Fiona Shaw says returning to film Baptiste series 2 after a COVID-related hiatus was initially “hell on Earth”
Production on the BBC One drama was delayed for six months due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Baptiste star Fiona Shaw has revealed that resuming filming on series two after a delay caused by the coronavirus was "hell on Earth" during the first week back.
Shaw plays Emma Chambers, a British Ambassador whose family goes missing whilst on holiday in Hungary, in the upcoming second series of Baptiste, on which production was shut down in March 2020 in light of the pandemic.
Speaking to RadioTimes.com and other press outlets on set in November, Shaw said that whilst filming in Budapest, she was "really absorbed" in the character, however returning to the UK-based shoot towards the end of 2020 proved to be a challenge.
"Going back into it, the first week was hell on Earth because we'd all spent six months doing other things, not least not getting up at 4am in the morning; it was really the first week, but by the second week, I felt we were absolutely back in that world and the thing is so magnificently well-written that it is joining the incredibly tight dots that are placed in front of me, so I feel very much back into it again."
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Speaking about her character in the upcoming series, Shaw teased that while she's very straight-forward, "the things that happened to her are very much more than meets the eye".
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"She is surprised endlessly by how the world turns. It's almost inconceivable the kind of pressure she has to take on and live with and I found that very, very challenging.
"I'm very glad we've taken nearly a year to make the series because I was shattered when we left Budapest and we're only three weeks into the shoot here and I'm exhausted again – it's a hugely sort of Greek piece in that regard."
While you’re waiting for Baptiste season 2, check out our review of episode one, take a look at the rest of our Drama coverage or check out our TV guide to find out what’s on television this week.
