I’m really envious of the cops in Line of Shooty
Bhaskar on rival BBC show: They get guns & fast cars.. even a better office
UNFORGOTTEN star Sanjeev Bhaskar admits he is jealous of the Line of Duty cast – because they get guns, flashier cars and a nicer office.
The ITV drama, which drew 9.5 million viewers for its recent fourth series, follows a team of London detectives who solve cold cases and is often compared to Jed Mercurio’s BBC1 hit, being watched by nearly 14 million.
Sanjeev, who plays DI Sunny Khan on the show, said: “Having played a detective, I always watch Line of Duty with some envy.”
This series of Line of Duty has seen Vicky McClure and Martin Compston driving around in Audi and Volvo saloons while on Unforgotten, Sunny drives a more modest Vauxhall Insignia.
Speaking on podcast, Obsessed With Line of Duty, he told former AC-12 actor Craig Parkinson: “You’ve got much nicer cars than we do, much flashier, you drive them quicker than we do. You are allowed to have guns, we are not. Your offices are really spick.
“The glass box thing is great for drama. To have that viewpoint outside the glass box is brilliant and we don’t. So there is a certain amount of envy.”
Despite his envy Sanjeev, 57, admits he is gripped by the sixth run. Like many armchair detectives, he tries to solve the case. He said: “You certainly sit there trying to put the clues together.
“What’s interesting, I along with most of the nation, the moment a missing freezer was mentioned in unison we went ‘Laverty’ [a dead character] and that’s how embedded the series has become but also particularly with Line of Duty I think you have to view it as there is nothing wasted. Every shot of someone’s reaction means something.”
Along with millions he paused Sunday night’s episode to look at the document Ted Hastings was holding that revealed who acting DS Jo Davidson is related to.
He said: “I wonder quite how many people freeze framed the telly on that folder and then thought ‘OMG Jo Davidson is linked by DNA to... Jo Davidson? Arrrgghh.’ You absolutely know that Jed Mercurio knew that so many were going to do that.”
With Line of Duty nothing is wasted. Every shot, every reaction means something
SANJEEV BHASKAR STAR OF ITV POLICE DRAMA UNFORGOTTEN