Ian McShane would return for a Lovejoy reboot – but only for a cameo
The Deadwood star would rather any new series focused on the antique dealer-turned-sleuth’s daughter instead
In a world where both Inspector Morse and DCI Tennison can return to TV years after their original series ended (played by younger actors in Endeavour and Prime Suspect 1973 respectively), the time seems ripe for a return from another 80s/90s crime-solver with fans around the world – antiques-dealer-turned-sleuth Lovejoy.
Played by Ian McShane for six series between 1986 and 1994, the roguish antiques dealer has in recent years been rumoured to be coming back to TV under the pen of Life on Mars and Hustle co-creator Tony Jordan, and while there’s no news on whether such a reboot is still imminent (the last news was in 2015) lead actor McShane isn’t entirely averse to the idea – just so long as it’s about a different character to his own.
“They’ve asked me about that over the years, you know, do you want to reprise Lovejoy. And I say, ‘He had a daughter!’” McShane told RadioTimes.com while promoting his new Amazon Studios series American Gods.
“If you’re gonna do it, why don’t you do a show…[where] in walks this 37-year-old, gorgeous redhead. And it’s not McShane having been transgendered, you know, it’s an actual, live daughter. Much more interesting than having me come back.
“I’ve done that! It was a great success, I loved doing it, fabulous, it’s on every afternoon, my mum watches it…let it stay where it is. It was great.”
More like this
However, McShane revealed that he wasn’t totally averse to returning to the series in principle, so long as his role was limited to passing the flame to the next generation.
“I’d maybe come in as Dad, yeah!” the Deadwood star told us. “Who knows?”
You heard it here first, TV execs – let’s get this new pitch out there.
American Gods begins exclusively on Amazon Prime Video on 1st May
