‘Sherlock’ producer Sue Virtue and co-creator Steven Moffat talk to series buffs about their new political show ‘Number 10’, which Moffat has written for Channel 4/ITVS.
“It’s the British government. We don’t know which party is in power. You never know. But as we found in our research, it doesn’t really make any difference,” Moffat says.
“This is not satire. Most of the time these guys are trying to get a good outcome, whatever the dire outcome. It’s funny and sometimes pretty serious. As always with me, I’ve done so much research and got so many great stories about what’s going on in this house. Yeah, I know they’re politicians, but every decent, sensible country rules in huge buildings and castles. We’ve got the little streets!”
“If you want to see the British self-image and what kind of people we are, go to Downing Street. This little street. That’s who we are. That’s who we are. Inside, the toilets don’t work often, the elevators break down, and there’s a sword in the room where the most important meetings are held. If everyone moved it, they’d have broken a terrible law. Watch the show and you’ll see why.”
Politics has little to do with the show, he says. Even though it was filmed in the actual Downing Street.
“A character quotes a real-life Prime Minister and says, “Most of this job is about choosing between two unacceptable outcomes.” It’s pure drama, and it’s great. “Which one do you choose?” “That’s up to you, Prime Minister.” “But they’re both terrible, right? “Yes, Prime Minister.” “I’m going to be the one to blame, aren’t I?” “Is more data coming in?” Can I wait? ” “Yes, Prime Minister. No, Prime Minister.”
“Think of it as a workplace comedy-drama. It’s the silliest workplace, where if you accidentally have sex at a Christmas party, it’s on the front page. If you’re seriously hungover, a war could start. This is a place where there’s high drama and sometimes high principles, but the staff are just people,” he points out.
“A lot of the stories are true. I’m lying the names to protect the guilty, but there’s a lot that’s really going on. This isn’t about politics, because while making this show the idea of having a political orientation went out the window. I learned so much. You’re in a state of continuous crisis. What a perfect place to put a lot of interesting characters in a comedy-drama.”
Virtue added: “We’re very proud of the show. We finished filming on Friday and it’s beautiful.”
The couple, who have been together for many years in both work and life, also talked about the partnership that created “Dracula” and “Sherlock” during the master class.
They found Cumberbatch in “The Dead,” where “he played a really creepy character, but he looked and sounded the part,” Moffat says.
“He had his attitude. The BBC said: ‘He’s brilliant. The one thing I can say is that he promised a sexy Sherlock Holmes and he’s not that.’
Matt Smith, the Eleventh Doctor from Doctor Who, was one of the first people to audition for the role, before Martin Freeman was cast.
“Martin was a little grumpy and we didn’t think he wanted the part. Then his agent called and said, ‘No, he was, but he just had his wallet stolen,'” Virtue recalled, adding that Moffat was “both great, but I don’t know if they’re any better together than they are.”
When they first met, Vertue was “the bigger name,” Moffat says.
“I don’t know, but I think she’s probably going to be famous for doing something like ‘Mr. Bean.’ When we met, she was way off my level. People ask, ‘Is it a problem working with your wife?'” Well, co-parenting is hard, too. If working together is ‘difficult’ then what the hell are you doing being married?!”
“We’re also saving on production costs. We only need one hotel room,” he added.
How did they fall in love?
“At the bar,” Virtue deadpans.
Or rather, at the Edinburg Television Festival.
“You know when it’s right, right? We did it. I promised another producer that I wouldn’t work with him for a year, and I kept my promise and then I got him,” she says.
They also admitted that they worked together on “Coupling,” which is close to their own story.
“Whatever you write, even nonsense like Doctor Who or Sherlock, you write what’s in front of you. I went from being a single man to being a married man. I lived in different places. I was a ‘couple’. The rules had to be rewritten. ‘Don’t flirt with women,’ that was the rule,” Moffat says.
“How autobiographical was it? It wasn’t very autobiographical. Every journalist asks, ‘Are any of the characters modeled after you and Sue?’ ‘Yes, our namesake. We’re never going to break through Watergate, are we?’ But there’s certainly some truth to it.”
“[After we met]we said, ‘Shall we make it exclusive?’ I said, ‘You just have to go and dump someone.’ Sue had been dumping people for about a month, and it was very easy for her. Someone would call and she would come up and say, “I’m sorry. “Hello!” Sorry, I met someone. Goodbye”.
According to Moffat, “If you’re bored, just throw in a joke.”
“Real life is funny, but drama is a lie. If you say goodbye to the love of your life, you have to pee and you can’t wait for her to leave. These Sherlock stories? If you read the original, it’s funny. Holmes is a funny guy and makes impossible deductions, but Watson still continues to be amazed by them, which is great. (The Sherlock episode) “The Belgravia Scandal” is one of my favorites, it’s a non-stop gag. You can’t be too funny, too sexy, or too beautiful. ”
Furthermore, he added: “Humor is the truth of speed, that’s what it is: insight with speed. We had a tradition. When Sue reads a script, I step away from her quite a bit in case she wants to ask, ‘Why aren’t you laughing yet?'” People have to laugh when they read a script. I have to laugh before I write a line. I used to say this about comedy writing. Stare out the window until you laugh, and when it makes you laugh, write it down. ”
“He does all the voices, all the parts, and he walks down the street laughing. My son used to say to his friends when they came over: ‘Don’t worry about dad. He’s not mad. He’s just writing.'”
Sally Mace
