New Lynley stars on honouring the past – and making the series their own
"If you try to imitate what was so brilliant before, you’ll fail."
The latest small-screen iteration of Elizabeth George’s Inspector Lynley series stars Leo Suter (Vikings: Valhalla) as the eponymous detective Thomas Lynley, ably assisted by Sofia Barclay’s DS Barbara Havers. Previously, the BBC’s earlier version ran for six seasons between 2001 and 2008, with Nathaniel Parker and Sharon Small in the lead roles.
Speaking to RadioTimes.com ahead of its premiere, Suter and Barclay (Ted Lasso) revealed that it was important for them to honour the literary roots and previous adaptations while also putting their own stamp on the Lynley universe.
"When you’re doing a new version of something, it’s important to respect the previous version, but also to know that you’re doing your own thing and bringing your own stamp to it," Suter said of this new take on the long-running series.
"If you try to imitate what was so brilliant before, you’ll fail. Inevitably, you have to do your own thing and trust your instincts, so I actually felt quite calm early on about doing that."
For both actors, the previous adaptation and George’s source material were a starting point, but it was clear this was a radically new direction for the characters.
On where this version fits in, Barclay said: "Both of us did the same first thing — we read and watched A Great Deliverance — but then very quickly realised that Steve’s world, the original world, and the Nathaniel Parker and Sharon Small world are all so different that they’re completely separate timelines. In a multiverse, they’re all different versions of the Lynley and Havers duo."
"I remember early on reading our script and thinking, ‘This is very different,’ and realising that ours is based on different books," Suter added.
For Barclay, it was vital that the series brought something fresh.
Read more:
"If you try too hard to replicate something, 'A', what’s the point? Because it already exists so perfectly. And then 'B', you’ll probably all just drive yourselves a bit crazy. So I think both of us went on the same journey."
Ahead of its launch, the synopsis for the Lynley reboot, which was penned by Steve Thompson (Doctor Who, Vienna Blood, Jericho, Sherlock), reads: "Tommy Lynley is a brilliant police detective but an outsider in the force – simply by virtue of his aristocratic upbringing. He is paired with Barbara Havers, a sergeant with a maverick attitude and a working-class background.
"With seemingly nothing in common and against all odds, the mismatched duo of Lynley and Havers become a formidable team, bonded by their desire to see justice done."
Lynley will premiere on BBC One and iPlayer on Monday 5th January at 8:30pm.
Add Lynley to your watchlist on the Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more.
Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Authors
