Boat Story viewers are ‘giving up’ on BBC’s dark comedy as ‘gratuitous bloodlust’ escalates and ‘derails the quirky plot’
- Viewers took to X, formerly Twitter, to complain about the grisly plot
- READ MORE: Boat Story viewers brand dark comedy about cocaine smuggling ‘the best thing the BBC has done in years’
It has been hailed ‘the best thing the BBC has done in years’ by viewers – but as Boat Story’s grisly plot progresses, it seems that some people are finding it too much to stomach.
The first two episodes of the series about two accidental drug smugglers aired on Sunday and Monday evening on BBC One, but all six episodes are currently available to watch on BBC iPlayer.
Although many people have praised the dark comedy, created by Harry and Jack Williams and starring Daisy Haggard and Paterson Joseph, some say they are now ‘giving up’ on it as they watch more episodes.
Taking to X, formerly Twitter, viewers suggested the otherwise ‘brilliant’ show with a stellar cast and great writing had been ruined by ‘gratuitous’ violence.
Many said they wanted to continue watching ‘Tarantino-esque’ plot, but were finding the violent scenes too difficult to sit through.
BBC drama Boat Story has largely been a hit with UK audiences but some people have said they’re ‘giving up’ on the programme due to its ‘gratuitous violence’
Some people are finding the violence in the programme a little too much as it follows the grisly tale of drug smugglers
The show tells the story of how Samuel (Peep Show’s Paterson Joseph) convinces Janet (Breeders’ Daisy Haggard) they should steal the drugs, sell them and split the proceeds.
It would ease gambling addict Samuel’s financial problems and present Janet with something that feels like good fortune after a run of terrible luck.
Yet their split-second decision upends their lives and soon their bucolic neighbourhood is being stalked by a sadistic drug lord, his machine gun-wielding gangsters and other murderous villains who are desperate to find out where the stash has gone.
And they’ll all gleefully dispatch anyone they think might be involved.
The idea for this wild tale sprang from real-life incidents such as the drugs recently found on Isle of Wight beaches and the running aground of the SS Politician that inspired the 1949 comedy classic Whisky Galore!.
While many viewers say they have ‘binge-watched’ the entire series on iPlayer, praising the script, acting and setting of the ‘twisted’ show, others are struggling to cope with bloody scenes of torture and shootings.
Viewers took to X, formerly Twitter, to complain about the violence in the drama, which they largely agreed was otherwise brilliant
People have taken to X to express their frustration that the otherwise note-perfect show has been marred by its violent scenes.
One person wrote: ‘Shame great writing, humour and acting are completely derailed by gratuitous bloodlust that detracts rather than adds to the story.
‘Seems in seriously bad taste with everything going on in the world. Maybe it’s just me.’
Another viewer asked: ‘Am I the only person to give up on Boat Story… It’s a total load of gratuitous violence joined by random threads of obscure or inane encounters.’
A third viewer revealed she was just about able to continue watching the show and wrote: ‘We’re enjoying it, but it’s a bit gory!’
Other people were less impressed by the show overall, with one person suggesting it was like ‘Only Fools and Horses meets Tarantino’.
One viewer said she ‘loved the story’ and the ‘quirky writing’ but concluded it was ‘way too violent’.
She continued: ‘I’m not talking gore. It was the gratuitous making us care about people, then the brutality – again and again. Too much.’
However, in contrast, many have enjoyed the violence from start to finish, comparing it to works of iconic directors including Wes Anderson and Quentin Tarantino.
‘Just watched the first episode. Loved it! Very dark, Guy Ritchie-esque,’ one viewer wrote.
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