Downton Abbey fans have blasted the new fourth series for being 'boring and predictable'.
The ITV period drama recently returned to screens for an eagerly-awaited new series, but according to the Daily Mirror, many fans are already fed up.
Complaints voiced on social media included those about wooden acting, thin plotlines and unlikely events.
In one scene, valet Bates repaid a £30 loan he claimed to have 'forgotten' about, but a viewer complained: "Thirty pounds in 1922 was worth just a smidgen under £1,500 today. According to research, that's the equivalent of Mr Bates' entire yearly wage. Good grief, Fellowes."
Another storyline was about the late Matthew Crawley leaving a will-type letter about who should inherit his estate, but one viewer wrote: "Why didn't he write a proper will? Being a solicitor he'd know the importance. I didn't have high hopes for this series, but I didn't expect it to be quite as bad as this."
Michelle Dockery's acting as Lady Mary also came in for a pasting as a viewer groaned: "Yet another episode where Lady Mary is out-acted by the furniture. Is Michelle Dockery sponsored by Ronseal?"
But an ITV spokeswoman defended Downton Abbey, saying of the most recent episode's 9.2 million viewing figure: "These amazing audience figures speak for themselves."
