VIEWERS are left stunned at the opening scenes of the brand new Martin Clunes drama Out There.
The Doc Martin star plays a Welsh farmer named Nathan Williams in the brand new ITV drama.
In the show, Nathan’s quiet rural way of life is threatened when a drug cartel begins operating in his small town.
He runs a farm which has been in his family for generations and is grieving the death of his wife, Sabine, two years previously.
A single parent to teenager Johnny, played by Louis Ashbourne Serkis, Nathan possesses enough pent-up energy to take on the drug gangs that threaten to engulf his son.
Soon, he embarks on a personal journey that will take him into a dark alternative world as he fights to protect his family, his homestead and his legacy.
And the only way for Nathan to survive in this brave new world is to learn the rules and fight back.
The first episode of the series, aired last night but viewers were left shocked by the grim and gruesome opening scenes.
After receiving a distressing phone call, Nathan drives out to a farm to find an anxious woman called Gwen running around.
She is frantically shouting that someone called Owen has locked himself in a barn.
Nathan attempts to settle Gwen down before he rushes to the barn and discovers an elderly man inside.
The man is attempting suicide with a shotgun angled under his chin.
[bc_video account_id=”5067014667001″ application_id=”” aspect_ratio=”16:9″ autoplay=”” caption=”Loose Women star leaves Martin Clues red-faced as she lets slip embarrassing story about his PANTS” embed=”in-page” experience_id=”” height=”100%” language_detection=”” max_height=”360px” max_width=”640px” min_width=”0px” mute=”” padding_top=”56%” picture_in_picture=”” player_id=”default” playlist_id=”” playsinline=”” sizing=”responsive” video_id=”6366910060112″ video_ids=”” width=”640px”]Nathan pleads: “Owen, don’t do that, let me in, talk to me” but his efforts to help are futile.
The shotgun is fired and when Nathan eventually breaks into the barn he finds the elderly man dead.
The gruesome scene sent viewers flocking to social media to share their feelings on the show.
“I know they advertised this as ‘gritty’ but this is depressing,” explained one viewer.
Another added: “Think this might be too stressful #outthere.”
“A bit topical and close to home this with farm land worries and suicides,” added a third.
Many viewers also expressed their opinions that Martin’s Welsh accent was also off putting.
One viewer stated: “Oh my God. I thought it was Cornish for a minute and going right through me. I love him but he cannot do Welsh (probably the second worst I’ve seen).”
Another added: “I mean, there are a number of distinct Welsh accents but this is none of them.”
“Are we still in England? Or is this WALES?” A good question from the barn-botherer there.
“It’s a moot point. M. Clunes possibly related to Charlotte from #thetraitors” joked another.
Out There airs on ITV1 with the full series also available to watch now on ITVX