Some Channel 5 viewers were left disturbed as the first episode of Maxine, a drama about the Soham murders, aired on Monday evening.
The drama revisits Ian Huntley’s shocking murder of Jessica Chapman and Holly Wells, both aged just 10, 20 years ago, but through the eyes of his girlfriend Maxine Carr.
The drama stars newcomer Jemma Carlton as Carr, opposite Scott Reid as killer Huntley, who was later imprisoned for life with a minimum term of 40 years.
The three-part miniseries – Channel 5’s first true crime drama – examines the investigation into Carr and school caretaker Huntley, who she provided a false alibi for.
However, as the first episode got underway several Channel 5 viewers found it hard to stomach, particularly as they claimed that the drama seemed to be portraying Carr as a ‘victim’.
Taking to Twitter, one wrote: “Been on five mins and they are trying to portray her as a victim nah sorry turning over.”
A second added: “Is this new Maxine Care drama going to try and make me feel sorry for her, cause it ain't gonna freaking work!”
“That's enough of Maxine, it's giving me the ick,” another viewer tweeted as a fellow watcher said: “Trying really hard to make her out to be a victim here! 15 minutes in and I’m finding it all a bit in bad taste.”
Another wrote: “Is it me or are they trying to make me feel sorry for Maxine Carr? Not a chance!” as a fellow viewer said: “Are we meant to feel sorry for Maxine Carr in this? Because no.”
Maxine Carr actress Jemma told the Mirror that Channel 5 reassured her the sensitive subject would be handled with care before she accepted the part.
Line of Duty actor Scott said Channel 5 has been careful not to cause upset, saying: "It’s respectful to the victims’ memories and to their families and does not dramatise the murders themselves, but instead the key events around them."
Jemma added on preparing for the role: "I watched every documentary about Maxine that I could get my hands on, and read as much as I could.
"Understanding how she spoke, how her friends and mother were to her, all of that information helped form my take on how she would react in certain moments."
Of becoming Carr, she said: "Physically, it starts with the hair and makeup and then we go to the voice and movement.
"I’m from the West Midlands, Maxine is from the East Midlands, so getting those details right was so important.
"She moves very differently to me, so getting into the right posture of being more delicate in the way I held myself was key. I also had my hair dyed and wore coloured contact lenses.”
She added of big-name actors playing serial killers Dennis Nilsen and Myra Hindley: "I’ve been drawn to performances like David Tennant in Des and Maxine Peake [in See No Evil].
"I felt Maxine was a mountain to climb as a part, but wanted to see how I can push myself in a complex real-life role."
