Daily Mail - Daily Mail Weekend Magazine
A DAILY DOSE OF MURDER
When human remains are found under decking in the yard of a north London house, a distinctive belt buckle indicates it’s a student who rented a room there. Yet at no point was he reported missing by his ex-girlfriend, his sister or his housemates. What are they hiding?
It’s a compelling mystery that marks the start of the second series of London Kills, the gritty BBC daytime detective drama that proved a ratings hit last year. Running daily across a week and with a new murder in each episode, the series focuses on the work of an elite squad led by solid DI David Bradford (Hugo Speer) and his play-by-herown-rules sidekick DS Vivienne Cole (Sharon Small).
Bradford is a ‘good honest cop’, albeit one whose personal life is underpinned by an ongoing mystery. When we first met him, he’d just returned from compassionate leave after his wife disappeared. As the storylines unfolded, it became clear that a darker story lies behind Bradford’s dedication to his work.
‘He got himself into trouble a few years back. He likes the ladies and got too close to a witness so was demoted,’ Hugo recalls. ‘He was given a second opportunity as the head of the murder investigation team, and he’s determined not to lose this. Behind his charming exterior he’s a control freak.’
As the new series unfolds Bradford is still juggling the demands of his job with the ongoing question mark over his wife’s disappearance. At one point in the new series he’s identifying another dead body which, he brusquely tells a colleague, is that of ‘yet another woman who meets my wife’s description’.
‘He’s in a tricky place,’ says Hugo. ‘He’s got to help solve these murders, which is his raison d’etre, but with the backdrop of knowing his wife is missing. As the first series developed, we discovered there were traces of his wife having been at various murder scenes. Obviously for the viewers this creates intrigue, but for David it creates panic and confusion.’
There are also tensions within his squad, not least with ambitious DS Cole.
She was acting DI in Bradford’s absence, and is far from pleased to be reporting to a man she considers tainted by his past. Bradford, in turn, wants her to be more of a team player, and suspects her of keeping information from the team, which includes DC Rob Brady and inexperienced DC Billie Fitzgerald. Cole is played by Scottish actress Sharon Small, most recently seen as seductive high-flying lawyer Stella in Flesh And Blood but who also has detective ‘form’ after her longstanding role as DS Barbara Havers in the BBC’S Inspector Lynley Mysteries. Like Havers, Cole can be bolshie – something Sharon admires. ‘I like it when she’s thinking she knows everything then it’s nice when she makes mistakes,’ she laughs. ‘I like her cheek and confidence – I’m not like that.’ Bailey Patrick, who plays ‘peacemaker’ Brady, says he’s had plenty to learn. ‘There’s lots to get your head around and police jargon to digest,’ he says. ‘Rob is ex-military. He’s got a big heart and is trying to look after Fitzgerald, the trainee, and trying to make peace between Cole and Bradford.’ Fitzgerald is played by New York-born singer and actor Tori Allen-martin. Her character has just returned to work after being stabbed and Tori recalls the challenges of playing a character on the frontline. ‘It’s been full-on,’ she says. ‘We do our own stunts, which has been interesting because I was the kid in school that got picked last for sports. So, when I looked at the script and it said things like jumping over a fence or being strangled I thought, “Aargh!” But it’s exciting to do the stunts – it’s literally “Action!” and you’re off.’ The show is filmed in documentary style with handheld cameras and the actors free to improvise the dialogue from time to time. Sharon calls this ‘the marrying of theatre and film’ and relishes the opportunity. But the most challenging scenes were the action sequences, because the show was filmed during the heatwave of 2018. There were also lengthy interrogation scenes in stuffy rooms, with the show trying to create a cold, gritty aesthetic to match the subject matter. ‘When you’re really hot, you forget your lines a lot,’ says Sharon.
It helped that the cast developed an instant rapport. ‘We hadn’t worked together before, but we all just clicked,’ says Bailey. ‘Sharon and Hugo have so much experience, it really pushed me to do my best.’
All the cast are proud to be part of a show that follows in the traditions of British police dramas. ‘Lately I think they’ve been getting highconcept and complicated,’ says Hugo. ‘This returns to basics – we’ve made a good honest British cop show.’
nKathryn Knight London Kills, weekdays from Monday, 2.15pm, BBC1.