Viewers of ITV’s Viewpoint have said it’s a worthy rival to the BBC’s Line of Duty following the crime drama’s debut episode last night.
The five-part series follows surveillance detective DC Martin Young (played by Noel Clarke) as he sets up his observation post in the home of single mother, Zoe Sterling (Alexandra Roach), during the search for a missing primary school teacher.
Zoe’s flat is situated opposite that of the teacher Gemma Hillman’s (Amy Wren), with her live-in partner Greg (Fehinti Balogun), who has a history of controlling and possessive behaviour, becoming a suspect.
Following the slow burn but suspenseful first episode, some viewers compared the drama to BBC series Line of Duty, which will wrap up its sixth season on Sunday and follows an anti-corruption unit.
Taking to Twitter, one person wrote: ‘I think @ITV has a rivalry for @LineOfDuty on @BBC1, b***** brilliant, don’t get me wrong, I love @LineOfDuty #Viewpoint.’
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Viewers of ITV’s Viewpoint (pictured) have said it’s a worthy rival to the BBC’s Line of Duty following the crime drama’s debut episode last night
The five-part series follows surveillance detective DC Martin Young (played by Noel Clarke, above) as he sets up his observation post in the home of single mother Zoe Sterling (Alexandra Roach), during the search for a missing primary school teacher
Another said: ‘Now just hold on. This #Viewpoint has started well… @Line_of_Duty you need to get busy on a new series guys.’
A third added: ‘#Viewpoint better than Line of Duty,’ while a fourth wrote: ‘Could ITV’s Viewpoint be the new Line of Duty, asking for a friend?’
Another commented: ‘Just watched the first episode of #Viewpoint on @ITV with @NoelClarke and LOVED it, really gripping and intriguing, can’t wait to watch the rest.’
The five-part drama, which is headed up by Fleabag director Harry Bradbeer, follows a tense police surveillance investigation into a tight knit Manchester community.
Clarke plays surveillance detective DC Young, who sets up his observation post in the home of single mother Zoe, whose windows command a panoramic view of Westbury Square.
Reaction: Following the slow burn but suspenseful first episode, some viewers compared the drama to BBC series Line of Duty, which will wrap up its sixth season on Sunday
More importantly, it provides a direct view into the home of missing primary school teacher, Gemma, which she shared with boyfriend and prime suspect in her disappearance, Greg.
Coronation Street’s Catherine Tyldesley also appears in the first episode, playing Kate Tuckman, while actor Dominic Allburn stars as her husband Carl.
The couple appear to be the ideal pair, with Kate being a busy mother as well as a social media influencer, while Carl runs a successful business – but it’s not so perfect behind the scenes.
While some viewers loved the suspense, others found the first episode to be boring, with one writing: ‘Maybe we’ve been spoilt with Line of Duty and Too Close, but this is a bit naff isn’t it.’
Zoe’s flat (pictured) is situated opposite that of the teacher Gemma Hillman’s (Amy Wren), with her live-in partner Greg (Fehinti Balogun), who has a history of controlling and possessive behaviour, becoming a suspect
Coronation Street’s Catherine Tyldesley (pictured) also appears in the first episode, playing Kate Tuckman, while actor Dominic Allburn stars as her husband Carl
Another said: ‘Not sure if it’s boring because I’m comparing it to Line of Duty or just if it’s boring in general.’
Tyldesley teased details about Viewpoint during an appearance on The One Show last week, and insisted the project will surely get viewers ‘gripped’.
She said: ‘Noel Clarke leads this and when they set up surveillance they’re pretty sure they’re watching their prime suspect, but they soon realise that across this street, everyone’s got their own little secrets and dirty laundry.
‘You know when you’re walking down the streets and your neighbours got their lights on, and you have a little nosy, it’s like that! It really does get you gripped.’
Viewpoint returns tonight at 9pm on ITV.
Reaction: While some viewers loved the suspense, others found the first episode to be boring