The great thing about that was, it could mean anything, which gave us great scope.
And I have to say, once we got started, it flowed quite well.
Youve got a few new characters in here, which complement the ones youve already got.
Was it difficult to come up with new ones who would fit in there?
Its always a nightmare coming up with new characters.
The ones youve already done, youve dressed them, acted them out, edited them.
Youve seen them completely come to life over the course of twelve to eighteen months.
You have to begin.
The great thing about the first series was that the characters were seemingly unconnected.
They didnt really interact with each other, but were all a bit crazy.
When youre looking at characters to play yourself, you want to have contrasts.
So, Hattie was a great contrast to David and Lomax, the other characters I play.
Reece wanted to play a teacher character, or someone in authority who got undermined.
And going in a library you do get a sense that they are quite despotic, you know?
[laughs] That you would be in trouble if something happens to a book.
So, we took that to extremes.
Its a very mundane setting, this librarian who cannot rest until this books back on the shelf.
And hes a real mix.
The Silent Singer came on when we were writingLeague Of Gentlemen, to alleviate the boredom.
Ive got photos of Reece looking absolutely identical.
Its a very unnerving figure, and people wont know where its come from.
It came from our reality.
Well, our reality.
That was going to be one of my questions.
Just what the inspiration was for the Silent Singer?
Its both scary and hilarious at the same time.
Yeah, like I say, it was just what was in the dressing-up box.
Weve always enjoyed scaring each other by dressing up as these characters, usually theDont Look Nowdwarf.
We kept that idea going.
Reese would be standing behind me for ages and Id be thinking, Wheres he gone?
And Id turn around and the Silent Singer was just there, singing his heart out.
And Id just go, Not now, Silent Singer.
How do we do it?
So, whats the writing process like between you two?
Is it totally collaborative, or do you tend to write parts separately and then compare notes later?
We are in the room at the same time, working on scenes together.
We rent an office in Muswell Hill.
We go there every day and just start writing.
The great thing aboutPsychoville, of course, is that it does mix horror and comedy so well.
In the context of the show, theres nothing thats ever felt gratuitous.
Thats something thats essential when youre working on something thats a very authored piece.
Jon would give us a few notes, but generally speaking, were trusted.
By this stage, they know what theyre going to get, where the line is.
We havent had to have that many arguments about stuff on taste or decency grounds, no.
It unnerves people, and unsettles people.
And thats just what were going for.
We want it to be something you wont forget and that isnt like anything else youll see on television.
So, if it is unsettling, thats another word for sick.
Do you think that having the comedy element in there allows you to get away with more?
It can make the funny stuff funnier and the horror stuff more horrific.
But sometimes wed like to end a horrific scene on a funny line or on a gag.
Its a delicate balance, but you want it to be scary and very funny at the same time.
We wanted to bring in all these horror elements, and nobody else is really doing it.
So, were happy to stay in that territory.
One of the big new faces in this series is Imelda Staunton.
What was it like getting her on board?
And the second we made that decision, we just went, This would be great for Imelda Staunton.
And the brilliant thing about Imelda is that she can do the comedy and the drama of it.
Shes a brilliant actress, a crossover actress.
Theres not many of those around who are equally at home doing comedy and serious stuff.
So, when she finally said yes, we were thrilled.
If she hadnt, it would have been a blow.
But, thankfully, she did.
The conclusion of the first series was met with a bit of a mixed response from audiences.
Yes, thats a polite way of putting it!
[laughs]
But what did you make of those responses?
Was the negativity something you took to heart?
It was upsetting, very upsetting.
We didnt quite understand it.
But it would have been back to the drawing board for me and Reece.
Wed have had to have come up with a new show.
We felt these characters were better than that.
So, we did it with the best intentions to carry the show on.
We didnt do it to piss people off.
But, yeah, we didnt like having to read [some of the responses].
Especially when people said stuff like, Ive wasted my time watching these seven episodes.
Its been a waste of time.
Well, thats a bit of an extreme reaction.
Its been great up until that last ten minutes.
It shouldnt really ruin it for you.
But weve listened and weve addressed it.
As youve probably seen in the first episode, we have Mr Jelly say, Sorry.
What a pathetic ending.
So, we enjoyed doing that, as our little revenge!
Well, thats what we thought.
Thats what we were worried about.
We were worried theyd say, This isnt an ongoing story.
So, it may well have done.
At the end of the day, we took a gamble and it paid off.
Its even better than the first one.
We dont regret doing that at all, because it got a good result.
One of the other things youve been involved in as well, of course, isWhitechapel.
I only have one job, whereas onPsychovilleI have many jobs.
I have to worry about every shot.
I have to worry about what the weathers going to be like tomorrow.
I think theyre great stories.
I took the prop and used it.
I liked that little crossover, there.
[Laughs] We have talked about the possibility of doing a live show.
It wouldnt be a full-blown musical, but there would certainly be musical interludes within it.
And doingLes Miserables[in the first episode of series two] just carried that on, really.
It was brilliant fun to do, becauseLes Misis so ridiculous anyway.
Its so overblown and quite pompous.
It fits Davids character perfectly.
Its a softer side to David that we see sometimes.
Hes interested in serial killers, but hes really a big softie at heart.
And as long as hes around, theres always going to be a big musical number not far away.
He has a very flamboyant streak.
Yeah, and that comes out when hes doing his performances.
But as soon as he finishes, hes back to his normal deadpan, slouchy self.
Would you ever givingPsychovillethe same movie treatment you gaveThe League Of Gentlemen?
Yes, its possible.
Reece and I just go with the flow.
That would be a natural home for us.
We could be doing stage, screen and big screen.
You mentioned Hammer just now, andPsychovilledemonstrates that youre really big fans of classic horror.
Do you keep up with modern horror as well?
I do keep up to some degree.
Ive enjoyed Japanese horror.The Grudge,The Eye,Dark Water.
Stuff that is very unsettling, creepy and unnerving.
I think thats a great shot in the arm for horror.
I havent seen stuff likeParanormal Activityas yet.
I saw a very disturbing film calledMartyrs, which is a French movie.
Its an endurance test and I almost turned it off a few times.
Im looking forward to seeingWake Wood, theWicker Man-ish film.
I do fancy that.
Its just, like I say, you cant go out every night when you have kids.
Theres a definite touch of Japanese horror around the Silent Singer.
Yeah, it has that element, and a David Lynch feel to it, as well.
Well look at specific things from time to time.
Steve Pemberton, thank you very much.
