The Listeners viewers 'distracted' by 'unsettling' music in new BBC drama

Viewers of The Listeners have been left feeling "distracted" and "unsettled" by the new BBC drama.

Adapted from Jordan Tannahill's novel, the story follows English teacher Claire (Rebecca Hall) and her student Kyle (Ollie West) who become aware of a humming sound inaudible to others.

Claire's desperate search for answers about the mysterious humming sound pulls her away from her family and friends and leads her to a group claiming to hear the same strange sound.

The BBC says The Listeners is a show 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."

With the first episode airing on BBC One at 9pm on Tuesday (November 19), viewers switched channels to check out the new Rebecca Hall drama. But many viewers were left unsettled by the drama series' soundtrack.

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

Another wrote: "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 person said: "This background music is very unsettling" while another viewer wrote: "Am I the only one watching The Listeners on BBC One and how seeing how unsettling the soundtrack is?"

Another said: "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, who previously appeared in Christine, The Town and Vicky Christina Barcelona, leads The Listeners as teacher Claire. Ollie West, who starred in The Sparrow, stars as school student Kyle.

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

Other actors include Samuel Edward Cook (Peaky Blinders, The Gallows Pole), Karen Henthorn (, The Rising), Lucy Sheen (Ping Pong) and Ian Mercer (Doctors, All Creatures Great And Small).

There are four episodes in The Listeners, with episodes under 60 minutes in length. The first episode was broadcast at 9pm on Tuesday, November 19, with the followingepisodes to air on the following weeks at the same timeslot.

Alternatively, the series will be available as a boxset on BBC from Tuesday, November 19.