The BBC aired its "fun new crime spoof" series, starring Timothy Spall, for the first time on Sunday evening, but viewers were left unimpressed just minutes into the new show.

BBC viewers were left disappointed after settling down to watch a brand new comedy show only to switch it off just moments later with many vocalising the same complaint. Death Valley kicked off on Sunday evening on May 25, starring Timothy Spall as reclusive actor John Chapel famed for his role as a TV detective.

However, it transpires that he also has a talent for solving crimes in real life too. Despite his best efforts to live a peaceful and quiet life, he crosses paths with detective Janie Mallowan, played by Gwyneth Keyworth, who is investigating a mysterious death nearby.

It turns out she's actually the actor's biggest fan and the pair find themselves becoming an unlikely duo as they pair up to solve crimes. The BBC programme, which was filmed entirely in Wales, features a glittering cast alongside Spall and Keyworth.

It includes Gavin and Stacey star Steffan Rhodri, Alexandria Riley of Silo and The Pembrokeshire Murders fame, Sian Gibson known for her work on Peter Kay's Car Share plus additional writing from comedian and actor Sian Harries, the Express reports.

However, despite the fun premise and the show's promising reviews, some viewers were left unimpressed and flocked to social media to share their initial thoughts.

Despite The Guardian pitching the show as a "a fun new crime spoof for Ludwig fans," not everybody agreed.

One viewer remarked: "Just what I thought! It's too silly. The Guardian says people who love Ludwig will love Death Valley. NO! I LOVE Ludwig - this is absolute rubbish!"

Another chimed in: "Five mins & switching off - this is AWFUL. So bad."

A third viewer described the show as having "BBC1 weekday afternoon vibes to it."

Another person who tuned in wrote: "Hmm ... Not hitting the spot yet" while a fifth complained: "Ten minutes in...boring...screaming unintelligible actors...no thanks."

However, others had good things to say about the new programme with many hailing Timothy Spall's standout performance as the reclusive TV star, and others comparing it to other shows they had seen.

One viewer gushed: "Love Timothy Spall".

Another compared it to ITV drama, Professor T starring Ben Miller, as they remarked: "#DeathValley this is very much like #ProfessorT".

Ahead of the show's debut on Sunday evening, creator Paul Doolan described where the inspiration for the show came from.

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He told the BBC: "I liked the idea of a TV actor who played a detective, and a fan of them, and the awkward relationship, but I couldn't really get beyond what else was funny about that.

"Then I thought 'what if they solve murders?', which is all really meta, and then started plotting it based around that."

Death Valley airs Sundays at 8.15pm on BBC One and iPlayer.