French vocab and sycophancy belch out in equal measure.
Words like habitue and soupcon have to be swallowed down and replaced by less ostentatious fellows.
I say things like ostentatious.
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Thank you [laughs].
It was great fun to do.
I actually think with Mr Collins that a lot of what he does is justified.
Hed already done something, was itByker Grove?
Oh yes, and he was glowing hot I think.
Alack, he didnt ask me to play Doctor Who… anyway!
Presumably youd have said yes?
Clearly Steven is a very clever man and deserves his success.
Ive never been asked to do it.
Its a surprise to me as well!
Thats just the job, you could only go where youre wanted!
The campaign starts here then!
Oh, thank you.
I just think [Chalk] needed some handling.
I think it should get another airing.
It could have been what was happening in politics.
I think there was something in the ether at the time.
Other things come just at the wrong time, they just dont hit the zeitgeist or something.
It was sad forChalkbe pulled after two series; I think it could have gone on.
Thats interesting isnt it, in relation to the zeitgeist and coming toWhat Remains.
I found the series very gripping, but incredibly bleak in tone and conclusion.
Is that reflective of todays zeitgeist would you say, that bleakness?
I absolutely agree with you.
I think that Tony Basgallop is writing about how well you know people.
The characters were horrible to Melissa and they didnt get to know her.
I think though, that it is also strangely moving.
I find that whenever Melissa comes in with that music, I get terribly moved.
I get very moved by a lot of things in it watching Steven Mackintosh drinking in episode three.
I feel very concerned.
I think Tonys really created a piece of writing where things arent just token, they all mean something.
It is bleak, its bleak and its painful and moving at the same time.
Its enormously compassionate as a drama, I found.
Compassionate, thats exactly it.
When I say moving, thats what I mean.
I find it very compassionate.
Everythings thought about, its not careless.
Peggy is trying to leave, and shes living with a maniac and trying to get out of that.
Its the casual nature with which nobody seemed to bother about Melissa that gets to you.
They just all choose to lie really.
Of course, Joes hiding a secret, so he doesnt want anyone to know about him.
People do kill each other every day though.
People do horrible things to other people so its not as melodramatic as it looks.
Tell us about working with Coky Giedroyc, the director.
Coky has done an amazing job with the performances.
Theyre not run of the mill is what I feel.
Your character, Joe, character starts off as an unlikeable busybody but essentially hes just lonely isnt he?
Hes actually quite sympathetic by the end dont you think?
Hes sort of manipulative.
He is an an awful teacher isnt he?
Something in his childhood made him like that.
I think youre absolutely right.
Youre right, I think its a new kind of character.
you might die alone in your flat and nobody notices.
If somebodys dead up there we should know about it.
Lens the old-style person and he just wont let it go.
David Threlfalls wonderful of course.
Tell me about the cast.
Were big fans of Russell Toveys on the site.
I think Coky just cast it brilliantly.
What was the atmosphere like on set?
Russell Tovey has a reputation for being something of a joker…
He is very funny.
He brought his dog in Rocky actually he was so funny.
Indira [Varma] and I were onRometogether, yet we had no scenes together on it funnily enough.
Its always boring to say it, but we had such a great cast and wonderful actors.
Notably, I think all of the cast are extremely accomplished stage actors, which is quite interesting.
Not that it looked like a play, but that shared background may have something to do with it.
Its being called a state-of-the-nation drama they probably put that on the press release so everybodys saying it.
I think people still do help each other.
They dont do things for their neighbours and they dont find out how they are.
Why have you not been named?
Is it a fear of reprisal?
Finally, something I must ask about it because were enormous fans of it, are thePsychovilleepisodes you did.
Why do you say that?
Oh, because someone asked about that yesterday.
I think its incredible, I cant do that so Im in awe.
Whats coming up next for you?
Something may come out of this, you never know.
David Bamber, thank you very much!
What Remains is released on DVD on Monday 7 October fromAcorn Media.
Read our spoiler-filled episode reviews,here.
