鲍鱼tv

The Responder is a distinctive new take on crime drama from the makers of The Salisbury Poisonings, Dancing Ledge Productions. Written by ex-police officer Tony Schumacher, his first original series for television, The Responder holds a mirror up to the emotional extremes of life on the front line of British policing 鈥� sometimes darkly funny, sometimes painfully tragic, always challenging. The Responder follows Chris Carson (Martin Freeman), a crisis-stricken, morally compromised, unconventional urgent response officer on the beat in Liverpool. Whilst trying to keep his head above water both personally and professionally, his partner Rachel (Adelayo Adedayo) is also looking for meaning in the job but can鈥檛 seem to find it anymore. Both know that if they are to survive, they will need each other more than ever.

Series two joins Chris Carson six months on from series one. Chris is attempting to rebuild his life, and his relationships, desperate to avoid the corruption that nearly sucked him under. He is trying to be a better police officer, a better man, and most importantly, a better father to his daughter Tilly. All whilst still dealing with the relentless trauma of being a night response officer. Chris wants a day job. Chris needs a day job. But is he prepared to risk everything to get one? Rachel Hargreaves is putting her life back together too. She鈥檚 still fuming at the way Chris dragged her down with him into the dirt in series one, and now she鈥檚 desperately trying to take control of a life and a career that sometimes feels like it鈥檚 slipping away. But after working with a succession of 鈥榥ormal鈥� coppers, Rachel is starting to realise she鈥檚 got more in common with Chris than she鈥檇 ever want to admit. As they are sucked back together, and into the night, they must pull each other back into the light. But then a routine stop on a black Range Rover changes everything, and suddenly the darkness beckons once again.

The Responder (5x60鈥�) is written by Tony Schumacher and produced by Fremantle-backed Dancing Ledge Productions, for 鲍鱼tv One and 鲍鱼tv iPlayer.

It is directed by Jeanette Nordahl, Mounia Akl, and Charlotte Regan and produced by Barrington Robinson with multi BAFTA award-winning and Emmy-nominated executive producers Laurence Bowen, Chris Carey and Toby Bruce for Dancing Ledge Productions. Rebecca Ferguson is the executive producer for the 鲍鱼tv.

Fremantle is handling global distribution for the series. Filming took place in and around Liverpool City Region with support from the Liverpool Film Office.

Series one of The Responder is available to watch on 鲍鱼tv iPlayer.

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Interview with Creator, Writer and Executive Producer Tony Schumacher

How did it feel to see the success of series one?

The success of the first series was absolutely mind blowing! It was just totally the weirdest thing ever. When the first episode went out, I took the dog for a walk, when the second episode went out I was sitting in a hotel room in London and social media just went mad and no one was having a go at me, I just assumed everyone was going to be screaming at me, but nobody was, everyone was so positive about the whole show and it was coming from all around the world. Celebrities started talking about the show and I found myself on daytime TV about an hour after I'd finished my breakfast defending the Liverpool accent to Alan Sugar! It was just this craziest thing. I was sitting in a cafe, and I noticed a lady was watching the show on her iPad at another table and seeing her reaction to it, I think that was when it really hit me that we'd done something special.

What is The Responder about?

The Responder is about Chris Carson, a guy who is struggling to be a better person, but who is falling apart inside his head whilst trying to deal with what鈥檚 going on in his job. His marriage is over, his family is falling apart, he hasn鈥檛 got any real friends and the one friend he did have is dead. Everything is bubbling up and over in his life and yet he is expected as a copper to go out and do the job. A job he doesn鈥檛 believe in anymore.

Where do we pick the story up for series two?

At the end of series one Chris was heavily traumatised. Lying in a shell hole, soaked full of mud, with his ears ringing. He was dishevelled and confused - shellshocked in many ways by the death of his best friend, Carl, and the things that he'd done and the lies that he'd told. So, where we find him in series two, is crawling out of that shell hole, thinking the war is over鈥�only to discover it鈥檚 not, he is covered in mud, finding his feet, and looking to do it differently this time.

What are the key themes for series two?

It's about people under pressure from organisations that are under pressure. We often hear about the 鈥榖ad apples鈥� in the police, but I've tried to look at the fact that, in my opinion, the barrel is sometimes rotten and what's making those apples bad is the organisation. I wanted to show that good people can do bad things to survive, and bad people sometimes do good things.

At the beginning of series one Chris says 鈥淚 want to be a good bobby鈥�. What does he want to be this series?

I think for Chris it isn't about being a good bobby anymore, it's about being a good dad. It's about him being someone who his daughter can look up to and being someone who can look at himself in the mirror. Chris is learning to love himself, having hated himself for years. He feels like a failure for his daughter Tilly and wants to just tell her that he loves her, but he was never told he was loved, so it鈥檚 a word he was never taught.

Where do we find Rachel in series two?

In series two we find Rachel suffering from PTSD. She's damaged and she's trying to put the parts of her life back together but is using the wrong tools to do it and is breaking off all the bits that make her work. She won't admit it, but she's been through so much trauma with her ex-partner Steve, and the emotional damage that being in that relationship has done to her. I wanted to show how, what she went through at the hands of her ex-partner, changed her life. Rachel characterises people who go through terrible things, in her case abuse, and how they can carry the weight of that for the rest of their lives.

Tell us about Chris and Rachel's relationship in series two?

In series one Rachel doesn鈥檛 believe Chris should be a copper out on the streets because, in her mind, he鈥檚 not up to it. However, she soon starts thinking that she鈥檚 got to be a bit more like him and in series two it is clear that there is a much deeper understanding between the two of them.

Where do we find Marco and Casey in series two?

Marco is a dad now and he, like Chris, is trying to be a good dad. Casey is also trying to do better and make more of a life for herself but the struggle for both of them is what brings them together and pulls them apart in series two. Their relationship is so important and so delightful, but it's so tense and painful. They are absolutely fantastic characters and Josh and Emily are just so good in those roles.

We have new characters in this series 鈥� how did you approach that and what did you want them to offer the story and the audience?

Bringing in new characters while retaining that kernel of love that everyone's got for the characters within series one was a real challenge, but we've got such a depth of talent in Liverpool that it was always going to be that we were going to introduce new characters for those brilliant actors to play. It鈥檚 exciting and creatively offered me great opportunities to bring in new characters whilst building on the arcs of our existing ones. Writing the script is like packing for a holiday with ten kids. You know, you're just literally jumping up, down on the suitcase for 2 hours at the end of every draft, trying to get the lid shut. And it's just been a joy writing new characters for actors like Sue Johnston and giving audiences the opportunity to see her in a role they have never seen her play before.

In this series you introduce us to Chris鈥� dad played by Bernard Hill. Why did you want to write in this character?

Introducing Chris' dad into series two was a funny thing because when people comment about bringing Chris' dad into series two, I have to point out that he has been there in every breath Chris takes, in every thought he has. That man has traumatised Chris to such an extent that he's been there all along. In series one, there is a scene between Chris and his mum (played by the incredible Rita Tushingham) when Chris alludes to an incident of domestic violence when he dropped his Dad鈥檚 tobacco - his dad has been there all along. So now we have Bernard Hill playing the character that has invisibly played a large part in the show.

Can you tell us about the character Franny, played by Adam Nagaitis?

Franny is Chris' nemesis, but he's also someone who sees Chris 鈥� and Chris finds that deeply uncomfortable, as he is a man who's hidden himself for so long, a man who's covered himself up for so long. Franny is Chris' mirror in many ways, and he's also the one with the poison apple, drawing him in, tempting him constantly back into a world he wants so desperately to leave. The character of Franny came very early on while we were developing series two and Martin said that Adam would great for the role. The minute he said that I started writing the part for Adam, even though we didn鈥檛 know he'd be interested in doing the job. Adam鈥檚 one of these actors who you can write brilliant dialogue for, but when you watch him perform them you quickly see it鈥檚 actually all the bits in between the speaking that really elevate the show. And I just pretend that I meant it to be like that!

How did you find the balance in writing a lead character who's not a 鈥榥ice鈥� guy and one that audiences would love?

Martin loves playing dislikable characters, I think all actors do, really, because there's a challenge in making someone who's dislikable likeable. I think what people relate to with Chris and saw in Martin's performance, was that he was a guy who was genuinely trying to do his best and trying to not to be a bad person. I think that if Chris had been someone who'd embraced the darkness inside him, people wouldn鈥檛 have liked him. It is the struggle between the light and the dark that people have empathy for and because he wants to be 鈥済ood鈥�, they like that character. It's like Jekyll and Hyde in that he's fighting against this monster within. He's constantly fighting against the thing that makes him want to be bad, make bad decisions and if you stick a few funny lines on the top of that people can relate to him and actually like him.

Is the process of writing such a tense show stressful?

I have a blue vein throbbing constantly in the side of my head. I'm one of the most stressed people on earth so putting that stress into the scripts is really easy. I also write at weird hours, work all night because I write best when I'm tired, so I'll do 80-hour stints sitting in the office, grinding it out, and I hear Chris talking to me as a character, he鈥檚 there during those nights. I think the stress shapes him in a way.

There is a lot of humour in the show. Why is it important to include that?

I always wanted to use humour, because for me it's always the thing that is there even in the darkest moments. It's like the mortar between the bricks. It's constant. In the police, if there was one thing you were always guaranteed to do when you were a cop, it was to laugh. Every single shift. You might cry, you might have a foot chase, you might sit all night and just stare into the night, but the fact of the matter is you would, at some point in that night, laugh, so to capture the reality of doing the job of a responder, that humour had to be there in the dialogue.

This year you have three female directors 鈥� what have they brought to this series?

Our lead director for this series is Jeanette Nordahl, she loved series one, but wanted to build on it and she did, she's made it so good. And then handed the baton to her fellow directors Mounia Akl and Charlotte Regan who have done the same. They are a formidable, brilliant, super talented group of directors and I am blown away by what they have all achieved this series.

What makes The Responder different from other police shows?

The Responder is not a cop show. I go mad when people call it a cop show or when people say, oh, another show about the police. It's not a cop show, it's a people show. It's about people and it's about relationships and the spaces between these people. It鈥檚 about what pulls them together and pushes them apart.

The show had huge success globally - did that surprise you?

Some people had doubts that people would buy into a show from Liverpool, but I had confidence that if we made a great show, it wouldn鈥檛 matter where it was set. It could be set in Birmingham, it could be set in Baltimore, it was about people and universal themes like love and loss and that would connect with audiences anywhere in the world. We had a screening in Rome and at the end of the screening there were two people waiting for me. They were in the Italian police, a lady and a gentleman who had watched the series on Italian TV and they told me that it had profoundly affected them. They had been in the police for 25 years and they'd both gone to work the night after watching the show and started crying in the car together. It was very moving to hear that it had connected with them and their experience.

Why should people watch series two of The Responder?

It鈥檚 funny, it鈥檚 dramatic, it鈥檚 exciting. It is beautifully acted. I can鈥檛 wait for people to see it!

Interview with Martin Freeman (Chris Carson)

Were you surprised by the audience鈥檚 reaction to the first series of The Responder?

We were all excited by the first series and hoped what we were making was a good show. There are a few times in your life, if you're lucky, when people connect with something you've made in a way that goes beyond your dreams or what you could have wished for. I really believed in the show and felt it was a very good piece of work. It鈥檚 one of the most successful things I've worked on and I knew within reading the first five pages that I wanted to play this character.

Were you pleased at the reaction to your scouse accent?

It was a massive relief! It still gives me real joy when I hear people say, 鈥淚 didn't know Martin was a Scouser鈥� and when Scouse people say to me 鈥淚 didn't know you were from here鈥�, that's the best. It's like being a double agent, I got away with it!

What was your reaction when you read Tony Schumacher鈥檚 scripts for series two?

Tony has been writing for a long time but the fact that this is his first television drama means he is far from having gotten into a comfortable groove or formulaic. He just puts on the page whatever the hell he thought needed to be there and that is exciting. I connected with Chris immediately. What I liked about him, and Tony鈥檚 writing, is that sometimes we can mistake a drama for an essay on how human beings are supposed to behave with each other. That's not what this is, and it is not what it has become for series two. Tony has kept that authenticity and thankfully has avoided any of those traps 鈥� which keeps the scripts feeling fresh and the characters true to those we created in series one.

How was it coming back to play Chris? And what is it that gets you back into character?

It鈥檚 the accent and the uniform 鈥� I move differently and speak differently. Any accent you do, it's a physical act and creates a chain reaction from what you鈥檙e creating vocally to the rest of you and the uniform is a big help, it changes how I move and walk because it is so cumbersome and it's not comfortable.

What do you like about Chris as a character to play?

The reason I wanted to play Chris is that he is a great mixture of vulnerability and strength. I think there is something about a man of few words that is attractive. There's a reason why people like characters that don't have to over-explain themselves and I think Chris is one of them. What I like about this show is that we weren't judging him. You don't always like a person but that doesn't mean you write them off as a human being completely. Chris doesn't always have to be doing the right thing and that appealed to me. He鈥檚 not super cop but he is essentially a decent person. He is complicated and conflicted.

Where do we find Chris in series two?

It鈥檚 six months on and Chris鈥� relationship with his missus is in a bad way. He loves his daughter, but his marriage is not in a good place. His relationship with his job is terrible and we join him at a point where he鈥檚 trying to help himself. In the first series, we saw him attending therapy sessions provided by the police service but it鈥檚 hugely underfunded so this time round he is attending his local church men鈥檚 group run by a priest, Father Liam. He's trying to help himself and find some light.

In series one Chris claimed that all he wanted was to be a good bobby. What does Chris aspire to be in series two?

Chris wants to be a good dad and a happier person but he's not in a good way and that鈥檚 at the heart of the story. It鈥檚 not all about Chris but we do see him experiencing different levels of stress, anger and regret. What Tony does brilliantly is let his scripts breathe and that鈥檚 my favourite thing about them. Rather than be too plot driven, the drama is story and character led and in series two we get to see more of the lives of the characters we came to care about in series one.

How has the relationship between Chris and his former partner Rachel changed and grown since series one?

Chris and Rachel鈥檚 relationship is thawing out a little now they're getting a little bit closer. The battle lines between them are coming down a little bit and they're a bit less spikey with each other. There's a bit more air in their relationship now they can look at each other and go, 鈥測ou're all right, you're a good person.鈥� That doesn't sound very dramatic, but it鈥檚 real. I like their relationship a lot for that and the fact they look out for each other, in their own ways.

When we first met them, Rachel doesn't want to be mentored by Chris because he's a mess. She's just come out of college and she's on probation and is still thinking she can do it by the book and Chris is in no doubt that you can鈥檛 do it like that. In series one they are at opposite ends of the spectrum, but in this series that has all changed. Chris is wanting to be better, a better dad, a better copper, but Rachel is deeply struggling and isn鈥檛 playing it by the book anymore 鈥� so they are at the other ends of the spectrum.

How is Chris鈥� relationship with Kate and how is it working with MyAnna Buring?

Chris and Kate are not in an easy place. We've never seen them in love, in the first flush of that relationship when they presumably were a bit more carefree and all that, and he was probably a bit less of a nightmare and she was probably a bit less moany. But they are both those things now. So the stuff with Kate and Chris is pretty heavy, but playing that with MyAnna is great, she's great. She's fun and bananas and so we are very different in real life from Chris and Kate!

We meet Chris' dad in this series, why is that such an important character?

Chris鈥� dad is an important character in this series because it's part of Chris' origin story. We've met his mum, now we're going to meet his dad. And, as has been established in the first series, in Chris' chats with his mum and his chats with his therapist, his dad is a very important figure in his life, for obvious reasons all round, but is probably the root of his rage. It's not an easy, straightforward relationship with his dad.

What does Bernard Hill bring to the role of Tom?

We had very good people in mind for the role of Chris鈥� dad and Bernard Hill was always one of those people and luckily it worked out! We were all very excited to get him and I actually think, we don't make a bad father and son!

What is Chris鈥� relationship with Franny?

Franny is a major drug dealer and all-round shadowy guy who has a building firm. So ostensibly he's a builder, but he also runs a massive drug cartel in Liverpool. He is a very charming, likable fellow, but one who will get people killed if it's in the way of his business interest.

Why did you want Adam Nagaitis for the role of Franny?

Casting Franny was really important because it was a big character so I asked if we could see Adam Nagaitis because ever since I saw him in The Terror, I thought that he was unbelievably good. He just had something that was scary and very, very beguiling about him and because he has that balance of danger and charm, I thought he would be right for Franny and he is. I love him, and I love working with him.

Casey and Marco were such popular characters in series one, what can we expect from them this series?

Marco and Casey are brilliant. I'm gutted that I hardly have anything to do with Marco in this series. I have a little bit to do with Casey, but not as much. And I want my money back!! Because I want to be with Marco and Casey more as they're such great characters. Josh and Emily have a certain spark with each other. It鈥檚 very easy between them and they became best mates instantly. They've taken the role as the naughty school kids at the back of the class in this production, but they're fantastic at their jobs, as a craft, they're really good at it, they both give beautiful performances. Really beautiful.

Interview with Adelayo Adedayo (Rachel Hargreaves)

Where do we find Rachel in series two?

We left her very much becoming disillusioned with her job and what it is that police officers do and are expected to do. Her principles were pushed to the side I would say. She had made a huge decision to protect herself and step away from somebody who was harming her. But having taken that step, she has no idea what to do next so she鈥檚 in a sort of freefall where she's made certain choices and is wondering where to go from there.

With what happened to Rachel, do you think she has PTSD?

There is 100% shock there and I think there is an element of PTSD. Just because she's put distance and time between herself and Steve, it doesn鈥檛 mean she has moved on. Even though she thinks she has, she hasn't moved on emotionally, she hasn't moved on mentally, and it's still very much in her body. We see that a lot of her reactions to situations are big when they don't necessarily need to be because things do feel bigger to her. But at the same time, when things feel very mundane and when they feel very ordinary, that is also a trigger for her. She needs to be in a space where there's something for her to hold onto and grasp, and that's usually something dangerous for her.

How do you think audiences will connect with Rachel in this series?

In series one, she was very much by the book. It is admirable but because we, as humans, are flawed it's hard to watch and connect when someone is constantly appearing to do the right thing. This series she's absolutely not doing that. She is completely disillusioned. It's sad because she's lost her belief in that kind of ideal. I hope people are going to connect to that and understand her a little bit more.

How do Rachel and Chris connect this series?

I think they connect a lot more in this series. The wool has come down from Rachel's eyes. I think she put Chris on a pedestal a little bit given how experienced an officer he was, but now she knows him, the expectation of perfection has gone, and there's a comfort she feels in knowing that you're not alone in getting things wrong. That brings a level of safety to Rachel that she maybe hasn't experienced from anyone else at work. It鈥檚 a big deal for her.

What research did you do for the role this series?

Mounia and I went to the Liverpool domestic abuse service and spoke to some of the women who use, and run, the service which was incredibly generous of them. They were so open and honest, and generous to share as many experiences as they could because there's so many nuances to abuse in all its forms. It was incredibly helpful, especially in toeing the line between Rachel and Lorna's relationship, because they're two women who have been through very similar circumstances, but they're on opposite ends of the spectrum. By the time we leave Lorna, she has just done what Rachel did in series one, which is say, no, I'm done. Leave me alone. But Rachel is six months past that without any help and is in a terrible place. You can see where Rachel might have been if she had got help right at that point, how much she would have saved herself if she鈥檇 had the opportunity to have known where to go or not been afraid to tell people about what was happening or afraid to report Steve. Not been afraid of people thinking that she's not strong enough and not brave enough. It breaks my heart.

What was it like working with Izuka Hoyle who plays Lorna?

Izuka plays Lorna - Steve's new girlfriend - who Rachel, because she hasn't done any healing and hasn't really told anybody about what she's been through, becomes slightly obsessed with. She becomes obsessed with the idea that Steve must be doing to Lorna what he was doing to Rachel. All of Rachel's journey with Steve is incredibly important to me, and the scenes with Lorna were equally as important to me and I'm really grateful to Izuka and Mounia, because we really took our time and tried to make Rachel and Lorna as seen and heard as possible in their different journeys with Steve. Izuka is a dream to work with, she has such a great energy and is brilliant at what she does.

Interview with Emily Fairn (Casey)

What is it about The Responder that captured people鈥檚 imaginations?

The show is pretty dark in places, but there's so much humour in it and that's a very human thing and a very Scouse thing as well. No matter how dark something is, you can laugh at the situation. That's Casey, she finds the humour in the little things, when you're living life on that knife edge, you're either going to laugh or cry. I think that鈥檚 very human and I think the audience relate to that.

What was your reaction to Tony鈥檚 scripts this year?

I prefer series two to series one, which is crazy because I loved series one! Series two just cracks everything open, it's character-led, exciting and really raw. I just love it!

What was it like playing Casey and what can we expect from her for series two?

Casey is such an incredible character, she's someone who has just fallen down a certain path because of the decisions she鈥檚 made. When I first read the scripts for series two, I worried that she鈥檇 turned bad, and wasn鈥檛 very nice but actually she's not a bad person, she's just trying to do the best with what she's got, she's just trying to survive.

Where do we find her in series two?

Casey is doing a bit better for herself, she's got a hostel room and is trying to be a big-time drug dealer, but she's struggling and so Marco tries to help her and set her up with Jodie.

What is the relationship like between Casey and Marco in series two?

It gets a lot deeper and they really help each other out. The biggest thing with Casey is that she's not used to someone loving her so much and being so unconditionally lovely to her. She doesn't really know what to do with it at times. I think she is absolutely obsessed with Marco, he is her favourite person in the whole world, but because of that, she sometimes acts out and doesn't know how to do the right thing with him because she doesn't want him to go anywhere. She doesn't know healthy relationship dynamics, so she acts out at times and now Marco has a baby it's very stressful for Casey because she feels like her favourite person has someone else to love. Casey's mum was a heroin addict, and being around a baby really stresses Casey out and she's feels like she can鈥檛 do it, like she will somehow ruin the baby鈥檚 life. She can't do that to Marco. On top of that she doesn鈥檛 believe she deserves to be in a happy family because that's just not what she's grown up around, either. It's really sad and really complex.

What was it like working with Josh, who plays Marco, again?

It was absolutely amazing coming back and working with Josh again. On our first day back it just felt like no time had passed at all. One of the producers, Barrington, says that he can tell that I'm on set because he can hear me, but he can tell that Josh is on set because I'm even louder. I think that's quite telling about our dynamic!

Are they going to have a happy ending?

I don't know whether Casey and Marco are going to have a happy ending. I think it is very complex when you love someone but you're in completely different stages of your life and with completely different lifestyles, it's really hard. When you know that you're not right for someone, that's almost just as hard as well, because you want it to work out, but you know that you're the problem. That is where Casey's at.

Can you tell us a bit about Casey鈥檚 relationship with Jodie, played by Faye McKeever?

Jodie and Casey has turned into a mother/daughter/big sister kind of relationship, which is really lovely. I think both of them were craving it. I absolutely loved working with Faye. We had so much fun together. She鈥檚 the big sister I never had.

Interview with Josh Finan (Marco)

What was the reaction to series one like for you?

It was important for me personally, for it to go down well with the people of Liverpool and Merseyside and it did! But then for it to be recognised by such a huge audience and an institution like BAFTA was quite humbling.

What was your reaction to Tony鈥檚 scripts for series two?

I trust Tony so much that he wouldn't have done it if he didn't have anything more to say, and it turns out he's got a lot more to say. It鈥檚 just as deep and funny and thought-provoking as it was the first time. What this series does is push all the characters into situations we haven't necessarily seen them in before. Tony knows and loves our characters so much that every scene feels like there鈥檚 a lot to really get out of it. It raises the stakes, which is great for an audience but also for us as actors too.

What is Marco鈥檚 arc this series?

Marco is trying to clean up his act. In his heart of hearts, he wants to be a good dad and a bit more of a present dad. Marco becomes the primary caregiver for his daughter, Adele, and the series looks at how he juggles that massive responsibility alongside him being pulled to help Casey in her life and navigate some of the familiar situations that we saw them in series one.

What is your favourite thing about Marco?

I went to my costume fitting and saw my orange shoes and I was like, I'm back. They became symbolic of Marco in a way! I like how he can turn on a sixpence when he wants to and has a great sense of humour. Tony has done something quite special in creating Marco, a lot of lads from where he's from keep things quite bottled up, but Tony's created someone who's actually quite sensitive. I think it's a very positive and hopeful sign that Marco is someone who has great potential and can deal with the things that go on in his head as well as the world around him because of that sensitivity and vulnerability. It鈥檚 all in the writing, which I really love.

How is it working with Emily Fairn, who plays Casey?

Emily is now one of my very dearest friends and I love working with her. There's quite a special thing that happens when you don't need to sit around talking about your backstory, we've done all that and now we've got our own, which I feel we bring to the show and want to give a bit of ourselves to the show. It鈥檚 a great laugh a lot of the time, but even when there are sad moments during a heavy scene, she makes it easy.

How was it working with the three directors that we've got this series?

Our directors this series, Jeanette, Mounia and Charlotte, are fantastic. I've watched all their previous work and enjoy how individually different their styles are. But also, strangely, how perfect those kinds of styles are for a show like this. They have all brought a very unique approach to the show and are all very playful directors. They all give you the nugget of an idea and then let you fly with it.

Interview with Myanna Buring (Kate Carson)

Why do you think the audience responded so well to the first series?

The audience fell in love with the show because it had this unique voice. It was the same reason I fell in love with the scripts when I first read them. Tony created these vibrant characters that jumped off the page. You could like them, love them and hate them in equal measure and at its heart is this incredible central character; an antihero who had a moral quandary to deal with that was really compelling to watch. The style of the show captured brilliantly what was on the page. It was thrilling.

What has this series got to offer audiences?

Tony has achieved a second series that keeps you hooked, that keeps you engaged, that keeps you rooting for this myriad of characters that he's created. This series has more to offer audiences while revisiting all those characters you met the first time around. It鈥檚 a deeper dive into the wild mind of Tony Schumacher which is just fantastic, and we get to meet a whole host of new characters too.

Where do we find Kate in this series?

We find Kate six months on and she hasn鈥檛 been able to sustain her relationship with Chris. It's fallen apart. They are trying to pick up the pieces in order to be the best parents that they can for their daughter. She's also giving her relationship with Mullen a go to see what鈥檚 there. They have a long history and have both gone through the demise of a significant relationship and they find enormous comfort in each other. Mullen can be supportive in ways that Chris couldn鈥檛 be and she is looking ahead to a new life that's very different to the one she imagined for herself.

What was it like to come back to work in Liverpool again?

I love Liverpool, it's such a great city to work in and it is filled with the loveliest of people and as a city it has so much to offer. Plus, you are never short of a laugh in Liverpool - the people are just inherently funny there.

Did you have a particular favourite scene from series two?

Martin, Romi (who plays our daughter Tilly) and I filmed a scene in this incredible house with amazing views out over the sea which was a really special location. I particularly loved working on those scenes when it was just our little nuclear family. Another incredible scene that will stay with me involved a new character, Franny, played by Adam Nagaitis who is an incredible actor. I didn鈥檛 have much to do except stand back and watch him act and he was incredible and I can鈥檛 wait for audiences to see it.

Interview with Warren Brown (Ray Mullen)

What was it like coming back for series 2?

You never know how things are going to be received, you can read a script and think it's fantastic, but you just never know until everything is finished and you see what the audience鈥檚 response is. Luckily for us it was overwhelmingly positive from both the audience and the critics, so to get the opportunity to come back, has been brilliant. It can be a bit like the tricky second album going into a second series after a huge hit. You have the pressure to make the next one as good or better but, I think Tony's pulled it off.

Where did we leave Ray Mullen in series one and where do we find him in series two?

We left Mullen in a hotel room, quite sullen and thwarted as he hadn't managed to do the thing that was driving him for that whole series. In series two, six months have passed and there's a change in dynamics, he and Kate are now together and given that was one of the things that he was after in series one, it would appear that he's a bit more pleased with himself and a little bit less obsessed with Chris.

What is Chris and Mullen's relationship like this in this series?

Early in this series, you see these two men with a shared history and a relationship that has broken down overtime and are now trying to accept the situation that they're both in now. He's lost Kate. He knows that Ray is with Kate. I'm sure he would rather it be any other person than him. But again, Chris is trying to. Well, I don't want to speak for Chris or Martin, but I think the character is trying to stay out of trouble, trying to stay out of the corruption that nearly swallowed him in the first series, and they're just trying their best but it's really difficult.

Interview with Adam Nagaitis (Franny)

What is it about Tony鈥檚 writing that attracted you to the role of Franny?

It was beautifully captured by Tony, especially the comedy. An old Harold Clerman joke is perfect here; you make the audience laugh and then you pour the truth down their neck while their mouths are open. Which is exactly what Tony does.

Who is Franny?

Franny is a plasterer and is also an international drug dealer. He is one of many trials for Chris this series as he offers him the opportunities to exercise the otherwise undiscovered parts of himself.

What made you want to play Franny?

As an actor you just want to find a good character, so I just jumped on it! I followed my instincts, and knew I'll be okay with Tony and Martin because they want to do something good. Which is how you build someone like Franny, ironically, because that's what he is doing, he鈥檚 just following his instincts.

What was it like working with Martin?

Martin's performance was close to perfect. Nuanced, beautiful, moving and incredibly frustrating and depressing. He also might be the most available, aware in the present moment actors I've ever been opposite.

What was it like filming in Liverpool?

Being with the crew and the people of Liverpool was one of my favourite parts of the whole process. One day we were filming outside a pub and these two teenage girls walked past, as we were all just concentrating on the scene and freezing, and one of them went, 鈥淎ction! Cut!鈥� We weren't sure whether to laugh or sigh. Amaka and I went, 鈥済ood for them!鈥�. We come into their community and start filming, good for them, they should all be out here shouting.

Interview with Faye McKeever (Jodie)

Were you excited to come back to the character of Jodie?

When I read the script for series two, I was delighted because there's a lot more for me to do this series, Jodie's got her big guns out and she's about to play hardball!

Where did we leave Jodie in series one?

Jodie lost her husband Carl in series one so she's in a vulnerable position, with uncertainty for her and her daughter's future, which kickstarts this enormous need to succeed and to get money as soon as possible. She invests in a dessert shop, she wants to get on the straight and narrow, but it's not going well, so she resorts to doing what she does best, which is dabbling in the drugs world.

Can you tell us about Jodie and Casey's relationship?

Jodie is introduced to Casey by Marco as a person who can sell drugs for her. She's wary at first, but soon sees her younger self in Casey, this sassy, vibrant young girl with bags of confidence. She likes her and takes her under her wing, and we see a journey of the pair of them creating this beautiful bond.

Can you tell us about Jodie and Chris' relationship this year?

Jodie and Chris' relationship is complex to say the least. It's very much, you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours. She asks a lot of him, and he provides, especially when she puts the pressure on. I absolutely adore working with Martin, he is such a generous actor and working with him is like a masterclass in acting. I feel privileged to be working with him, he's just a joy and so down to earth.

Interview with Amaka Okafo (Di Deborah Barne)

What was it like coming back for series two?

Coming back for series two has just been like the gift I didn't expect. I absolutely loved it. In the first series, I was only supposed to be in one episode, so to end up in two series has been amazing. I've got a good, juicy story in this series, so it has been a lot of fun to come back. The scripts felt juicier and more challenging for all of the characters. Tony is really good at lifting up the rock and allowing us to see all the insects underneath. Everybody's lives feel like they are hanging on a thread. Even for my character, who you feel has her stuff together, you see she's actually a mess, too. Everyone's a mess.

How has your character developed this series?

Debs is a brilliant character to play because she's really complicated. In the first series, she's quite steely until you see a little bit of softness when she's trying to figure out what's going on with Chris. They have an interesting dynamic because he used to be her boss, and now she's leapfrogged him and become his boss making things a little more complicated. In this series you get to see a window into her life and the decisions she made when she was younger that she's now trying to balance in her life. She wants to keep all of that private but it cracks open and suddenly everything's in danger for her. It鈥檚 a great plot twist.

What is Deb鈥檚 relationship like with Chris this year?

They interact a lot more this series. She feels in danger and her life feels like it could unravel at any point, and she doesn't want it to get there so she uses Chris a bit. She also sees a bit of herself in Chris because she has also made some not particularly clever choices and Chris feels like the person who she could trust because she knows that he has been in that position. I love working with Martin. I got to set early one day and caught the end of a scene he was filming, watching him do different takes really taught me. He's so clean and clear with his decisions and he's so good at receiving a bit of information, thinking about it and then coming back with his thing. After I watched him do those takes, I felt freer and like I'd just learnt something.

Interview with Bernard Hill (Tom)

How did you get involved in the series?

Well, it all came in a bit of a rush really and I found myself with the script pages for the character they were talking to me about playing, just Tom's scenes and I thought it could be really interesting to play and wondered what the rest of the script was like and thought it would be quite a good idea to find out, so I said yes! It turns out it was really good! Tony is a very talented writer, he's a real Scouse writer and writes with real honesty, which is great.

What was it about the character of Tom that you wanted to portray?

It was quite hard because we didn鈥檛 have much of Tom鈥檚 backstory established in series one, so I just let it roll and didn't try to impose anything on him. Martin seemed to be doing the same in quite a smooth way, so I picked up what parts of the character I needed from him and then the character of Tom revealed itself. The family that he was in with Chris just emerged, and I just adapted to that. That鈥檚 Tony Schumacher there, really, I think. He takes us with him and these characters. We just act where he takes it and I was glad to because it鈥檚 strong stuff and I was very happy to stroll along the road he was taking us down.

The theme of fatherhood is throughout this series. What does their relationship show us about Chris as a father?

Chris wants to be a good father and maybe go against what his own relationship with Tom was. It sort of promotes him to go on and be better, it gives him a strong sense of motivation to be better than Tom was.

What was it like playing father and son roles with Martin Freeman?

I had gotten to know Martin when I was in New Zealand and he was doing The Hobbit, so that was good and a useful bit of a background to come into this with and made it easy because we got on very well. I think we made a very good father and son, and it was good to find the little bits of these characters that were kept hidden.

How was it returning to film in Liverpool?

Liverpool is one of my favourite places, I've got a great relationship with the city.

I lived there for a long time and my daughter was born there so it's like my second home.

I went down to the Royal Court Theatre during filming on The Responder and I didn't know what was on so I just went in. The manager came over to where I was sitting and said, 鈥渨hat are you doing here?鈥� I said, 鈥淚'm doing a series鈥�, he said, 鈥渞ight, well do you want to come and see the show鈥� and when I looked it was Boys from the Black Stuff. I couldn鈥檛 believe it! It's 40 years from when I did Boys From The Black Stuff and there I was back in Liverpool watching it on the stage.

How was it returning to the Scouse accent?

The Liverpool accent, for me, once I got it out, opened the door on it, it was just there. It'll never go, it'll always be lingering around somewhere. Before I even went to Liverpool, people used to ask me 鈥渨hy are you speaking like a Scouse?鈥� and the answer is I don't know, it wasn鈥檛 intentional and I don't know why but something inside me was determined to break into Scouse! And it was very easy for me to do it.

Did you enjoy being part of the show?

Yeah, I loved it and didn't want it to finish and that's a good sign!