Will Mellor says reaction to Mr Bates vs The Post Office is "unprecedented"
The actor played Lee Castleton in the hugely successful ITV drama.
The monumental success of Mr Bates vs The Post Office has been well documented, with the show not only becoming ITV's biggest new drama in over a decade but also driving real-world change.
In the weeks after the programme aired over four nights at the beginning of January, increased scrutiny was placed on the public inquiry into the Horizon scandal – which has now moved into its final stage.
And speaking exclusively to RadioTimes.com at the Radio Times Covers Party this week, star Will Mellor – who played Lee Castleton – talked about the "unprecedented" response to the show.
Asked if he had expected the drama to have such an impact, he responded: "No, it's impossible, because it's unprecedented.
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"We all said on set, 'Can you believe they did this to these people?' And we were saying after we were filming, after we were doing scenes, you know, it was powerful, and we knew people would talk about it.
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"But you couldn't imagine the response that it's had from the public, and also the reaction where they've gone: 'No, we need to do something about this.'"
Meanwhile, Mellor explained how he had just spoken with the show's director James Strong, who was reminiscing with him about a conversation the pair had during production on the series.
"I saw him tonight and he went, 'I remember you said to me, if we get this right, this could be quite good and quite big.' Who could have thought it'd have been as big as [this]?
"You know, the cast... on set, you got to look around and see the cast that I was working with. And I was like, 'You have to bring your A-game here, you're with some big players.'
"So it was a privilege for me to be on set with these people. I was just glad to be involved and be a part of it."
Read more:
- Mr Bates star Will Mellor on justice for Post Office victims: "Talk's cheap"
- Henry Cavill says Argylle is like James Bond "turned up to 11"
Mellor also said that while he was happy with the response the series had generated, he was still hopeful for further action, noting that "talk is cheap".
Earlier this month, Post Office chief executive Nick Read released a statement to the victims, saying: "We sincerely apologise to victims for the devastating impact of the Post Office Horizon IT scandal on the lives of so many.
"We are doing all we can to provide redress and urge anyone affected who has not yet come forward to do so."
See more photos from the Radio Times Covers Party 2024 in the new issue of Radio Times magazine, on sale Tuesday 6th February.
Mr Bates vs The Post Office is available to watch on ITVX. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on.
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