got seen to extremely quickly. My old man was waiting 15 hours the other week! I’ll make sure I go to that hospital next time I have the unwanted misfortune of visiting A&E #Adultery," one fan remarked. Another asked: "Did he get his broken wrist sorted that quickly because he's a GP?"
Further criticism and early reaction
Meanwhile, a third viewer was irked by another small detail, penning: "I am enjoying #Adultery, but why has Tom got a posh Southern accent while his brother is pretty broad Northern? This kind of thing bugs me, but I shall persevere."
Early reaction has been mixed, with some saying the show is off to a slow start, while others have deemed it a "binge watch." All episodes are now available to stream on ITVX, but viewers wanting to wait for their fix can also catch new instalments every Sunday and Monday night at 9pm on ITV1.
