“I’m going to create a Connor Temple army, and I’m going to line them all up in the flat and go to war!”
Of all the cast of Primeval, Andrew is probably the one who most closely mirrors his on-screen persona. Not because he is a member of a covert unit, but because of his passion for the show. Andrew, like Connor also can’t seem to believe his luck that he is involved with Primeval. When he speaks about the show, his excitement is utterly infectious, so it is perhaps a little surprising to hear him express shock at the success of the first series.
“I think it’s always a surprise. Deep down I was super-proud of it because it was so different, but I didn’t really expect anyone else to like it. The pessimist inside me thought, well I’m in it so it must be crap! It’s been a real rollercoaster of a journey from the very start to where we are now.
I’ve had a lot of people come up to me on the street which is mad. I think Connor is one of those characters that people think they could know and so they approach me, especially with their kids. I get a lot of people asking where Rex is!
We all had such high opinions of the job and had so much fun last year doing it and while it did well in the ratings, it was this response from the general public that has been lovely. To have a connection like that and see in people’s eyes that they really enjoyed watching it and enjoyed the characters – that’s always super cool.”
It’s funny listening to everyone talk about how things have changed for them. Jamie Payne one of our directors was describing the moment when he realised how different things were. Last year, when they were trying to hunt for locations, he would say “We want to shoot Primeval here”, and the stock response was, “What? Oh, that thing that is supposed to be like Doctor Who. Ermm I’m not sure. Is it going to be good?” This time round they approached the Bentall Centre in Kingston and said “We want to shoot Primeval here” And the response was “Yes, please shoot in here, shoot in John Lewis and by all means your dinosaurs can smash up our store just as long as my kids can watch!”
So how is he enjoying all this new attention?
“I enjoy it because it’s for this show which I love. I’ve not had it in my life before. Obviously I’ve seen people who have it in theirs and I’ve always been thankful that I’ve managed to keep working and not had to deal with it. But I’m just so proud of Primeval, so any time anyone wants to say how much they’ve enjoyed it, I’m more than happy to stop and have a chat with them. It’s a lovely validation of all the hard work everybody has done on it.
But Primeval has become more than a TV show to myself and Hannah because we met on it. This will always be something very, very special to both of us. It was like the cherry on the icing of a huge cake.”
So just what does he think the appeal of Primeval has been?
“Obviously I thought the concept was really cool, but I think it’s a combination of lots of different elements. There are certain things that, when you slot them together, the pieces fit and it works. I’ve been involved in things before where bits of the puzzle were wrong. But there is definitely something about Primeval.
I remember reading one reviewer saying that on paper the show sounded so stereotypical, so much so in fact that it shouldn’t work. But they then went on to hold their hands up and say they thought it was brilliant. I think we disarmed and surprised lot of people as really, what’s not to like? Primeval is pure, unadulterated family entertainment. It’s not pretending to be anything else. It’s loud, colourful and fast paced with someone and something in there for everybody.”
Bearing all this in mind, just how have things moved on in this new series, without losing too much of what people loved about the last one?
“There is more action this time around and even the creatures are even more adventurous. Everything is braver and more spectacular this year. But hopefully we’ve kept the relationships and their foundations much the same. Because these people really do care about each other and while they don’t say as much, you know they would put their lives on the line for each other. So the fundamental aspects of each of these characters, what makes them so likeable, hasn’t changed. But pretty much everything else has. Whereas before their situation was entirely new to them and we were just kind of blundering around not really knowing what the hell was going on, the team is a lot more cohesive now.
The world you see them in at the start of series two is a world they’ve known for a long time. It’s our established world, and we’ve really got it together. Right from the word go it’s going to be clear to the audience that we know what we’re doing. The first creature incursion is a family of Velociraptors in a shopping centre and the speed and professionalism with which they respond to that is awesome. We really are like the A-Team now. We don’t need the SAS anymore, we ARE the A-Team of the dino-busting world!”
However, when asked just how all this Ray Bradburyesque, reality bending stuff is possible, and of course, what on earth has happened to Claudia, Andrew, like all the other cast members becomes unusually shy. Plying him for information he says rather enigmatically:
“I don’t want to spoil it but it’s really cool” he laughs “but what I will say is that everything happens for a reason. These people were brought together because of fate and everybody is there for a specific reason, though we might not have been shown that reason yet. Everyone has their own theories, and I’ve got my own, but Adrian Hodges, the writer, has a got a lot of plans for all of us further down the line. We are all part of his great master plan.”
So how does Connor fit into the master plan? In the first series, the student was unable to contain his astonishment and genuine delight at being asked to join the team and was in a state of perpetual over-excitement. Is this still true, or has he calmed down a little? Andrew laughs and says:
“No, he’s still the same excitable puppy. He was never very cool about being in the gang but that’s his charm. His enthusiasm for it all is really infectious, but it makes him a little over eager. Straight away, all through this series we’ve got a running joke about how obsessed Connor is with getting a gun. Everyone else gets to run around and shoot really cool weapons but no-one trusts him with anything more dangerous than a laptop! His aim is a little off which one of the team finds out to their cost when they get knocked out with an errant tranquiliser dart!
But he has got things to contribute to the group other than just putting his foot in it or shooting the wrong person. Cutter always kept him there for a reason, and he really gets to prove his worth this time.”
He goes on to explain that as the rift between Stephen and Cutter gets wider, it is the young student to whom the professor turns.
“Connor loves a conspiracy, a universal mystery. And it’s because he is so open to infinite possibilities, he is the only one who doesn’t immediately dismiss Cutter’s theories about Claudia as the ramblings of a lunatic. Connor is the first person who trusts Cutter, and is Cutter’s only lifeline in the beginning. And because Nick doesn’t trust Stephen anymore, suddenly Connor becomes his trusted right-hand man. Despite appearances, Connor is far from stupid, and Cutter has always known that. Using his technical know-how, he and Cutter build the anomaly detector, which changes everything for the team. He becomes an extremely useful ally, and Cutter starts to realise that, as opposed to just seeing him as an annoying student!
But it’s more than just being bright and being a good listener. You really see what he is made of this time round as Connor grows up a little in this series. Without giving too much away, he’s put in a situation where he has to make a decision which ultimately could kill him. Someone he cares for very deeply is taken from him and without a second thought, he goes after them. It’s great. I’ve seen the rushes and it’s just sheer out and out drama, quite literally on the edge of a cliff!
Connor puts his life on the line for the one he loves and it’s this ability to be a man, to raise himself up and place the safety of everybody else above his own which really defines him. Primeval is fun, but then there are also these moments of intense drama which is one of the reasons why I think that’s why it works so well. It’s not camp; it tries to go straight for the heart.”
So does Connor make it?
“I’m not telling,” he laughs, “but it’s a dangerous job that’s for sure, as Captain Ryan found out to his cost!”
When asked what else viewers can expect in this new series, the levels of excitement continue to climb as he goes on to describe the new technology on show.
“Well, as I mentioned before, Cutter and Connor design the Anomaly Detector which is a massive breakthrough this season. Basically at the end of Episode 1, we discover that when the anomalies open, there is interference on a certain radio frequency, So, between the two of us we design a piece of equipment which will pin point the interference and track where it is originating from – therefore we can track the anomalies.
And then we’ve got the ARC, which is one of the most amazing sets that I’ve ever been on. I’ve made quite a lot of films and been involved in some really big projects now, but the ARC never failed to impress me. It’s the sheer scale of it! It’s a real statement of intent. It says ‘we’re bigger, we’re better, we aren’t going anywhere’ I think we all, as a team, as actors, walked into that space and went, “Right, I get it now. This is our foundation and they must really believe that we are doing something right.’
It’s great to have a home because in the last season we were all over the place. In every single episode we didn’t really have any sort of solid foundation, and now we do, we have a base of operations. The ARC’s fantastic, and I loved working in it.”
And he doesn’t stop there:
“And the Anomaly Detector sits right in the middle of it. When I actually saw it, it was way better than I expected! It’s a mixture of scaffolding with these huge wide-screen TVs sat on it. It’s very, very sexy. I like it a lot. In fact I do feel quite powerful stood in front of it!
The anomaly detection becomes a really integral part of the series and what makes me laugh is that Dougie and I are the only people that seem to know how it works. If you ask James or Hannah, I don’t think they are 100% sure of how it works, which lends itself perfectly to us.
Cutter and Connor are the only two people that truly understand; it’s so important to both their characters that it’s a success. I tell you, Dougie and I have sat in front of that thing so many times and really pulled it apart, if there was such a thing, we would know how to work it.”
But pulling apart the AD is not all Andrew was doing on set. On top of playing Connor, he had an additional role to play, filming the cast and crew for a very unique look at life behind the scenes. Revealing his skill as a director, the feature will appear on the DVD extras. Describing the process Andrew says;
“Oh god, that’s been another journey. I’m a bit of a perfectionist. It started off as a bit of fun which has become a very big part of my life and of Hannah’s life as well. She, well everybody has been really patient with me. I’m proud of it though. It is always nice when you are trusted and given a platform to show other sides to your creativity. I’ve always looked at things with an eye for directing one day, and this is a nice little step up for me. I know people are going to watch it, and hopefully I’ve managed to do something that is creative and entertaining.
I really wanted to make something that will give fans a real insight into how Primeval works. I’ve tried to capture everybody’s real personalities and so I haven’t just gone for the straight forward interviews. There is a lot of laughing in it. It’s fun all the way – you have to laugh to get through a job like this, because some of the stuff we are asked to do, and some of the situations we’re put in, just seem ludicrous.”
And Andrew goes on to describe one such moment:
“I get swallowed by a worm. I bet you never thought you would hear anyone say that! I had to walk down a flight of steps in a load of smog in episode two, pretend that a worm had attached itself to my head and jump around - bearing in mind that there is nothing actually on my head!
Now the five of us have got used to acting stupid around each other, but there were three guest stars on set that day. They were having a great laugh watching me pretending something was swallowing me alive. That was one of the most embarrassing things that I did, I think.
And not only that, but I had to contend with Dougie running at me and swinging a Samurai sword inches above my head. He went through it a couple of times, but Dougie’s the strong silent type and doesn’t give too much away. I tell you, I was his best mate all day that day!”
You are going to be immortalised in plastic: how does that feel and If you could have a weapon of choice for your toy, what would Connor have?
“It feels strange! I’m a bit apprehensive because I haven’t seen it yet, but growing up, any kid’s biggest dream, I imagine (especially boys who grow up playing with action figures) would be to have their own action figure!
I certainly never expected one and can’t quite believe it’s going to happen. As for a weapon he should have a bazooka! But I’m probably going to end up with a compass and a laptop.
No matter what I get, it’s super cool. I’m going to go to Toys R Us and buy hundreds of them. I’m going to create a Connor Temple army, and I’m going to line them all up in the flat and go to war!”
And when asked who the Connor Temple army is going to fight Andrew lets out a bellow of laughter and says:
“I don’t know yet! Maybe David Tennant. Yeah. David Tennant. I’m going to start a Connor Temple vs David Tennant war, film it and put it on You Tube! Can you imagine?”
Primeval Press Interview