“It’s an impossible situation to bein...”
SHARON HORGAN AND MICHAEL SHEEN PLAY PARENTS FIGHTING FOR THEIR DAUGHTER’S LIFE IN A HEART-RENDING NEW SERIES…
This deeply thoughtprovoking four-part series tells the story of Nicci (Sharon Horgan) and Andrew (Michael Sheen), parents to Marnie (Niamh Moriarty) and her older sister Katie (Alison Oliver). Marnie has a rare form of lifelimiting condition congenital muscular dystrophy – and after her health deteriorates significantly, doctors advise Andrew and Nicci that it’s in Marnie’s best interests to withdraw care.
Believing Marnie has a life worth living, the couple must take her case to the high court – but as the heartbreaking and high-profile process gets under way, Nicci and Andrew find themselves on opposing sides. While Andrew wants Marnie to suffer no longer, Nicci refuses to give up, determined on the possibility of a treatment to help her daughter. Here, Sharon and Michael reflect on Nicci and Andrew’s agonising journey…
Hello, both. What did you make of this story? Sharon Just that it seemed like the most difficult position you could ever be in. In a much smaller way, I’d been in that position with my daughter: when she was really young, she had meningitis, so I’d been in a paediatric intensive care unit where a lot of the script and the story is set. I thought I should be able to use that to help tell this story. Michael It’s impossible to know how you’d react until you are actually in that situation. And even when you are, I suspect, there are no certainties, and you’d keep changing how you feel constantly, as you’d want what’s best for your child. It’s an impossible situation to be in.
Did you empathise with your characters’ positions? Michael If the hospital and experts are telling you it’s not in the best interests of your child to continue living, that goes against every instinct as a parent. Michael’s a man who’s trying to do his best, who’s probably not really cut out for being in this situation, but he has no choice. This is his life. Sharon I completely took Nicci’s position. It’s just in her blood, in her bones. When my daughter was first taken into hospital, my reaction was, “Whatever happens, save her life.” I think that’s Nicci’s position throughout and I could just completely relate to it.
There’s some comedy within the series, too… Sharon We had the release of humour in the scripts. We had to chisel out those moments as they were important. It can’t be a grief fest, or our viewers would have felt that.
Michael The nature of the way Jack has written it is that it’s full of life in all aspects
– not just the sadness and the pain, but the joy and the humour and the kind of ridiculousness in it as well.
Why did you want to take the role? Michael It’s unbearably moving, but also very funny, and very real, relatable, human – and ultimately hopeful. Sharon The story has a really important message. There are deeply felt and correct opinions in it about how society treats disabled people and the value put on a disabled life. It’s really great, and the sort of stuff that doesn’t come along that often.
This new sitcom sees Catherine Tate play British heir to the throne Princess Georgiana – known as Georgie – who is a continual embarrassment to the monarchy. To get her away from the UK, the King sends his daughter off to Oz to become their monarch. But as Catherine confirms to Inside TV, she’s not basing her ill-mannered alter ego on any real-life royals…
“I didn’t channel anyone for Georgie,” she shares, “because it’s nice to create something from scratch. For me, it’s not funny when someone who is inherently one way becomes another, so she doesn’t particularly learn any lessons. But she does develop in her story; there’s a softening and a reckoning at the heart of it.”
Georgie is accompanied to Australia by her new staff, including Private Secretary Bernard, PA Matthew, and dippy lady-in-waiting Anabel – played by Catherine’s long-time friend Niky Wardley…
“It was one of my stipulations that I wouldn’t do this show without Niky,” jokes Catherine. “We’ve worked together for so long and she’s so brilliant. Most of the other actors
I didn’t get to meet until we were in Australia, and we absolutely lucked out that everyone was lovely.”
After making an offensive faux pas on her first royal engagement, Georgie liaises with sneaky Richard Steele, billionaire owner of Steele News, in an attempt to win over the public. However, it fails to keep her out of the headlines, not least following a hunting trip in the outback that literally backfires. So what was it like filming in the bush?
“It was mad!” she exclaims. “I’d never seen a leech before. There’d be stuff that you’d think, ‘Is this happening?’ because we’d be standing there and all of a sudden someone shouts to Dave [David Roberts, aka Richard Steele], ‘Mate, don’t move,’ and there’s blood seeping out from his jeans because of a leech. Little leeches crawling up you? No thank you! So that’s my memory of the outback!”
LEECHES CRAWLING UP YOU? NO THANKS!”
As the last in the current series of The Chris & Rosie Ramsey Show airs this week, the married couple tell us their go-to TV…
What have been your favourite dramas that you’ve seen lately? Rosie We’re watching Succession… Chris Happy Valley, The Responder… Rosie We love a drama. Our mams basically watch all of them, then just let us know the best ones!
Chris I thought The Hunt For Raoul Moat on ITV was very good. That was really close to home; I remember where I was when that all happened. Really good North-East cast in that as well.
And what about recent comedies? Rosie We’ve just finished Motherland: it’s so good. And Stath Lets Flats: that’s one we have to pause because we’re laughing so much that we miss the next bits! Chris Yeah, it was the same with A Whole Lifetime With Jamie Demetriou on Netflix as well. We’re basically Jamie superfans. And It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia; I’m a big fan of that.
What were your favourite programmes growing up? Both Byker Grove!
Rosie I remember as a kid watching an animated show called Charlie Chalk.
Chris ThunderCats, The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air. But now we just watch kids’ stuff all the time because of our children [Robin, seven, and Rafe, two]. But I think
Bluey might be my favourite TV show: it’s a masterpiece!
Is there anyone on TV who has been a particular inspiration to you? Chris For stand-up, Billy Connolly was a huge inspiration. Him having a whole room hanging on his every word was something I found mesmerising.
Rosie French & Saunders, Joanna Lumley, Victoria Wood, Ruby Wax, Kathy Burke: they’re my absolute heroes… Chris Yeah, Harry Enfield, Paul Whitehouse, The Fast Show, all that kind of stuff.
If you could be in any other show on telly, what would it be? Chris I’d need a bit of training, but I’d love a go in the Ninja Warrior arena. Chris Kamara actually asked me once, “We’re doing a celebrity version, do you want to do it?” and I was like, “I’d be absolutely rubbish, but I’ll come in while it’s shut!” It’d be like adult soft play!
Rosie I’d like to be an extra, just watching what’s going on…
Chris Dead body in Broadchurch?
Rosie Yeah. Just to be around, but not have to partake.
Chris What she’s actually saying is, she doesn’t want to learn any lines!
The Chris & Rosie
Ramsey Show is on BBC1, Friday at 10.40pm
The Full Monty’s star-studded cast reassembles for a new eight-part series, 25 years after the multi-award-winning movie – a tale of unemployed Sheffield steel workers who form a male strip-tease act – blazed an unforgettable trail. So Inside TV joined Robert Carlyle (Gaz), Lesley Sharp (Jean), Mark Addy (Dave) and Talitha Wing (Destiny), starring alongside Paul Barber, Steve Huison and Tom Wilkinson, for a suitably timed catch-up…
Hi, all! Did you always expect the movie to end up with a sequel?
Robert It was mooted that maybe we’d revisit it. About a year ago [writer and creator] Simon Beaufoy got in touch and said, “What do you think about the idea of a TV show and every single character having their own episode?” Which is a brilliant idea… Mark At the end of the movie, they took their clothes off – but the next day, nothing would have changed, they wouldn’t all magically have got jobs, they’d just have been slightly embarrassed walking around town. There’s been a long time for the characters to grow, move and change and take shape.
What was it like coming together again?
Lesley It was fantastic. It was an amazing thing to be part of back then and we were delighted to see one another again. It was a lot of laughs!
Were there any apprehensions?
Robert Of course, you don’t want to do anything to mess with the legacy of the original film, it’s loved by so many. But every one of these characters is in exactly the place you’d want them to be. It’s 25 years on and they’re pretty much in the same place, which says an awful lot about the political times we live in.
Talitha – you play Destiny, a character we’ve not met previously…
Talitha Destiny is Gaz’s daughter, and they’ve had a rocky on-and-off relationship – she’s a bit fed up with her dad coming in and out of her life whenever he feels like it. She’s a pupil at Sheffield Spires Academy [where Jean’s the head teacher and her husband Dave the caretaker], but doesn’t really like school, she’s a bit of a lone wolf. Robert Gaz hasn’t been a good father, but he’s trying to make up for lost time!
The new series introduces a new generation to the story, which is a lovely thing…
Lesley What’s great about it is that it’s across generations. Hopefully, it will bring in a real mixture of ages, but also it’s about family, community – people being brought together and supporting one another. Mark It’s full of humanity!