Instant karma
Jason Watkins and Claire Skinner tell Inside TV about their thought-provoking new drama…
The life-changing consequences of a split-second decision are explored in this new drama starring Jason Watkins as diligent family man Simon Bamford, and Claire Skinner as his nurse wife Beth.
As their suburban neighbourhood is hit by the terrorising antics of a group of teenagers, led by menacing Jordan Franklin (Joe Barber), Simon grows increasingly aggravated. Combined with the stress of losing his job and struggling to pay the bills, Simon’s frustration hits its peak when sneering Jordan confronts him outside his own home – and a momentary lapse of judgement lands Jordan in intensive care. Inside TV had a chat with Jason and Claire to find out what excited them about this story…
“The first thing that got me was the script,” explains Jason. “I’d worked with the writer Ben Edwards before, on [Sky sitcom] Trollied – he really has written a fantastic script. And I did The Catch last year with Channel 5, which did really well. Plus, I enjoy playing that little man in the middle of a dilemma, so I was keen to make the most of that.”
“Absolutely the same for me,” nods Claire. “I found the script very striking in how unusual it was, and I really didn’t know where it was going. I also loved the characterisations: like, with Beth, you think she’s going to be straight down the line, but she doesn’t quite do what you think she’s going to, and I found that fascinating.”
In the first of the four-parter, after being continually harassed by Jordan, Simon snaps and throws a punch, unintentionally knocking the teenager to the floor. Panicked Simon starts CPR – and as the police arrive to find him trying to keep Jordan alive, he’s hailed a hero. Later, Simon naively goes to the hospital to check on Jordan’s condition, only to be met by the lad’s terrifying father Paul (Jonas Armstrong). Things worsen when local career criminal Paul – believing Simon to have saved his son’s life – takes a shine to him, leading Simon to spin his web of lies further…
“It just grows exponentially,” notes Jason. “Some of the consequences of his actions do take him into some very dangerous areas. Also, his historical struggles start to surface again: you see that in the first episode, where he’s reaching for the pills. This isn’t something that he can deal with naturally. I wanted very much to play an ordinary bloke with vulnerabilities, who’s trying to work out what to do and not being very good at it, because I wanted to carry the
I enjoy playing a little man in the middle of a dilemma ” Jason
audience with me. It’s like, ‘What would I do?’.”
“Yeah, like you say, Simon begins in a vulnerable place – he’s had things that he’s had to deal with in terms of his mental health before,” concurs Claire. “How it unfolds, as far as Beth is concerned, is she’s trying to keep up with him – then when they get into it together, they start making not such obvious choices. Although that’s what’s so interesting about it, I think.
“And, like Jason says, that raises the important question, ‘What would we do in those situations?’ And our characters sometimes make decisions that might surprise you…”