James Marsden and other celebrities wrote letters of support for shamed Brian Peck after he was accused of the child sexual abuse of Drake Bell in 2003.

In August 2003, Nickelodeon dialogue coach Peck – now 63 – was arrested and charged with nearly a dozen counts related to allegations that he had sexually abused an unnamed minor.

Peck subsequently pleaded no contest to performing a lewd act with a 14-or 15-year-old and to oral copulation with a minor under 16 – with Bell – now 37 – claiming he was the unnamed minor who was abused by Peck aged 15 when he appeared on The Amanda Show.

Now Investigation Discovery’s docuseries Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV has unsealed 41 letters of support sent to the judge in the case, revealing Marsden was one of the most prominent figures asking for probation – rather than jail time – for Peck.

Journalist Kate Taylor notes it is is ‘unclear how much Peck’s friends knew about the charges against Peck’ when they penned the letters.

Marsden wrote in the letter seen by USWeekly: ‘I can easily say that Brian is one of the reasons why I have been as successful as I have been in this industry. I was lucky enough to have been graced with Brian’s guidance, uncommissioned guidance I might add, and support in pursuing an acting career.

Nickelodeon dialogue coach Peck – now 63 – pleaded no contest to performing a lewd act with a 14-or 15-year-old and to oral copulation with a minor under 16 – in October 2004, Peck was sentenced to 16 months in prison and mandated to register as a sex offender; seen in 2014 

Bell – now 37 –  has claimed he was the unnamed minor who was abused by Peck aged 15 when he appeared on The Amanda Show – he is seen on docuseries Quiet On Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV in which he made the allegations

Saying Peck was his ‘mentor’ he added: ‘I don’t mean to dramatize this but I am speaking wholeheartedly about a man whose heart is pure and no matter what you’re talking about, his intentions are always good. He has such an amazing capacity to care about people. This, I find, is very rare. Especially in Hollywood. Brian genuinely cares about other human beings.’

He compared Peck’s suffering after his arrest to that of ‘a hundred men and wrote: ‘When I first heard the news of Brian’s arrest I couldn’t breathe. I could not believe what was happening. It was unimaginable.

‘I’ve known Brian for 14 years and never once did I ever see any sign of him being capable of something like this. I have lived at his house for months and shared hotel rooms with him and never once did he ever make me feel compromised or uncomfortable in any way. I don’t know what it would take to have something like this occur, whatever it is, it is extremely out of character for Brian.’

Marsden was also mentioned in  X-Men producer Thomas DeSanto‘s letter of support – Peck was Marsden’s best man at his wedding to Lisa Linde in 2000.

DailyMail.com has contacted Marsden’s representative for comment. 

Taran Killam, 41, also praised Peck in a letter writing: ‘Over the years, Brian has become one of my dearest friends. I know him quite well on both a professional and personal level. Brian has to be one of the most well liked people I have ever known. I think this has to do a great deal with his generosity, genuine concern for other’s well being, and especially his honesty.

‘When I found out about Brian being arrested I was shocked. Brian is the last person I would expect to be charged with criminal activities. My first thought was, ‘This is a mistake.’ I know many of our mutual friends had similar thoughts. I have seen the effects this situation has had on Brian and I know for a fact that he regrets any mistakes made and that this is certainly not something that would ever happen again.”

‘There has yet to be a set that I work on, where someone doesn’t know Brian, and also doesn’t think the world of him. He honestly is one of the most well liked, well-respected people in this business.’

Quiet on Set has unsealed 41 letters of support sent to the judge in the case, revealing Marsden was one of the most prominent figures asking for probation for Peck – it unclear how much Peck’s friends knew about the charges against Peck when they penned the letters

Saying Peck was his ‘mentor’ he added: ‘I don’t mean to dramatize this but I am speaking wholeheartedly about a man whose heart is pure and no matter what you’re talking about, his intentions are always good (Peck pictured 2012)

Boy Meets World co-stars Rider Strong, 44, and Will Friedle, 47, who met Peck when he guest-starred on their show also wrote letters to the judge.

One read: ‘It was extremely disturbing to learn of Brian’s arrest. Maliciousness is so antithetical to his nature, it is impossible for me to comprehend a situation that would lead him to do something illegal or even inappropriate. I immediately called him and offered whatever support I could. Of course, Brian being Brian, he had already received numerous such calls.’

Strong revealed on his  Pod Meets World podcast last month that he didn’t know about the charges against Peck – who he says lied about the abuse.

He said: ‘He didn’t say that nothing had happened. So by the time we heard about this case and knew anything about it, it was always in the context of, ‘I did this thing, I am guilty. I am going to take whatever punishment the government determines, but I’m a victim of jailbait. 

‘There was this hot guy! I just did this thing and he’s underage.’ And we bought that story line,” Strong said. “I never heard about the other things because, back then, you couldn’t Google to find out what people were being charged with. So in retrospect, he was making a plea deal and admitting one thing — which is all he admitted to us — but it looks like he was being charged with a series of crimes, which we did not know.’

Friedle said he regretted attending Peck’s sentencing,  

Taran Killam, 41, also praised Peck in a letter writing: ‘Over the years, Brian has become one of my dearest friends. I know him quite well on both a professional and personal level’ (pictured 2019)

Friedle, meanwhile, expressed regret at attending Peck’s ‘horrifying’ sentencing, saying: ‘We weren’t told the whole story, but it doesn’t change the fact that we did it. I still can’t get the words out to describe all of the things that I’m feeling inside of myself.’

Actor Alan Thicke, who died aged 69 in 2016 said Peck was ‘highly professional and nurturing’ towards young people on set of their show Growing Pains from 1985-1992.

He wrote: ‘Because he was never inappropriate in any way around children, including my own two young sons, I was shocked and saddened to learn of the trouble he was in.

‘Knowing him as I did, I also know beyond a doubt how remorseful he is and how dedicated and focused he will be on his rehabilitation. Brian’s integrity and self-respect have always been important to him and this turn of events has been mortifying to him in ways that will only make him a better, stronger citizen in the future.’

An excerpt of a letter penned by Thicke’s Growing Pains co-star Joanna Kerns, 71, and shown on the documentary read: ‘I can only believe there must have been some extreme situation or temptation exerted upon him to influence his actions.’

Kerns later issued a statement refuting the letter saying: ‘I have now learned that my letter of support was based on complete misinformation. Knowing what I know now, I never would have written the letter.’

Kimmy Roberston, 69, wrote: ‘I believe with all my heart that Brian was pressured and pushed beyond belief before he caved in.’

While directors Rich and Beth Correll who worked with Peck on The Suite Life of Zack and Cody two years after his conviction, also supported him via letter.

Boy Meets World co-stars Rider Strong, 44, (left) and Will Friedle, 47, who met Peck when he guest-starred on their show also wrote letters to the judge

Growing Pains stars Alan Thicke and Joanna Kerns sent supportive letters – but Kerns later issued a statement refuting the letter

In the wake of Quiet on Set the couple released a statement saying ‘they had no input or involvement in the casting of Peck on the Disney show.’

Bell has said on the docuseries how several ‘recognizable’ faces packed into the courtroom on the day of Peck’s sentencing to show their support. 

He said: ‘I addressed my statement to everyone in the room. I looked at all of them and I just said, ‘How dare you. You will forever have the memory of sitting in this courtroom and defending this person. And I will forever have the memory of the person you are defending violating me and doing unspeakable acts and crimes. And that is what I will remember.’

DailyMail.com has contacted representatives for comment. 

In October 2004, Peck was sentenced to 16 months in prison and mandated to register as a sex offender. 

Peck served as a dialogue coach on Nickelodeon’s All That and The Amanda Show, the latter featuring Bell from 1999 to 2002. 

Subsequently, Bell took the lead in his own Nickelodeon series in 2004 with Drake & Josh.

A clip from Quiet on Set teases Bell coming forward to discuss Peck. 

A press release from Investigation Discovery reads: ‘The clip reveals that former Nickelodeon star Drake Bell will be sharing publicly, for the first time, the story of the abuse he suffered at the hands of Brian Peck, his former dialogue coach who was convicted in 2004 for his crimes against Drake and ordered to register as a sex offender.’

Bell has not provided details about the nature of the abuse he endured. 

However, it is anticipated that he may reveal more when Quiet on Set airs later this month

Bell was a popular star on the kid-themed network in the late ’90s and 2000s, during which he co-led the series Drake & Josh (pictured, with costar Josh Peck) and appeared on The Amanda Show

In 2015, DailyMail.com exposed that despite his conviction, Peck continued to work on a Disney show and a high school–themed horror film.

He faced restrictions only in direct contact with children, enabling him to be hired in alternative roles, even on projects prominently involving children and teenagers.

According to court documents obtained by DailyMail.com, Peck had visited the minor actor at his home for acting coaching during the incident. He was apprehended after the young actor’s parents reported the abuse to the police.

Peck eventually entered a no-contest plea to two counts from the initial 11 charges, as the rest were dismissed.

Throughout the 2000s and 2010s, he sustained minor acting roles and worked as a dialogue coach. His last credited acting appearance, according to IMDb, was in 2018.

It remains uncertain whether those hiring Peck were aware of his status as a convicted sex offender, though his IMDb page does acknowledge his criminal conviction. 

Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV is a four-part docuseries that exposes the toxic work environment prevalent in children’s shows during the 1990s and early 2000s. 

Peck worked as a dialogue coach on The Amanda Show and the sketch comedy show All That, and he was convicted in 2004 of sexually abusing an unnamed minor; Bell, Josh Peck, Amanda Bynes and Nancy Sullivan in a publicity still for The Amanda Show

The focus is particularly on productions associated with Dan Schneider, the creator of cherished Nickelodeon series like iCarly and Zoey 101.

Child actors and crew members previously spoke to Business Insider about disturbing sexualized scenes that Schneider wrote for some of his series, and he alleged urged his young female stars to wear revealing clothing on camera.

The showrunner was also accused of repeatedly requesting massages at work, according to a 2000 gender-discrimination and hostile-workplace lawsuit from a writer on The Amanda Show. The suit was settled out of court. 

Quiet On Set: The Dark Side Of Kids TV airs on March 17 and 18 on Investigation Discovery.

Responding to an Australian dignitary’s suggestion of an “ICC Test Ranking solution” to the issue, S Jaishankar said, “Leave it to BCCI”, leaving everyone at the Raisina Dialogue 2024 divided.

Raisina Dialogue 2024: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar was quick to respond when asked about India’s permanent membership in the United Nations Security Council during the ongoing Raisina Dialogue 2024 in the national capital.

Responding to an Australian dignitary’s suggestion to resolve this issue with an “ICC Test ranking”, Jaishankar said, “Leave it to BCCI”, leaving everyone at the event divided.

External Affairs Minister Jaishankar’s witty take on UN Security Council membership: “Leave it to BCCI” pic.twitter.com/cEljdgbTyL

— HAL 9000 (@tamilhollywood2) February 23, 2024

‘Leave it to BCCI’

During a session at the conference, Michael Fullilove, executive director of Australia’s Lowy Institute, joked that UN Security Council membership could be based on the ICC Test rankings.

“I had a new idea in this panel during the interesting conversation about UN security reform. I’m glad to hear that there has been some progress on the margins. But sometimes in these difficult diplomatic negotiations you just need an out-of-the-box idea. So my out-of-the-box idea is that we can base Security Council membership on the ICC test rankings,” the Australian diplomat said sarcastically.

“And this would be great for India, it would be great for Australia. And it would boost the growth of cricket in other parts of the world. So, would you like to support me in this, Minister?” he then asked Jaishankar during a session at the Raisina Dialogue 2024 here in Delhi.

In response, Jaishankar said, “Yes, I think this is called the core of a good idea. But I think the better solution would be to leave it to BCCI.”

The ninth edition of Raisina Dialogue, India’s flagship conference on geopolitics and geoeconomics, organized by the Ministry of External Affairs in association with the Observer Research Foundation, began here on Wednesday.

India’s bid for a permanent seat on the UN Security Council

India has long sought a permanent seat on the Security Council to better represent the interests of developing countries. The country’s quest has gained momentum thanks to the support of influential figures like Dennis Francis, chairman of the UNGA, who believes in India’s ability to make a positive contribution to global peace and security.

United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) President Dennis Francis, who was on a visit to India in January this year, said: “India is a mature, highly respected member of the United Nations. It is a leader in many ways. And I am sure that this fact is not lost on the members of the General Assembly.”

“So I wish the Government and people of India every success in their quest to become members of the Council on a permanent basis. Whether that happens or not is a matter for the members to determine,” he said.

India has been a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for eight terms (sixteen years). India is a member of the G4, a group of countries that support each other in their quest for permanent membership of the UN Security Council. The countries are calling for reforms in the UN Security Council.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his visit to France in July 2023, made a strong plea for India’s permanent membership in the UN Security Council, saying the premier UN body cannot claim to speak for the world when the most populous country and the largest democracy has no permanent member.

(With ANI inputs)

Ind vs Eng: It happens during overs when Rohit was looking for a change of field and as this didn't happen, the Indian captain was heard saying, 'Gale ka waat lag gaya chilla-chillake'.

Vizag: Rohit Sharma has a huge fan following and that is not just because of his batting skills but also because of the person he is. The Indian captain has been hilarious time and again at press conferences and even on the field with some of his gestures and dialogues. But on Monday, during the second Test in Vizag, Rohit's hilarious dialogue has become a big hit on social media. It happens during overs when Rohit was looking for a change of pitch and as this didn't happen, the Indian captain was heard saying, 'Gale ka waat lag gaya chilla-chillake'.

Here is the four-second clip where you can hear Rohit saying it:

Rohit Sharma -mere gale ka vaaat lag Gaya tum logo ko chilla chilaa ke

Captain's Battle #INDvsENGTest #RohitSharma pic.twitter.com/63nIFZYBgX

— Pranav (@Pranavtweet18) February 6, 2024

It has already won many awards and is in the running for four awards at the Golden Globes on Sunday evening.

But Maestro viewers have revealed one downside to the critically acclaimed film: that they couldn’t hear anything from the actors.

The biographical drama film follows the long-term relationship between conductor-composer Leonard Bernstein and actress Felicia Montealegre Cohn Bernstein.

The film was directed by Bradley Cooper, who also plays Leonard, from a screenplay he co-wrote with Josh Singer, and also stars Carey Mulligan as Felicia.

The film has received rave reviews from critics and has been nominated for Best Picture – Drama, Best Director, Best Actor and Best Actress at the Globes.

The biographical drama film follows the long-term relationship between conductor-composer Leonard Bernstein and actress Felicia Montealegre Cohn Bernstein (Bradley depicted in film)

The film was directed by Bradley Cooper, who also plays Leonard, and stars Carey Mulligan as Felicia (pictured together). It has received rave reviews from critics and has four Golden Globes nominations

But viewers are complaining to X, formerly known as Twitter, that the film is let down by the fact that it is ‘barely audible’ because the actors are constantly ‘mumbling’.

One person wrote: ‘The mumbling maestro… so boring and so hard to hear the conversations when he and his wife talk over each other and his deep mumbling Ugh. Turned off after an hour.’

Another said: ‘I just watched ‘Maestro’ on Netflix. Mixed feelings, but I wish the diction had been clearer – lots of mumbling. The trouble is that the cast and director participate live and are familiar with the script, but we only get one chance at understanding. Good performances from Bradley Cooper and Carey Mulligan’.

A third joked: “Either I’m going deaf or Maestro was mumbling a lot,” while a fourth echoed: “Cooper was mumbling his dialogue ALL THE TIME.”

Someone else said: ‘TERRIBLE! (1st 30 minute review) I love Bradley Cooper and Matt Bomer, but there was so much mumbling and talking that I couldn’t last the 30 minutes, including 25 minutes where I had to force myself to give it a chance.’

While a sixth agreed, saying: ‘Cooper spent years preparing Maestro? I stopped for 5 minutes before he mumbled and I couldn’t hear it.’

A seventh person wrote: “I had to turn on the subtitles to hear Cooper’s mumbling and finally gave up.”

While another tweeted: “I ultimately found Copper’s Bernstein insufferably annoying in his mumbling,” and a ninth said: “The entire film is mumbling between people.”

But viewers are complaining to X, formerly known as Twitter, that the film is let down by the fact that it is ‘barely audible’ because the actors are constantly ‘mumbling’.

A tenth added: ‘I watched it last night and literally couldn’t understand half of Cooper’s lines; too much mumbling’, while another was angry: ‘Incessant mumbling, poor dialogue. Unwatchable.’

And someone else wrote: ‘I’m twenty minutes into Bradley Cooper’s Maestro and I can’t understand a single damn word that comes out of anyone’s mouth and English is my first language.’

It’s not the only film to be criticized for ‘mumbling’ too much, with several other major films from last year facing the same complaint.

Christopher Nolan has regularly been confronted with this criticism in his career, including for his films Inception and Tenet.

His most recent film, Oppenheimer – which won eight awards at the Globes – has also drawn accusations that the dialogue is intelligible beneath the booming score.

One person wrote: ‘Why was some of the dialogue barely audible to Oppenheimer? In some scenes they were outright mumbling and I had to strain my ears to follow along, including my friend. The mix was great overall, but I’d like to hear what they’re saying too.”

Another echoed: “An hour after Oppenheimer. I am NOT following this movie at all. Everyone is just mumbling???? I can literally only make out about two-thirds of the dialogue.”

And a third added: ‘Watched Oppenheimer today, but man. I couldn’t understand it at all. What exactly is sound mixing? Everyone is mumbling, so it’s hard to hear what people are saying. It really impacted my enjoyment because it seemed pretty good, but I can’t really think about it.”

It’s not the only film to be criticized for ‘mumbling’ too much, with Christopher Nolan facing this criticism regularly throughout his career (pictured on Oppenheimer’s set)

His most recent film, Oppenheimer – which won eight awards at the Globes – has also drawn accusations that the dialogue is intelligible beneath the booming score (Cillian Murphy depicted in film)

One person wrote: ‘Why was some of the dialogue barely audible to Oppenheimer? In some scenes they were outright mumbling and I had to strain my ears to follow along.”

The reason for the noise stems from the fact that Christopher shoots his films with giant Imax cameras, which are not completely soundproof, and refuses to re-record the actors in post-production (on-set photo).

The reason for the noise stems from the fact that Christopher shoots his films with giant Imax cameras, which are not completely soundproof, and refuses to re-record the actors in post-production.

This process is known as ADR, which means extra dialogue recording, and is used in virtually every TV show and movie so that actors’ lines sound clearer.

Another recent film hit by complaints of being difficult to understand was Killers Of The Flower Moon, directed by Martin Scorsese and starring Leonardo DiCaprio.

Although the film was critically acclaimed and earned seven Golden Globe nods, people once again accused the actors of mumbling.

One wrote: ‘killers of the flower moon was great but what is it with movies these days and everyone keeps muttering how it took me twice as long to get into the story as it should have been because i could’ I don’t understand anything anyone said’.

With a second echo: ‘killers of the flower moon – so well performed, but god did I need subtitles for the English dialogue, those actors were mumbling’.

Popular TV shows such as Doctor Who, Succession, Vigil and Happy Valley have also faced the same criticism in recent years, prompting viewers to turn to streaming services with subtitles even more than ever.

Another recent film hit by complaints of being difficult to understand was Killers Of The Flower Moon, directed by Martin Scorsese and starring Leonardo DiCaprio (pictured)

Although the film was critically acclaimed and earned seven Golden Globe nods, people once again accused the actors of mumbling

The convention was presided over by Ravinder Raina, the head of the BJP’s Jammu and Kashmir unit, at its headquarters in Jammu.

Jammu Kashmir News: The BJP’s Jammu and Kashmir unit on Saturday held a one-day convention of office bearers, deciding that there should be no talks with Pakistan and demanding that those responsible for the exodus of minorities from Kashmir be identified and prosecuted.

The party also welcomed the Supreme Court’s December 11 verdict upholding the abrogation of Article 370, saying the verdict left a mark of finality and paved the way for strengthening the nation.

The convention was presided over by Ravinder Raina, party chief in Jammu and Kashmir, at its headquarters in Jammu.

The meeting was attended by Tarun Chugh, national general secretary of the BJP (which is in charge of Jammu and Kashmir), national secretary Narinder Singh and former ministers and legislators, a party spokesperson said.

He said a political resolution adopted at the meeting demanded that no talks should take place with Pakistan or its agents, including persons or organizations that are “rulers or proponents” of separatism in Jammu and Kashmir, as “terror and talks cannot go together to go”.

The BJP decided that the party will seek an absolute majority in the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly and there will be a chief minister from the party, the spokesperson said.

“It is also decided that the BJP government in Jammu and Kashmir will work to instill the feeling of confidence and peace among the masses and promote nationalist spirit in the fight against terrorism and the rulers of terrorism and separatism,” he said, quoting the resolution. .

The BJP also decided that those responsible for the exodus of minorities from Kashmir in 1989-90 should be identified and prosecuted.

“Although normalcy is returning rapidly in Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan is still trying to destabilize the Union Territory through subversive activities and unleashing a reign of terror,” the resolution said.

“The recent spate of terror activities in Rajouri and Poonch districts is a reflection of the dubious designs of the hostile neighbour,” the report said.

The BJP’s Jammu and Kashmir unit also decided to support the armed forces in their efforts to eradicate terrorism from the Union Territory and defeat Pakistan’s nefarious designs.

It has further been decided that while the party will support all measures required to curb terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir, it will reach out to the people and win their hearts and minds.

The resolution also termed the abrogation of Article 370 as a turning point in the country’s history.

“The country’s quest for ‘Ek Nishan, Ek Vidhan, Ek Pradhan – Ek Bharat’ came to fruition on August 5, 2019, under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with Parliament abrogating Article 370, undoing the Nehruvian blunder in the Himalayas made,” the resolution said.

“The judgment of the Supreme Court, upholding the constitutionality of the abrogation of Article 370, is a landmark decision, which puts a stamp of finality (and) paves the way for strengthening the nation,” it added.

The resolution stated that Jammu and Kashmir has witnessed unrest, unrest and tragedies.

The judgment has further strengthened the nation’s resolve to pave the way for new hopes and new, rejuvenated aspirations for the people of Jammu and Kashmir, ending an era of exploitative politics and delivering equal rights in Jammu and Kashmir to everyone irrespective of caste. , creed, gender, religion, region or sub-region, (and) nurturing the urge of Naya Jammu Kashmir – a better, more prosperous, peaceful Jammu and Kashmir where all will live together in harmony and without discrimination.”

By Jennifer Ruby Showbusiness News Editor

Published: 6:22 PM EST, December 2, 2023 | Updated: 6:22 PM EST, December 2, 2023

It’s ITVX’s flagship winter show – a critically acclaimed, big-budget biopic that follows Cary Grant’s rise from poverty-stricken childhood to Hollywood stardom.

But Archie, starring Jason Isaacs as the super suave movie icon, is proving to be a major turn-off for viewers – thanks to its ‘terrible’ sound.

Frustrated viewers on the streaming channel say they are forced to keep turning up the volume to hear the dialogue before running to the remote to turn the volume down for the “deafening” music and sound effects (SFX).

‘Why is the sound all over ITVX’s Archie – I have to constantly turn it up/down. Jason Isaacs is fantastic so it’s a shame,” comedian Jenny Eclair wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

Another frustrated viewer of the drama, which aired on November 23, wrote: ‘The sound in Archie is terrible.

It’s ITVX’s flagship winter show – a critically acclaimed big-budget biopic that follows Cary Grant’s rise from a poverty-stricken childhood to Hollywood stardom (pictured: Jason Isaacs as Cary Grant, Laura Aikman as Dyan Cannon)

But Archie, starring Jason Isaacs as the super suave movie icon, is proving to be a major turn-off for viewers – thanks to its ‘terrible’ sound

‘Speaking parts are very difficult for the viewer to hear, my TV volume was at maximum! But any music numbed everyone within a ten-mile radius.”

Whoever the sound editor for Archie is, he needs to be fired!

Jem Roberts, an author, joined the chorus of disapproval, complaining, “The dialogue is inaudible below volume 60, but music and SFX are deafeningly loud around 40.”

One viewer asked the ITVX Help account on

The response was: ‘Can you provide more information about the sound problems you are having while watching Archie? Can you also let us know which device you use to access ITVX?’

But viewers were still struggling to watch a few days later when someone wrote on November 28: “Whoever the sound editor for Archie is, they should be fired!”

The BBC recently made a similar accusation against new restaurant drama Boiling Point, with viewers complaining that they could not hear the dialogue above the background noise.

Simon Clark, head of sound recording production at the National Film and TV School and director of the Institute of Professional Sound, said viewers watching Archie without surround sound systems may struggle to understand what is being said. He calls it the “cocktail party effect,” where the brain filters out other sounds in a loud room and focuses on a particular conversation.

Older viewers who have trouble hearing the dialogue can take a tip from the younger generation. A YouGov survey shows that 61 percent of viewers between the ages of 18 and 25 turn on subtitles when watching TV.

Despite the apparently poor sound, viewers of Archie, which also stars Laura Aikman as Grant’s wife Dyan Cannon, were quick to warm to Isaacs’ portrayal of the actor, born Archibald Leach in Bristol in 1904. Co-produced by Grant’s only child, Jennifer Grant. , 57, and her mother, Cannon, 86, the drama tells the story of the tortured man behind the kind personality.

The Mail on Sunday has contacted ITVX for comment.

One viewer asked the ITVX Help account on