BBC viewers accidentally get hooked on divisive new drama despite everyone making same complaint

Viewers are now eating their words after complaining about a BBC thriller - only to end up loving it.

While this newer offering from the BBC was initially branded 'unmissable' by some critics, viewers were pretty quick to tear it down.

The show in question stars Joe Cole, of Peaky Blinders and Gangs of London fame.

The show was branded as 'unmissable', however, viewers weren't quick to warm to it (BBC)

Cole plays police officer Joe Roag, who has to race to save a hijacked train as it speeds to London from Glasgow.

While this is happening, he is being aided by National Cyber Security Centre’s Abby Aysgarth (Alexandra Roach), who stays in touch via phone.

The show is, of course, Nightsleeper, which made it's debut on BBC One on Sunday (15 September).

If you are interested, you can check out the trailer here:

The Irish Independent hyped up the show, writing: “If the rest of Nightsleeper is as gripping as Sunday’s opening episode, we should be in for one hell of a ride. Mind the doors!”

While inews called it a 'high speed blast from start to finish', adding: "This promises to be an intricately constructed, high-speed ride."

So, we were primed and ready for the viewers to love it as well, until... they didn't quite take to it at first.

One person wrote on X: "#Nightsleeper is SO s**t but SOOO entertaining!"

That was, until, the same person who wrote the above then came back to chime in: "Actually, #Nightsleeper, despite its almost comical dialogue and loose grasp on realism, was a high-octane, fun, thrilling watch. And you know what? Sometimes that's exactly the TV you need. Scoffed at it initially...would absolutely watch a second series!"

You fickle bunch.

And others have also appeared to change their tune.

Joe Cole is a frantic cop in Nightsleeper (BBC)

Another person wrote: "Watched all 6 in one night, by 3am the 6th episode was the best thing ive ever seen because it’s pure chaos. absolute brilliant bit of tv not taking itself too seriously."

A third added: "Nightsleeper on the iplayer is so bad it's actually pretty enjoyable. I kind of recommend watching it."

It definitely seems like the Marmite of iPlayer right now - you might just have to watch it to make up your own mind.

In case you needed any more convincing, the BBC posed us with a list of questions to get our minds racing.

They teased: “There’s a small team working the night shift alongside Abby and a handful of passengers left on the train with Joe but are they all as innocent as you’d think?

“Who can they trust? Who can we trust? Are there people on board who know more than they are letting on?”

Nightsleeper is now streaming on iPlayer.