Ashes to Ashes Series 1 Press Pack
Introduction
It's 1981: the year of the Royal Wedding, the Brixton riots, Bucks Fizz winning the Eurovision Song Contest – and the year that Gene Hunt (Philip Glenister) takes the Met by storm in Ashes To Ashes.
Gene Hunt, the politically incorrect, loud-mouthed, sexist DCI from the hit TV drama Life On Mars, was, on the surface, an unlikely cult figure. However, the combination of his winning personality and somewhat "traditional" approach to policing helped to firmly establish him in the national consciousness.
When the highly acclaimed drama bowed out after two series, it did so at the height of its popularity. But, just because the writers and producers deemed that Sam Tyler's story had come to an end, did that also spell the end for his much-loved "guv"?
Jane Featherstone, joint MD of Kudos Film & Televisionand executive producer of both Life On Mars and Ashes To Ashes, explains the genesis of the new series. "As Life On Mars was drawing to an end, the BBC approached us and asked if we thought there could be a sequel or follow-up with the character of Gene Hunt, but a few years later," explains Jane. "We sat down and all realised that it could be brilliant to bring Gene into the early-Eighties – a fascinating time of cultural, musical and political transition."
From the start, the production team knew that Ashes To Ashes had to offer viewers a totally new journey, and say new things about the much-loved Gene Hunt. Life On Mars had offered very little information on Gene's past and personal life, making him something of an enigma. The introduction of a female DI, Alex Drake (Keeley Hawes), meant that a totally new dynamic could be created without garnering comparisons to the good cop/bad cop, "buddy" relationship experienced by Sam and Gene. "The relationship between Gene Hunt and Alex Drake is critical to Ashes To Ashes," continues Jane. "It is tumultuous, sexy, intellectual, instinctive and totally different to his relationship with Sam."
As the creative process continued, it became clear that the sexual tension between the two characters would be one of the key hooks to the series. Jane explains: "Gene has never come across a woman like Alex before and she rocks his world. How is it possible to work with someone so incredibly confident and attractive, not to mention posh and from London, and, bloody hell, a woman?! Through Alex's presence at the station, we see a different side to Gene – a more complex, gentler side, a man with dreams, hopes and fears."
Despite a new era and leading lady being added to the mix, it's not all change and Gene Hunt still offers his unique take on the ghost of England's past. Beth Willis, the show's producer, says, "We thought we'd bring him to London where his northern views would come into sharp conflict with 'the southern ponces' he finds there. And, of course, he should take his A-team of Ray Carling and Chris Skelton with him."
With the series set in the early Eighties, the production team recognised a great opportunity to display the change in policing since 1973 – changes which have, perhaps, had an impact on the once supremely cock-sure Gene.
Writer and co-creator Ashley Pharaoh explains: "All the research we did indicated that the police knew the Scarman Report was on its way, and they knew it wasn't going to be good news, so the threat of that hangs over the whole series." A very specific era of policing is coming to an end. I think there's a slight sense of melancholy to Gene at times – he misses the North and the old days, but he's a fighter and refuses to give up."
The next challenge was how to take Alex Drake – a police psychologist and thoroughly modern woman of the 21st century – into the world of Gene Hunt, a world she knows about only through her sessions with the now deceased Sam Tyler. Matthew Graham, co-creator, writer and executive producer for Monastic Productions, realised that the premise would have to be water-tight to work on screen: "Through Sam, Alex has learnt all about Gene Hunt, Ray Carling and Chris Skelton. "Alex is called to an intense hostage crisis involving a drug dealer who shoots her in the head at point-blank range. Next thing she knows, she's in 1981."
As if waking up dressed as a prostitute in the early Eighties with Ultravox ringing in your ears isn't bad enough, Alex is forced to confront a much larger problem. Matthew continues: "Alex is horrified to discover that sharing her delusion are the very characters she heard about from Sam Tyler, in particular a certain DCI Gene Hunt! Furthermore, 1981 was the very year her parents were killed in a car bomb – is that somehow connected to her presence there?"
But, in the meantime, Alex must find a way to get on with her new boss, concludes Jane: "Alex finds that Gene is a compassionate man, fighting for justice and what he thinks is right, despite his incredibly dated views of womanhood. The result is funny, electric and surprising."
It's time to dig out that Rubik's Cube – 1981 here we come!
Interview: Philip Glenister plays DCI Gene Hunt aka "The Manc Lion"
Background: Manchester CID
Next of kin: Divorced
What does Gene think of "newcomer" Alex?
When Alex arrives, Gene is immediately suspicious of her motives. The world around him is changing and he wants to cling on to what he knows. Alex drives him up the wall with her endless psychology and theories. He often complains she gives him brain ache and yet he knows that, when they work together, they make a good team. So sometimes, despite himself, Gene agrees to trust her. He's drawn to her and doesn't really know why; they're a great match.
Taking Alex's rank into consideration, how does Gene cope with working so closely with a woman?
Alex is tougher than any woman he's ever met – so although he takes every opportunity he can for a jibe about her being a woman, he also treats her like one of the team. Gene also has respect for ranks within the police force – so when Ray says women DIs "shouldn't be shag-worthy" and complains about her, Gene has a go at him for insulting a senior officer. He'd never admit it, but Gene is very protective of Alex.
Gene clearly fancies Alex – does he think they will get together?
If he does, he'd never admit it. Alex seems to get him by the balls; their relationship has a different dynamic to what he's experienced before. Alex is a female from the modern era and a police psychologist, so it's a different battle between them. There are elements of "will they/won't they?" and there is an attraction between them that viewers will find quite fiery!
Gene has the Scarman Report hanging over him which aims to phase out his way of policing. How does this affect him, for example, has Gene changed his ways and modernised his policing methods for Eighties London?
Fundamentally, Gene hasn't changed at all. Scum is scum wherever you are – London, Manchester, wherever – and Gene knows how he likes to deal with that. At the same time, Scarman's report is hanging over him (he actually meets Scarman in the flesh later in the series and gives him a piece of his mind) and Gene is determined to protect his team.
He occasionally admits very, very reluctantly that getting evidence is quite fashionable these days. What we see is a man losing his grip on the power he had as a policeman, the changing face of the police force, particularly the Met in London. He's trying to do the right thing, but finding it extremely difficult to fit in with the changing times.
Gene is now working for the Metropolitan Police. Why has he left his beloved Manchester behind and what does he think of the Southern criminal scum?
Gene never gives much away. We know he needed a change – his wife has left him, Sam has gone and the job came up so he took it. He also thinks he, Ray and Chris can show the Southern nancys a thing or two about how to police a community the right way.
There are quite a few high-speed chases in the series. How are you enjoying the Quattro and how does it compare to the Cortina?
I love it! The Quattro was one of the first four-wheel drives that properly clung to the ground – that's why everyone wanted one but we couldn't do Gene's high-speed handbrake turns so we had to fit a hydraulic handbrake so I could rag it round those corners! It's a two-door car as well, so Ray and Chris can only get out the back when I say so.
What's been your favourite scene to film?
That would have to be when we were on a speed boat going under Tower Bridge carrying machine guns. Say no more.
Do you have any favourite quotes from Gene this series?
"Today, my friend, your diary entry will read: took a prozzie hostage and was shot by three armed bastards."
"Careful ... this is one bloke you don't want letting his load off."
"Careful Bols – this Formica was hewn from the hills above Florence." (In reference to a naff table in Luigi's).
Are there any funny stories from your time on set?
Mooning with the boys on a Bank Holiday Monday night in the middle of Finsbury Square was pretty hilarious. After half a bottle of wine we all forgot our nerves and dropped our trousers for every take – even Keeley's close up. Her reaction is very real!
What were you doing in the Eighties?
Nothing as cool as Gene! I was just trying to get laid while listening to Human League, wanted to be Simon Le Bon and spent a lot of time squeezing my spots. I remember [HRH Prince] Charles and [Lady] Diana's wedding because I went and slept on The Mall with some mates the night before so we could be near the front. On the day their carriage went past and they waved as they went by, I was convinced Diana gave me the eye. Who were we to know the fairy tale of the day would end in tears?
Interview: Keeley Hawes plays DI Alex Drake aka "Bolly Knickers"
Background: Psychological profiler, 2008
Next of kin: Daughter, Molly, parents deceased in 1981
What is Alex like?
She's ballsy, confident and bright and is more than a match for Gene. Alex was a psychologist to Sam Tyler and, when she gets shot, she realises she has been propelled into the past; into the new world of Gene Hunt and the boys. She realises she is re-imagining somebody else's creations. She doesn't believe that they're real; she believes they're creations.
What is Alex's main focus for getting home?
Alex has a daughter, Molly, to get back to in 2008 and obviously, as anyone would, she wants to get back as fast as she can. However, she does have moments that she really enjoys, like the different ways of policing, but ultimately, she wants to get back to her daughter. She enjoys her relationship with Gene Hunt – it's sexy and fun, so there's an emotional pull both ways, but she does want to get back to Molly and modern times.
Alex is haunted by an eerie-looking clown. What is his significance to Alex's journey?
He's an expression of her fears about death and Molly. He's the very darkest, deepest parts of her brain that she doesn't really want to go to. He is such a genius creation; lots of people don't like clowns, especially the Pierrot clown which was very Eighties.
What do you think makes the clown so sinister?
I think it's probably his unpredictability. I never know what he's going to do from one minute to the next and it's things that horror stories are made of. A clown should make you laugh, but this one actually just makes the hairs on your arm go up!
Alex is a really ballsy woman. Do you think she is brave to try to take on Gene or should she embrace his help?
It's in her nature to take Gene on and she usually knows that she's right, but occasionally she is prepared to back down and deals with Gene via a good sense of humour. Her knowledge of the future makes dealing with Gene easier for her. She doesn't have the awe and respect for Gene like the others, because she finds him a bit of a dinosaur. Instead, she finds the way he carries on quite amusing, I don't think she's truly offended by him.
Gene and Alex have a real love-hate relationship. Do you think Alex could ever give in to Gene's charms or will her pride always stop her?
I think their love-hate relationship is great. Quite often, when people fancy each other, they dress it up as love-hate because it's easier to deal with. Gene and Alex go out for dinner and they have a nice time, so I think she's actually quite surprised to learn that underneath everything, it's possible for them to really enjoy each other's company – which is what everyone will want to see, but it quickly goes horribly wrong.
What has been your favourite scene to film?
I love the scenes in Luigi's since it's great to be able to see people on screen have a drink and a smoke; it's real and, quite often these days, you don't see that. Generally, those scenes are at the end of the day so we're all quite relaxed. We're usually all in them and everybody gets on really well. We shot some scenes with a DeLorean, which was fab – it felt really Eighties. There is nothing more Eighties than that car. It's just like the car in Back To The Future.
Alex has some fabulous outfits. Did you wear anything similar in the Eighties?
I remember my sister wearing a denim boiler suit and I had an all-in-one – mine was more Grace Jones. I remember a mass of different colour denims all being worn at the same time. I recall having a perm quite young and wearing terrible electric blue leather, it was so bad. There was nothing classy about me or the Eighties in general. However, it was great fun and it's always a pleasure to dress as Alex in the morning!
Is Alex's style anything like your own?
I get to wear some Agent Provocateur underwear, that's not too bad. It's a kind of red basque-type thing, but that's not in vision for very long. There is a bright, bright blue shirt that's actually quite fun, but there's nothing that I'd wear personally.
The series features the iconic Blitz Club. Was it fun to recreate and even have Steve Strange in to provide the music?
It was amazing. I used to go clubbing in the Nineties a fair bit and I remember Steve being on the door of a club [The Emporium, Kingly Street], but not really knowing who he was or how brilliant he was. It was great to have Steve in; it all works really well, it looks really great.
HRH Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer's wedding provides the backdrop for episode two. What are your memories of the "Big Day"?
I remember people talking about the dress and the train and, being a girl, I was interested in a [future] Princess getting married. I seem to remember it was all about her, rather than it being about the Royals or someone marrying the future King. It was about a Princess and her dress!
What are your most vivid memories of the early Eighties?
I was five or six, so I don't really have an enormous amount of memories of that time. Lace being worn in your hair and Madonna was much more my Eighties, which was slightly later down the line. I had a pair of awful, huge, hi-tech trainers; that wasn't a good look so I don't miss any of it, I have to say.
Interview: Dean Andrews plays DS Ray Carling aka "The Bear"
Background: Manchester CID
What is Ray like now?
He is bullish, misogynistic, physical, loyal and as "hard as nails".
What is his role in the CID unit?
He's the Sarg, the muscle, the bloke you come to when someone needs sorting out. Oh, and he's "the glamour", of course!
Gene is both his Guv and his role model. Is he Gene's No. 1 side kick?
Ray will always be the Guv's right-hand man for all the "bloke's stuff" – the fighting, gambling, shooting and the ladies, of course.
How does he respond to Alex?
I think he has settled into his role in life and realised he is not DI material. So, he accepts Alex easier than he did Tyler, but he still wants to rock the system somehow.
What was it like being transported back to the Eighties?
It was great fun – new clothes, new music and new cars. Oh, and, of course, a new hairdo.
How has Ray developed since 1973? Is he less sexist and more compassionate these days?
No, and anyone that says he is will be in for it!
In the opening episode, you, Phil and Marshall ride down the River Thames on a speedboat. What was that scene like to film?
It was one of the coolest days spent on any set. We had a fab week that week doing all kinds of action stuff, topped off by being on a speedboat, going a fair lick, down the Thames.
What were your favourite scenes this series?
My favourite scenes are, as always, the action scenes – the fights, car chases and explosions. But I really enjoyed the scene in episode four where Ray is looking after a prostitute called Nina, who has been raped. We see a different side to Ray, and it was quite touching.
What are your memories of the Eighties?
I'd just started to sing professionally and work in holiday camps. So, my memories are of basically music and gals.
What were you up to in 1981?
I bought my first car in 1981 – a Triumph Toledo. I thought I was the coolest dude in town but I was sadly mistaken!
Interview: Marshall Lancaster plays DS Chris Skelton aka "The Cautious One"
Background: Manchester CID
How does Chris fit into the CID team?
Chris is a natural dogsbody, eager to please and loyal to Gene Hunt. It is only the arrival of DI Drake that upsets the "normal" running of CID. Chris is eager to learn but avoids work when possible. He enjoys practical jokes and is easily led.
What's his relationship with Shaz like?
I think Chris has an interesting relationship with Shaz as I think she genuinely loves Chris – he becomes her hero after rescuing her in episode one. Shaz is a "modern" Eighties woman, however, and won't stand for any sexism or homophobic comments, and she makes Chris suffer accordingly.
When Shaz takes him out clubbing, viewers see a more "daring" side to his fashion sense. Does he do this just to impress her, or has there always been a more adventurous side to him?
I think Chris does anything to please Shaz, and is prepared to take risks for her. She brings the daring side out in him. I think he is also desperate to bed her!
How does Chris deal with life in the Met and working for a female DI?
Chris adapted to working in London very well. Wherever Gene goes Chris follows, and London and the Met are no exception. I think Chris accepts Drake as his superior very well – and who wouldn't?
Did you enjoy filming the action scenes on the River Thames?
We could not wipe the smiles off our faces filming that scene. I could not actually believe that I would have a moment like that in my acting career. I was wearing shades whilst carrying a gun! The strange thing is nobody batted an eyelid when they saw us – which was worrying!
What were your favourite scenes to film?
In one scene, there is an Eighties "A Team" shootout with bullets flying everywhere, but no one ever gets hurt! I love filming the scenes in the Audi, and the first time we arrive in episode one in that car is magic.
Have there been any funny stories on set?
In one scene later on in the series, my character, Chris, has to search down the toilet bowl in a Portaloo for a hidden gun. Jonny Campbell, the director, and I came up with a plan where I pulled a Mars bar out instead – much to the surprise of the gang!
What memories do you have of the Eighties?
I remember TV programmes like The Muppets, The A Team and The Fall Guy. The Rubik's Cube drove me mad, though. Oh, and I remember Pacers, those green and white sweets. They were nice!
Montserrat Lombard plays WPC Shaz Granger aka "The Newcomer"
Background: WPC, new member of CID
How would you describe Shaz?
Shaz is a very sweet, passionate girl. She has a heart of gold and really cares about the people on her team. She feels a little frustrated at times being stuck in the office, whilst the boys go out with Alex to get stuck into the action, and feels like she could do more given the chance. Shaz is a bit of a dark horse and, throughout the series, often surprises those around her. She is a good Catholic girl, but her wild side comes out when she goes to the Blitz Club – she is a true early New Romantic and loves to experiment with clothes and make up whenever she can. Viewers will see that she is in her police uniform only when absolutely necessary!
How does Shaz fit into the team?
Shaz is a WPC, so she tends to do the clerical work in the office. She is also very much one of the boys and mucks in when she can, and definitely keeps up with their drinking, too! She is the youngest on the team but she is quietly very intelligent and shines when given the chance.
Do Alex and Shaz bond as two women in a predominately male world?
Shaz is slightly suspicious of Alex at the beginning because she can see that her introduction has put the boys' backs up and, as Shaz is fiercely protective of her team, she is cautious. Shaz has never seen a woman behave in this way in the work place, or with men, and as she starts to warm to her realises there is potential for her to be promoted to a similar position in the future. It takes a little while for the two to bond as sometimes Shaz gets herself into sticky situations and then feels silly when bailed out by Alex, but I think secretly she is very much in awe of her and is keen to hear her opinion on different things.
How would you describe Chris and Shaz's relationship?
It is very up and down! Shaz really adores his sweet, sensitive side, but gets frustrated when he hides it at work and acts all macho and sexist. They are very good friends, and I think that is the loveliest thing about their relationship – Shaz can tease him and get away with it and with a little patience she thinks she might just make him a little more daring!
Did you enjoy filming at The Blitz Club?
Filming the Blitz Club scenes was unbelievable! I hardly recognised myself or Marshall! It was such an exciting time in the early Eighties with fab music and really great experimental homemade outfits. Meeting Steve Strange, too, was so surreal! I had such a great time that day – posing, dancing and trying to keep my hair standing on end. It took ages to wash all the products out – I'm surprised anyone ever washed their hair!
Have you enjoyed being able to go back in time and try out the clothes, hair and make-up?
Definitely! I can't quite believe how massive everything was! I was nearly knocked out the other day by one of Gene Hunt's shoulder pads! Everyone made such an effort then and it really was all about glamour, bright colours and being bold. What's so scary is that we have all got so used to it now. I really have to stop myself from letting it seep too much into my everyday look!
Did you do any research for the role?
I spoke to a few ladies who were in the force at the time and got lots of incredible stories from them. I can't believe just how much they had to put up with – including the male police officers in their team purposely sending them to bogus raids that didn't exist, whilst they were all at the real ones. I also saw an amazing documentary on the Blitz and read as much as I could on it and the people that went there. I listened to as much early Eighties music as possible and, after a while, I really got into it. It is now regularly being played on my iPod! I think I never really realised how difficult and dark the Eighties were and how much the UK changed in that time – it was an extraordinary decade.
It's 1981: the year of the Royal Wedding, the Brixton riots, Bucks Fizz winning the Eurovision Song Contest – and the year that Gene Hunt (Philip Glenister) takes the Met by storm in Ashes To Ashes.
Gene Hunt, the politically incorrect, loud-mouthed, sexist DCI from the hit TV drama Life On Mars, was, on the surface, an unlikely cult figure. However, the combination of his winning personality and somewhat "traditional" approach to policing helped to firmly establish him in the national consciousness.
When the highly acclaimed drama bowed out after two series, it did so at the height of its popularity. But, just because the writers and producers deemed that Sam Tyler's story had come to an end, did that also spell the end for his much-loved "guv"?
Jane Featherstone, joint MD of Kudos Film & Televisionand executive producer of both Life On Mars and Ashes To Ashes, explains the genesis of the new series. "As Life On Mars was drawing to an end, the BBC approached us and asked if we thought there could be a sequel or follow-up with the character of Gene Hunt, but a few years later," explains Jane. "We sat down and all realised that it could be brilliant to bring Gene into the early-Eighties – a fascinating time of cultural, musical and political transition."
From the start, the production team knew that Ashes To Ashes had to offer viewers a totally new journey, and say new things about the much-loved Gene Hunt. Life On Mars had offered very little information on Gene's past and personal life, making him something of an enigma. The introduction of a female DI, Alex Drake (Keeley Hawes), meant that a totally new dynamic could be created without garnering comparisons to the good cop/bad cop, "buddy" relationship experienced by Sam and Gene. "The relationship between Gene Hunt and Alex Drake is critical to Ashes To Ashes," continues Jane. "It is tumultuous, sexy, intellectual, instinctive and totally different to his relationship with Sam."
As the creative process continued, it became clear that the sexual tension between the two characters would be one of the key hooks to the series. Jane explains: "Gene has never come across a woman like Alex before and she rocks his world. How is it possible to work with someone so incredibly confident and attractive, not to mention posh and from London, and, bloody hell, a woman?! Through Alex's presence at the station, we see a different side to Gene – a more complex, gentler side, a man with dreams, hopes and fears."
Despite a new era and leading lady being added to the mix, it's not all change and Gene Hunt still offers his unique take on the ghost of England's past. Beth Willis, the show's producer, says, "We thought we'd bring him to London where his northern views would come into sharp conflict with 'the southern ponces' he finds there. And, of course, he should take his A-team of Ray Carling and Chris Skelton with him."
With the series set in the early Eighties, the production team recognised a great opportunity to display the change in policing since 1973 – changes which have, perhaps, had an impact on the once supremely cock-sure Gene.
Writer and co-creator Ashley Pharaoh explains: "All the research we did indicated that the police knew the Scarman Report was on its way, and they knew it wasn't going to be good news, so the threat of that hangs over the whole series." A very specific era of policing is coming to an end. I think there's a slight sense of melancholy to Gene at times – he misses the North and the old days, but he's a fighter and refuses to give up."
The next challenge was how to take Alex Drake – a police psychologist and thoroughly modern woman of the 21st century – into the world of Gene Hunt, a world she knows about only through her sessions with the now deceased Sam Tyler. Matthew Graham, co-creator, writer and executive producer for Monastic Productions, realised that the premise would have to be water-tight to work on screen: "Through Sam, Alex has learnt all about Gene Hunt, Ray Carling and Chris Skelton. "Alex is called to an intense hostage crisis involving a drug dealer who shoots her in the head at point-blank range. Next thing she knows, she's in 1981."
As if waking up dressed as a prostitute in the early Eighties with Ultravox ringing in your ears isn't bad enough, Alex is forced to confront a much larger problem. Matthew continues: "Alex is horrified to discover that sharing her delusion are the very characters she heard about from Sam Tyler, in particular a certain DCI Gene Hunt! Furthermore, 1981 was the very year her parents were killed in a car bomb – is that somehow connected to her presence there?"
But, in the meantime, Alex must find a way to get on with her new boss, concludes Jane: "Alex finds that Gene is a compassionate man, fighting for justice and what he thinks is right, despite his incredibly dated views of womanhood. The result is funny, electric and surprising."
It's time to dig out that Rubik's Cube – 1981 here we come!
Interview: Philip Glenister plays DCI Gene Hunt aka "The Manc Lion"
Background: Manchester CID
Next of kin: Divorced
What does Gene think of "newcomer" Alex?
When Alex arrives, Gene is immediately suspicious of her motives. The world around him is changing and he wants to cling on to what he knows. Alex drives him up the wall with her endless psychology and theories. He often complains she gives him brain ache and yet he knows that, when they work together, they make a good team. So sometimes, despite himself, Gene agrees to trust her. He's drawn to her and doesn't really know why; they're a great match.
Taking Alex's rank into consideration, how does Gene cope with working so closely with a woman?
Alex is tougher than any woman he's ever met – so although he takes every opportunity he can for a jibe about her being a woman, he also treats her like one of the team. Gene also has respect for ranks within the police force – so when Ray says women DIs "shouldn't be shag-worthy" and complains about her, Gene has a go at him for insulting a senior officer. He'd never admit it, but Gene is very protective of Alex.
Gene clearly fancies Alex – does he think they will get together?
If he does, he'd never admit it. Alex seems to get him by the balls; their relationship has a different dynamic to what he's experienced before. Alex is a female from the modern era and a police psychologist, so it's a different battle between them. There are elements of "will they/won't they?" and there is an attraction between them that viewers will find quite fiery!
Gene has the Scarman Report hanging over him which aims to phase out his way of policing. How does this affect him, for example, has Gene changed his ways and modernised his policing methods for Eighties London?
Fundamentally, Gene hasn't changed at all. Scum is scum wherever you are – London, Manchester, wherever – and Gene knows how he likes to deal with that. At the same time, Scarman's report is hanging over him (he actually meets Scarman in the flesh later in the series and gives him a piece of his mind) and Gene is determined to protect his team.
He occasionally admits very, very reluctantly that getting evidence is quite fashionable these days. What we see is a man losing his grip on the power he had as a policeman, the changing face of the police force, particularly the Met in London. He's trying to do the right thing, but finding it extremely difficult to fit in with the changing times.
Gene is now working for the Metropolitan Police. Why has he left his beloved Manchester behind and what does he think of the Southern criminal scum?
Gene never gives much away. We know he needed a change – his wife has left him, Sam has gone and the job came up so he took it. He also thinks he, Ray and Chris can show the Southern nancys a thing or two about how to police a community the right way.
There are quite a few high-speed chases in the series. How are you enjoying the Quattro and how does it compare to the Cortina?
I love it! The Quattro was one of the first four-wheel drives that properly clung to the ground – that's why everyone wanted one but we couldn't do Gene's high-speed handbrake turns so we had to fit a hydraulic handbrake so I could rag it round those corners! It's a two-door car as well, so Ray and Chris can only get out the back when I say so.
What's been your favourite scene to film?
That would have to be when we were on a speed boat going under Tower Bridge carrying machine guns. Say no more.
Do you have any favourite quotes from Gene this series?
"Today, my friend, your diary entry will read: took a prozzie hostage and was shot by three armed bastards."
"Careful ... this is one bloke you don't want letting his load off."
"Careful Bols – this Formica was hewn from the hills above Florence." (In reference to a naff table in Luigi's).
Are there any funny stories from your time on set?
Mooning with the boys on a Bank Holiday Monday night in the middle of Finsbury Square was pretty hilarious. After half a bottle of wine we all forgot our nerves and dropped our trousers for every take – even Keeley's close up. Her reaction is very real!
What were you doing in the Eighties?
Nothing as cool as Gene! I was just trying to get laid while listening to Human League, wanted to be Simon Le Bon and spent a lot of time squeezing my spots. I remember [HRH Prince] Charles and [Lady] Diana's wedding because I went and slept on The Mall with some mates the night before so we could be near the front. On the day their carriage went past and they waved as they went by, I was convinced Diana gave me the eye. Who were we to know the fairy tale of the day would end in tears?
Interview: Keeley Hawes plays DI Alex Drake aka "Bolly Knickers"
Background: Psychological profiler, 2008
Next of kin: Daughter, Molly, parents deceased in 1981
What is Alex like?
She's ballsy, confident and bright and is more than a match for Gene. Alex was a psychologist to Sam Tyler and, when she gets shot, she realises she has been propelled into the past; into the new world of Gene Hunt and the boys. She realises she is re-imagining somebody else's creations. She doesn't believe that they're real; she believes they're creations.
What is Alex's main focus for getting home?
Alex has a daughter, Molly, to get back to in 2008 and obviously, as anyone would, she wants to get back as fast as she can. However, she does have moments that she really enjoys, like the different ways of policing, but ultimately, she wants to get back to her daughter. She enjoys her relationship with Gene Hunt – it's sexy and fun, so there's an emotional pull both ways, but she does want to get back to Molly and modern times.
Alex is haunted by an eerie-looking clown. What is his significance to Alex's journey?
He's an expression of her fears about death and Molly. He's the very darkest, deepest parts of her brain that she doesn't really want to go to. He is such a genius creation; lots of people don't like clowns, especially the Pierrot clown which was very Eighties.
What do you think makes the clown so sinister?
I think it's probably his unpredictability. I never know what he's going to do from one minute to the next and it's things that horror stories are made of. A clown should make you laugh, but this one actually just makes the hairs on your arm go up!
Alex is a really ballsy woman. Do you think she is brave to try to take on Gene or should she embrace his help?
It's in her nature to take Gene on and she usually knows that she's right, but occasionally she is prepared to back down and deals with Gene via a good sense of humour. Her knowledge of the future makes dealing with Gene easier for her. She doesn't have the awe and respect for Gene like the others, because she finds him a bit of a dinosaur. Instead, she finds the way he carries on quite amusing, I don't think she's truly offended by him.
Gene and Alex have a real love-hate relationship. Do you think Alex could ever give in to Gene's charms or will her pride always stop her?
I think their love-hate relationship is great. Quite often, when people fancy each other, they dress it up as love-hate because it's easier to deal with. Gene and Alex go out for dinner and they have a nice time, so I think she's actually quite surprised to learn that underneath everything, it's possible for them to really enjoy each other's company – which is what everyone will want to see, but it quickly goes horribly wrong.
What has been your favourite scene to film?
I love the scenes in Luigi's since it's great to be able to see people on screen have a drink and a smoke; it's real and, quite often these days, you don't see that. Generally, those scenes are at the end of the day so we're all quite relaxed. We're usually all in them and everybody gets on really well. We shot some scenes with a DeLorean, which was fab – it felt really Eighties. There is nothing more Eighties than that car. It's just like the car in Back To The Future.
Alex has some fabulous outfits. Did you wear anything similar in the Eighties?
I remember my sister wearing a denim boiler suit and I had an all-in-one – mine was more Grace Jones. I remember a mass of different colour denims all being worn at the same time. I recall having a perm quite young and wearing terrible electric blue leather, it was so bad. There was nothing classy about me or the Eighties in general. However, it was great fun and it's always a pleasure to dress as Alex in the morning!
Is Alex's style anything like your own?
I get to wear some Agent Provocateur underwear, that's not too bad. It's a kind of red basque-type thing, but that's not in vision for very long. There is a bright, bright blue shirt that's actually quite fun, but there's nothing that I'd wear personally.
The series features the iconic Blitz Club. Was it fun to recreate and even have Steve Strange in to provide the music?
It was amazing. I used to go clubbing in the Nineties a fair bit and I remember Steve being on the door of a club [The Emporium, Kingly Street], but not really knowing who he was or how brilliant he was. It was great to have Steve in; it all works really well, it looks really great.
HRH Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer's wedding provides the backdrop for episode two. What are your memories of the "Big Day"?
I remember people talking about the dress and the train and, being a girl, I was interested in a [future] Princess getting married. I seem to remember it was all about her, rather than it being about the Royals or someone marrying the future King. It was about a Princess and her dress!
What are your most vivid memories of the early Eighties?
I was five or six, so I don't really have an enormous amount of memories of that time. Lace being worn in your hair and Madonna was much more my Eighties, which was slightly later down the line. I had a pair of awful, huge, hi-tech trainers; that wasn't a good look so I don't miss any of it, I have to say.
Interview: Dean Andrews plays DS Ray Carling aka "The Bear"
Background: Manchester CID
What is Ray like now?
He is bullish, misogynistic, physical, loyal and as "hard as nails".
What is his role in the CID unit?
He's the Sarg, the muscle, the bloke you come to when someone needs sorting out. Oh, and he's "the glamour", of course!
Gene is both his Guv and his role model. Is he Gene's No. 1 side kick?
Ray will always be the Guv's right-hand man for all the "bloke's stuff" – the fighting, gambling, shooting and the ladies, of course.
How does he respond to Alex?
I think he has settled into his role in life and realised he is not DI material. So, he accepts Alex easier than he did Tyler, but he still wants to rock the system somehow.
What was it like being transported back to the Eighties?
It was great fun – new clothes, new music and new cars. Oh, and, of course, a new hairdo.
How has Ray developed since 1973? Is he less sexist and more compassionate these days?
No, and anyone that says he is will be in for it!
In the opening episode, you, Phil and Marshall ride down the River Thames on a speedboat. What was that scene like to film?
It was one of the coolest days spent on any set. We had a fab week that week doing all kinds of action stuff, topped off by being on a speedboat, going a fair lick, down the Thames.
What were your favourite scenes this series?
My favourite scenes are, as always, the action scenes – the fights, car chases and explosions. But I really enjoyed the scene in episode four where Ray is looking after a prostitute called Nina, who has been raped. We see a different side to Ray, and it was quite touching.
What are your memories of the Eighties?
I'd just started to sing professionally and work in holiday camps. So, my memories are of basically music and gals.
What were you up to in 1981?
I bought my first car in 1981 – a Triumph Toledo. I thought I was the coolest dude in town but I was sadly mistaken!
Interview: Marshall Lancaster plays DS Chris Skelton aka "The Cautious One"
Background: Manchester CID
How does Chris fit into the CID team?
Chris is a natural dogsbody, eager to please and loyal to Gene Hunt. It is only the arrival of DI Drake that upsets the "normal" running of CID. Chris is eager to learn but avoids work when possible. He enjoys practical jokes and is easily led.
What's his relationship with Shaz like?
I think Chris has an interesting relationship with Shaz as I think she genuinely loves Chris – he becomes her hero after rescuing her in episode one. Shaz is a "modern" Eighties woman, however, and won't stand for any sexism or homophobic comments, and she makes Chris suffer accordingly.
When Shaz takes him out clubbing, viewers see a more "daring" side to his fashion sense. Does he do this just to impress her, or has there always been a more adventurous side to him?
I think Chris does anything to please Shaz, and is prepared to take risks for her. She brings the daring side out in him. I think he is also desperate to bed her!
How does Chris deal with life in the Met and working for a female DI?
Chris adapted to working in London very well. Wherever Gene goes Chris follows, and London and the Met are no exception. I think Chris accepts Drake as his superior very well – and who wouldn't?
Did you enjoy filming the action scenes on the River Thames?
We could not wipe the smiles off our faces filming that scene. I could not actually believe that I would have a moment like that in my acting career. I was wearing shades whilst carrying a gun! The strange thing is nobody batted an eyelid when they saw us – which was worrying!
What were your favourite scenes to film?
In one scene, there is an Eighties "A Team" shootout with bullets flying everywhere, but no one ever gets hurt! I love filming the scenes in the Audi, and the first time we arrive in episode one in that car is magic.
Have there been any funny stories on set?
In one scene later on in the series, my character, Chris, has to search down the toilet bowl in a Portaloo for a hidden gun. Jonny Campbell, the director, and I came up with a plan where I pulled a Mars bar out instead – much to the surprise of the gang!
What memories do you have of the Eighties?
I remember TV programmes like The Muppets, The A Team and The Fall Guy. The Rubik's Cube drove me mad, though. Oh, and I remember Pacers, those green and white sweets. They were nice!
Montserrat Lombard plays WPC Shaz Granger aka "The Newcomer"
Background: WPC, new member of CID
How would you describe Shaz?
Shaz is a very sweet, passionate girl. She has a heart of gold and really cares about the people on her team. She feels a little frustrated at times being stuck in the office, whilst the boys go out with Alex to get stuck into the action, and feels like she could do more given the chance. Shaz is a bit of a dark horse and, throughout the series, often surprises those around her. She is a good Catholic girl, but her wild side comes out when she goes to the Blitz Club – she is a true early New Romantic and loves to experiment with clothes and make up whenever she can. Viewers will see that she is in her police uniform only when absolutely necessary!
How does Shaz fit into the team?
Shaz is a WPC, so she tends to do the clerical work in the office. She is also very much one of the boys and mucks in when she can, and definitely keeps up with their drinking, too! She is the youngest on the team but she is quietly very intelligent and shines when given the chance.
Do Alex and Shaz bond as two women in a predominately male world?
Shaz is slightly suspicious of Alex at the beginning because she can see that her introduction has put the boys' backs up and, as Shaz is fiercely protective of her team, she is cautious. Shaz has never seen a woman behave in this way in the work place, or with men, and as she starts to warm to her realises there is potential for her to be promoted to a similar position in the future. It takes a little while for the two to bond as sometimes Shaz gets herself into sticky situations and then feels silly when bailed out by Alex, but I think secretly she is very much in awe of her and is keen to hear her opinion on different things.
How would you describe Chris and Shaz's relationship?
It is very up and down! Shaz really adores his sweet, sensitive side, but gets frustrated when he hides it at work and acts all macho and sexist. They are very good friends, and I think that is the loveliest thing about their relationship – Shaz can tease him and get away with it and with a little patience she thinks she might just make him a little more daring!
Did you enjoy filming at The Blitz Club?
Filming the Blitz Club scenes was unbelievable! I hardly recognised myself or Marshall! It was such an exciting time in the early Eighties with fab music and really great experimental homemade outfits. Meeting Steve Strange, too, was so surreal! I had such a great time that day – posing, dancing and trying to keep my hair standing on end. It took ages to wash all the products out – I'm surprised anyone ever washed their hair!
Have you enjoyed being able to go back in time and try out the clothes, hair and make-up?
Definitely! I can't quite believe how massive everything was! I was nearly knocked out the other day by one of Gene Hunt's shoulder pads! Everyone made such an effort then and it really was all about glamour, bright colours and being bold. What's so scary is that we have all got so used to it now. I really have to stop myself from letting it seep too much into my everyday look!
Did you do any research for the role?
I spoke to a few ladies who were in the force at the time and got lots of incredible stories from them. I can't believe just how much they had to put up with – including the male police officers in their team purposely sending them to bogus raids that didn't exist, whilst they were all at the real ones. I also saw an amazing documentary on the Blitz and read as much as I could on it and the people that went there. I listened to as much early Eighties music as possible and, after a while, I really got into it. It is now regularly being played on my iPod! I think I never really realised how difficult and dark the Eighties were and how much the UK changed in that time – it was an extraordinary decade.
Original article can be found here.
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