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Philip Glenister interview 2007 - Radio Times, April 2007 |
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Andrew Duncan pulls in the Life on Mars star for questioning.
On his reaction to the script
"For the first 15 pages
I thought, 'This is just another cop
show'. And then 'It's ridiculous'. But suddenly -
bang! - I couldn't put it down. It's so ridiculous,
it's appealing. Who'd have thought a 70s cop
show would be popular in 2007?"
On Gene Hunt
"One critic said it's a minor miracle I make
such an appalling man so appealing, but let's put
it in perspective. He's not appalling compared
with the Mitchell brothers in EastEnders. I look
on Life on Mars as a western, and I'm the sheriff.
I like DCI Hunt - a gift of a part, so well written,
and some of the one-liners are amazing."
On soaps
"There's so much dumbing
down on television. I'm pissed off that every
awards ceremony has a special 'soap' category.
I don't want to be a snob, but they only do it to
satisfy market forces. Soaps are a separate industry,
churned out on a treadmill with no time for any
creative process, so nobody gives a s**t. I have a
soft spot for Coronation Street; it doesn't take itself
too seriously. But EastEnders is up its own arse."
On reality TV
"There's so much cheapness, with all this reality
stuff. Someone makes big bucks at someone
else's expense, and it's the sadistic element of shows
like Big Brother I find so cruel. The red-tops
become involved and start a witch-hunt. We're so
screwed up with our principles. We used to mock
Japanese game shows where they ate bugs. Now
we're doing the same, if not worse. It's terrifying."
On the people in charge of TV
"It seems the better
the quality, the more you're penalised. If we bring
Life on Mars in on
time and perhaps
under budget, they
say you can do it
for less next time. It's very frustrating when they want to hurry
you up to save money. I tell them, 'I didn't sign up
for The Bill. Let's do it properly.' There are some
very good people in television, but a lot of fools
running it. They put fame ahead of talent and
think someone from EastEnders will put bums on
seats. B******s. If anything they'll be exposed."
On the audience's reaction to Life on Mars
"It's
great when a series is successful, but daunting
because it raises the stakes. Punters believe they
have ownership of a television programme because
it's in their front room, so funnily enough you feel
a greater responsibility to deliver than you would
in the theatre or cinema."
On the US version
"There was talk John
[Simm] and I would be in it, but I'd have ended
up a nutter in the Priory. If I was ten years younger,
or didn't have children, I might like to go to
Hollywood, but it's never been a burning desire,
and I can't be arsed now to start at the bottom of
the pile. I'm too old and cynical to go cap in hand."
**
Read our 2006 interview with Philip Glenister - or take a look at our full Life on Mars guide.
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