Viewer of ITV drama The Thief, His Wife and The Canoe have called out the cast for their "rubbish attempt" at a Hartlepool accent.
The new series, which focuses on former teacher John Darwin who faked his own death in 2002, was branded "insulting" after actors attempted a regional north east accent.
Eddie Marsan stars as John, who was dubbed "vindictive" and "horrible" by viewers who watched the first episode on Easter Sunday.
"The thief, his wife and a canoe, so, why is it that ITV think people from Teesside speak with a Geordie accent. This happened in Hartlepool and we DO NOT have that accent!!!! Insulting!!!!" one fired.
Another angry viewer echoed: "The Thief, His Wife & The Canoe'' a story researched and filmed... AND THEY DID NO RESEARCH ON THE ACCENT. I saw the trailer I wont be able to watch the programme. We do NOT have a Geordie accent in Hartlepool."
"The Thief, His Wife and the Canoe. I remember this happening like it was yesterday, yet I don’t remember Hartlepool folk having Geordie accents [laughing emoji]," another wrote.
But some were understanding, adding that the Hartlepool accent was tricky.
"Lmao at all the hartlepudlians raging that the canoe man thing was filmed on the headland, not Seaton. And also raging at the rubbish attempts at our accent. I mean, come on guys, you should know by now, normal people can't talk like us."
However, not everyone was fuming over the drama, after viewers called it "literally perfect" and said that they were "loving it so far."
"Taking to the social media platform, they penned: 'This canoe guy really seems a horrible, vindictive piece of s**t and I really don’t think he deserves two programmes to be made about him #canoeman #thethiefhiswifeandthecanoe."
Taking a real disliking to Eddie's character, one wrote: "Why is no one talking about the horrific coercive control? Man needed to be in a canoe accident #thethiefhiswifeandthecanoe."
John Darwin, 71, was a former police officer who after being in crippling debt, he decided to fake his own death in a canoeing accident in the North Sea in 2002.
He then asked his wife Anne, played by Monica Dolan, to claim £250,000 in life insurance.
John then lived in secret for years in a bedsit that was attached to the couple's wife in Hartlepool.
He would sneak in and see Anne through a door that connected the two properties.
After five years, the pair decided to move to Panama and start a new life.
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But their plan crumbled after John discovered he couldn't live or work in the country without having his identity confirmed by British authorities.
He and his wife were jailed for six years after they were found guilty of fraud.
Watch ITV's four-part drama The Thief, His Wife and the Canoe on Sundays or catch up on the ITV Hub.
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