Viewers of The Listeners 'unsettled' by new BBC drama

New BBC drama The Listeners has left audiences feeling "distracted" and "unsettled" minutes into its opening episode.

Based on the novel by Jordan Tannahill, an English teacher named Claire (played by Rebecca Hall) suddenly starts to hear a humming noise that no one else seems to be able to hear.

As Claire becomes obsessed with finding the source of the enigmatic hum, she drifts from her loved ones and encounters a group who claim to hear the same baffling sound.

The BBC describes The Listeners as a series that "explores the seduction of the wild and unknowable, the human search for the transcendent, the rise of conspiracy culture in the West, and the desire for community and connection in our increasingly polarised times."

The show premiered at 9pm on Tuesday (November 19) on BBC One, drawing viewers eager to see Rebecca Hall's latest work. However, the Express reports the series' background music has caused some discomfort among the audience, reports the Express.

One viewer shared: "The Listener's background noise is doing my nut in, might be turning this over".

Another commented: "She's hearing the annoying ambient sound effects on EastEnders whenever they have an outdoor scene in Albert Square. Once you notice it, you can't unhear it".

A third shared: "This background music is very unsettling", and another added: "Am I the only one watching The Listeners on BBC One and how seeing how unsettling the soundtrack is? ".

Another commented: "Watching The Listeners in the same week I've started getting up in the night to try and find the high pitched hum is... a bit weird".

Rebecca Hall takes the lead role in The Listeners as teacher Claire, following her roles in Christine, The Town, and Vicky Christina Barcelona. Ollie West, known for his performance in The Sparrow, plays school student Kyle.

The broader cast features Prasanna Puwanarajah (renowned from The Crown, Ten Percent, Patrick Melrose), Amr Waked (Ramy), Gayle Rankin (Men, Perry Mason, The Greatest Showman), newcomer Mia Tharia (Phoenix Rise) and Franc Ashman (from The Bastard Son and the Devil Himself, Inside Man).

Other notable names in the series are Samuel Edward Cook (familiar from Peaky Blinders, The Gallows Pole), Karen Henthorn (from Coronation Street, The Rising), Lucy Sheen (known for Ping Pong) and Ian Mercer (renowned for Doctors, All Creatures Great And Small).

The Listeners consists of four episodes, each under 60 minutes. The premiere aired at 9pm on Tuesday, November 19, with subsequent episodes scheduled weekly in the same timeslot.

Alternatively, viewers can binge-watch the series as a boxset available on BBC iPlayer from Tuesday, November 19.