Sam is the empress of the post-mortem. I was so nervous
The pressure was on for Emilia Fox as original star Amanda Burton returned for 25th anniversary series of hit show Silent Witness
SILENT WITNESS
Monday, BBC One, 9pm
Nearly 18 years since she last donned Sam Ryan’s scrubs, Amanda Burton is again stepping into the mortuary as forensic crime drama Silent Witness returns for a landmark 25th series.
“These things don’t often come one’s way. I just thought, ‘What a great idea. How brilliant that they’re thinking of doing that’. I would have been absolutely mad not to do it,” said Amanda, 65.
Emilia Fox, 47, who joined the cast as Dr Nikki Alexander in 2004, is delighted to be working alongside Amanda in the six-part anniversary series.
“It’s wonderful that we’re celebrating with Amanda,” said Emilia, who has a 12-year-old daughter, Rose, with her former partner, the actor Jeremy Gilley.
“We wouldn’t be where we are today without her. Sam is such a pioneering figure. Back then, female leads were few and far between. It’s her legacy we live with.”
Amanda’s return was suggested at the end of the last series, when Sam was seen asking Nikki for help.
Now we’ll discover more as Nikki and the team are drawn into a world of intrigue and betrayal after the shooting of Sam’s partner, Jomo (Hugh Quarshie), with whom she runs a medical business.
“Nikki and Sam tread carefully around each other. Nikki is trying to get the measure of Sam and fathom her out,” Emilia revealed.
The first episode sees Sam intervening in a post-mortem being carried out by Nikki.
And Emilia admitted that performing the scene in front of her predecessor led to its own tensions.
She said: “It was nerve-racking. Amanda is the empress of the post-mortem, so the pressure was on. I made sure I was very well prepared.
“The post-mortems tax my brain and I’m always delighted to get through them. But this time I had Sam interrupting all the time. That creates great character moments.”
The story sees the team head to Liverpool and, as the intrigue deepens, viewers will find themselves questioning Sam’s motives – and see Nikki becoming more uncertain about who she can trust.
Emilia added: “Amanda is so skilled at playing mystery. I loved the scenes we had together.” So, how much has Sam changed since we last saw her? Amanda is remaining tight-lipped on that one.
She said: “I really love the fact that you’re left slightly wondering whether she’s gone over to the other side.
“Is she going to take the devil’s shilling or is she as self-righteous as she used to be?”
Although Sam’s motivations may remain a mystery, Emilia reveals that one thing hasn’t changed, and that’s Amanda’s expertise in the role – a skill that won her numerous awards.
“Amanda put on Sam Ryan’s shoes and walked straight on set without a moment’s hesitation,” she said.
“I met Amanda when we did a joint interview on the 20th anniversary of Silent Witness, where she spoke so movingly.
“Listening to her was like holding up a mirror to how I felt about the show. It was so fitting for the show, and lovely for me, that she came back.”
So, with the show’s popularity showing no sign of waning, will we see the actresses on board if we reach the 50th series?
“You’ll just have to ask me in another 25 years,” said Amanda, who has two grown-up daughters, Phoebe Marie and Brid Irina, with her ex-husband Sven Arnstein. “I don’t know if they’d still want me!” Emilia added. “They’ve just had Amanda back – so long may it last that they keep asking us.”