Prime time drama The Thief, His Wife and The Canoe aired on ITV on Sunday, telling the scandal of 'canoe man' John Darwin.
It's been exactly 20 years since the story emerged of Darwin going missing following a paddle close to his home in Seaton Carew, with alarm bells ringing after the 51-year-old at the time failed to turn up for work at Holme House Prison in Stockton. At the time, while he was missing and presumed dead, John was alive and hidden at the family home - with his wife Anne being in on the disappearance.
The scheme itself was conjured up as a last resort which allowed them Anne to illegally cash in on John's £250,000 life insurance when the couple found themselves in substantial amounts of debt. The fraudulent act led to a widespread search before it was called off with John presumed dead, while he was still living in secret at his own family home, as well as the vacant house next door.
Read more: The Thief, His Wife and The Canoe cast as John Darwin scandal becomes ITV drama
However, the couple were pictured together in 2007 during a visit to Panama and after it came to light, they were subsequently each sentenced to more than six years in prison in 2008.
And while the real-life story had all the elements of a gripping four-part series, the show left some viewers a little annoyed with North East accents that missed the mark. Viewers of the first episode wasted no time in taking to social media to voice their complaints with the casting and their accents, complaining that they sounded more Geordie than from near Hartlepool.
James Bridgewood, said: "Heard the dreadful accents then promptly turned it off," while Leslie Coates, added: "Cannot understand why they talking like Geordies from Hartlepool it’s a bit fake.. Its Teesside not Newcastle."
Paula Denholm also pointed out: "The accent was wrong they're from Hartlepool not Newcastle," while Joanne Abdy, commented: "The could of got the accent correct."
Danny Hammil, added: "That @itvhub programme about John Darwin, why has everyone got a Geordie accent when his wife for one is from Middlesbrough? Proper lazy southerners view of the north east."
Another Twitter user, said: "Note to people from outside NE England. People of Hartlepool and Teesside don’t talk Geordie. Seaton Carew is a busy little seaside resort with Fish Shops, Micropubs, Arcades, Shops and Ice Cream parlours."
However, some defended the choice to use thick Geordie accents as opposed to the slightly softer Teesside dialect, in refence to the couple's background.
Shel wrote: "Chill your beans about the accents. The Darwins were from Blackhall Colliery and lived in Consett for a long time before moving to Hartlepool," while another Twitter user, said: "John Darwin was from a pit village in Durham so he would have a Durham accent rather then Hartlepool I’m sure it said at the beginning.."
Anthony Roach added: "They weren’t from there originally so why would they speak Teesside??"
The Thief, His Wife and The Canoe stars Eddie Marsan as John Darwin, Monica Dolan as Anne Darwin, and Karl Pilkington as DC Phil Bayley. You can watch it on ITV each night at 9pm until April 20.
You can also catch it on the ITV Hub after it has aired.
What did you think of the new ITV drama? Let us know in the comments below.
