PICK OF THE WEEK
IDEATH ON THE TYNE
Tonight, Christmas Gold, 9pm
T CAN be tricky making a sequel, especially when the original TV show was a big hit with audiences. That is why Johnny Vegas and Sian Gibson were excited, but also nervous, about reprising their roles of lovebirds Terry and Gemma, for Death On The Tyne.
Following on from Murder On The Blackpool Express last year, the two-hour special sees the couple, who work as tour guides, taking Mildred (Sheila Reid) and a group of her friends from her care home on a ferry to Amsterdam.
But it’s not long before things start to go awry and a puzzling murder mystery unravels on the cruise.
“I was kind of going, ‘If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’,” admits Johnny, 48, on deciding to do a sequel.
“Once we all got together and started shooting, you’ve just got this amazing gang of people in a room and it’s not like work when it’s like that. It’s a lot of fun.”
“We were sad to not have the same cast back,” shares Sian, 42. “But we were very excited to have the new and exciting cast to do the second one.”
Here, the pair detail what to expect from the adventures this time round.
PERFECT PARTNERSHIP
AIRING on Gold, Death On The Tyne is an unusual, but welcome, mix of comedy and a thrilling whodunnit.
At the centre of it you have Terry and Gemma, who Johnny – real name Michael Pennington – calls the “straight ones” amongst a selection of mad characters, played by the likes of Georgie Glen, Sue Johnston and James Fleet.
“The idea is that everyone’s being hilarious, and we feel as if we’re being really flat,” elaborates the St Helens-born star, famous for his work in stand-up, as well as roles in Benidorm, Still Open All Hours and Bleak House.
“We’re just doing facial expressions!” quips Sian, best known for her collaborations with Peter Kay, including starring in and co-writing the comedy series Peter Kay’s Car Share.
“It gives you that confidence to go, ‘No, the straighter we play it, the funnier it makes everyone else’,” Johnny elaborates.
“You’re not tempted to take it into comedy overdrive. That wouldn’t work for the characters.”
The duo, who are animatedly debating whether Quality Street or Heroes are the better box of chocolates when I enter the room (Johnny is adamant it’s Heroes) have become great friends thanks to this show. Does that make their performances easier?
“I think so, purely because you’re not embarrassed to try things out and play about with it; you’re not intimidated,” suggests Sian, who was born in Mold, Wales.
“We’re very like-minded, in the comedy that we like anyway,” notes Johnny.
“We’re not embarrassed to go, ‘Does this feel right?’ You’re not hijacking the script but you’re going, ‘Would we do this as a couple?”’
ESTABLISHED CHARACTERS
IN MURDER On The Blackpool Express, there was a “Will they, won’t they?” situation with Gemma and Terry.
This time, the focus on the couple is what it’s like to date somebody you work with, with a sideline story of Terry wanting to propose (and it never quite going to plan...).
“What I enjoyed about the second time is that we felt like we’d established the characters so we kind of knew what we were doing,” notes Sian.
“So it was easier for us than for all the new cast because they were still getting to grips with it, whereas we were doing what we did before, but the relationship has moved on a stage. It felt even more comfortable.”
“They are very relatable in that they’re constantly on these trips surrounded by larger-than-life characters,” adds Johnny.
“The two of them are a good anchor for each other.”
PERSONAL CHALLENGES
WHEN speaking to him for Murder on the Blackpool Express, Johnny expressed the self-doubt he feels about being a comedian who has moved into doing dramas.
It seems these feelings haven’t particularly eased off with doing a sequel.
“I don’t think I’ve ever felt as secure in acting as I do in stand-up,” he confides.
“You go on jobs and it’s like the first day of school. As time goes on, you get to know more people; it becomes a more reassuring environment.”
The star turns to Sian and asks if she ever feels totally comfortable watching a performance back, resulting in both of them admitting it’s something they find difficult.
“The great thing with this is, I will watch it because I’m watching everybody else’s performances and I can blank myself out,” he says.
“I can enjoy it – it’s not like a massive two-hander.”
He continues: “I think eventually I’ll end up the other side of the camera.
“I love acting, but I am more than aware of my abilities and limitations, whereas, creatively, on the other side (of the camera)... I love working with brilliant actors and when you direct, it’s a great thing.”
STAND-OUT IDEA
THERE is more TV available to us now than ever before. It’s rare though, says Sian, “that a programme like this comes along and it can span quite a large age group and demographic”.
Meanwhile, Johnny warns it’s getting harder and harder to pitch original ideas, especially in an age of reality TV.
“Certainly with one-offs, I think it’s a ‘No, we need a commitment to three series’.
“But if it works, it works and the first one (Murder On The Blackpool Express) proved that; it had this catchment area and audience that was massive, down to this amazing cast that they pulled together, and great writing.
“If you look at the cast that we’ve got, it’d be far cheaper to put two (unknown) people in the a**e-end of nowhere, and film them having an argument.
“It does restore your faith in commissioners going, ‘Good writing, good cast’. There is still an audience out there for that.”
With the stars revealing they are knocking ideas about for material they could work on together in the future, this could be a TV partnership we see more of yet...
I don’t think I’ve ever felt as secure in acting as I do in stand-up.