ITV The Dark premieres amid audio complaints

A new six-part crime thriller premiered on ITV on Sunday, July 12, 2026, but was met with immediate complaints from viewers about poor sound quality. "The Dark," starring Laura Donnelly and Helen Baxendale, follows a detective's hunt for a serial killer in the Scottish Highlands.

The series, based on G.R. Halliday's novel "From the Shadows," features Donnelly as Detective Inspector Monica Kennedy, who is paired with a new partner, DC Connor Crawford, played by Mark Rowley. Their investigation begins with the discovery of a young man's body, staged in a remote glen. As fear spreads through a rural community, DI Kennedy must confront a killer while grappling with the resurfacing of secrets from her own past, which threatens both the case and her family.

Shortly after the premiere began at 9 p.m., numerous viewers took to social media to report issues with the audio, stating the dialogue was difficult to hear and understand, forcing many to turn on subtitles. One viewer wrote that the audio was low and they could not understand the performers, while another criticized "unnecessary background music." Despite the technical complaints, some viewers expressed enthusiasm for the show's...