'Eaten Alive' viewers disappointed, mock show on Twitter

Many who tuned in to see a man eaten alive by an anaconda are wishing they had shed their expectations before the television special.

"Eaten Alive," which generated a lot of buzz online because of its premise, aired Sunday night on Discovery channel.

Tap to watch promo if you're viewing on the news app.

The show promised that wildlife videographer Paul Rosolie would become a free meal for a giant anaconda and even released the promo above, which advises, "You have to go head first."

Many viewers expected Rosolie to be entirely swallowed by the snake.

There were indications before the show that that might not be exactly the case, including a tweet from Rosolie Sunday morning.

The stunt began in the last ten minutes of the 2-hour special. Rosolie put his head inside the animal before his arm began to be crushed, so the operation was called off.

Viewers who sounded off on Twitter said they felt gypped. And that's putting it nicely.

The special saw its share of controversy even before it aired, being called both a hoax and animal cruelty.

Rosolie said the point of the special was to promote conservation of the animals. He defended the special on his website, saying, "For those worried about animal cruelty, I invite you to research my work - read my book. Then ask yourself: would this person ever hurt an animal?"

Many argued that he went about it the wrong way.