In GRANDMA’S footsteps...
DAVID WALLIAMS and SHERIDAN SMITH tell us about a sequel to a beloved adventure
GANGSTA GRANNY STRIKES AGAIN!
NEW FRIDAY, 5.30PM, CBBC COMEDY DRAMA
Over the past decade, adaptations of David Walliams’ magical children’s stories have proved gems in the Christmas TV schedules. This week, the award-winning Britain’s Got Talent judge notches up an eighth, with a reworking of his popular 2021 novel Gangsta Granny Strikes Again!, a sequel to the 2011 bestseller Gangsta Granny, which was adapted for BBC1 in 2013.
The first tale followed youngster
Ben as he made the shocking discovery that his ‘boring’ paternal grandma (portrayed by Julia Mckenzie) was an international jewel thief, known as The Black Cat.
Soon, the pair were teaming up to steal the Crown Jewels – all under the noses of Ben’s Strictly-obsessed parents Mike (played by David) and Linda.
‘The new story is set a year after the adventures in the first one,’ says David, as he and co-star Sheridan Smith, who takes over the role of Linda from Miranda Hart, join TV Times for an exclusive interview.
‘Famous treasures start vanishing in the middle of the night and the crimes have all the hallmarks of Gangsta Granny but, because she has passed away, it’s her grandson Ben who is getting the blame.’
So Ben (now played by rising star Archie Yates) must turn detective to find out who is mimicking his infamous relative.
Here, good friends and frequent collaborators David, 51, and Sheridan, 41, give us their take on the adventure…
Your previous TV projects together include adaptations of David’s books Mr Stink (BBC1, 2012) and Ratburger (Sky One, 2017), plus two stories in his After Ever After fairy-tale franchise for Sky. Was it fun to reunite on this?
SHERIDAN So much fun! David writes such brilliant characters and gets me to do these roles where I can be very daft.
Linda is not a particularly great mum. She’s obsessed with ballroom dancing and a guy called Flavio [now played by Kevin Bishop, replacing Robbie Williams], who is like one of the professionals on Strictly Come Dancing. He was in the first story and Linda was obsessed with him then, too!
DAVID I love working with Sheridan and, because this is for families and kids, we can be quite silly. It’s joyous to wake up in the morning, put on silly wigs and high-waisted trousers, and spend the whole day laughing.
Did you face any particular challenges during filming?
DAVID Not laughing! The two of us really give each other the giggles. We had some dance scenes
together and I’m the world’s worst dancer. I try to avoid it as much as I can. Sheridan and Archie, who plays Ben, have a big dance scene together at the London Palladium.
That sounds fun – tell us more!
SHERIDAN They take part in a competition and have to perform a Titanicthemed dance to My Heart Will Go On by Celine Dion. Ben was dressed as the iceberg and I had to wear a full-on Titanic costume with a funnel on my head and steam coming out. Only for David would I do that!
How did Archie take to playing Ben?
DAVID Archie was great. He’s already done a lot of things. He was in [Oscar-winning 2020 film] Jojo Rabbit, and he was the main boy in the Home Alone remake, Home Sweet Home Alone, for Disney+ last year. So he’s very experienced, with a great sense of humour.
People say, ‘Don’t work with children and animals,’ but I always find that the children are much better drilled than the grown-ups! We did have a cat, though, who was trickier…
What did the cat get up to?
DAVID There is a black cat in the story who is the spirit of Granny and appears at various points to help Ben in his adventures. We had a fantastic trainer on set but cats essentially do whatever they feel like.
And how did you find working with Griff Rhys Jones, who joins the cast to play nosy neighbour Mr Parker?
DAVID I’ve been a fan of Griff’s throughout my whole life.
When I was growing up, Not the Nine O’clock News [which ran on BBC2 from 1979 to 1982] was the most exciting show in the world. I’ve seen every single play that Griff has been in, because I think he’s so funny and talented. So it was lovely to spend time with him.
SHERIDAN I hadn’t met Griff before and we got on instantly. He is so lovely and warm to be around. He’s doing a charity event in his home town at Christmas and I’m going to go along.
Finally, Sheridan, what is it about David’s stories that make them such perfect viewing at this time of year?
SHERIDAN They have so much heart and warmth, and they’re hilarious as well. My son Billy is only two and a half, but I can’t wait for him to be old enough to read the books and watch the adaptations. Gangsta Granny Strikes Again! is definitely more suitable viewing than some of the other things I’ve been in!
‘I HAD TO WEAR A FULL-ON TITANIC COSTUME!’
Sheridan Smith