| Car Crash TV
Like many people, actor Douglas Henshall admits to slowing down to have a look at the aftermath of a car crash. But what of the victims involved? What were the twists of fate that brought them to that stretch of road on that time of day and at that precise time? And where were they heading and why? Thought –provoking questions such as these are the heart of ITV1’s new hard hitting drama Collision, which tells the story of car crash victims from the different perspectives of everyone involved, from the victims and their families to the investigating police officers. The five-part series will run across consecutive nights this week, with ex Primeval star Douglas Henshall starring as Detective John Tolin, who’s called to determine the circumstances surrounding the horrific multi-vehicle – pile-up, which leaves at least one dead at the scene and many badly injured. Douglas was so gripped when he read the script, written by Foyle’s War creator Anthony Horowitz that he signed on the dotted line before he’d even reached the end. “Yeah, it was funny – I said “Yes” to the job before I’d read all of the scripts,” laughs the 43 year old actor, who happens to be a fan of Foyle’s War, “It’s one of the most interesting pieces of television I’ve been involved with for year. It invites you to think, and it doesn’t immediately answer things for you.” Thankfully Douglas has never been involved in a car crash “That’s been my good fortune – and I don’t want to be there either”, he says “I think we’re all aware it could happen to us because it’s such a random thing. You think ‘How come I’m in it and you are?’ You look at car wrecks and you think, ‘How did they get out of that all right?’ It’s there but for the grace of God go we.” And making such a dark thriller has made Douglas- who lives in London with his girlfriend, Croatian playwright Tena Stivicic-think about his own mortality. The Scottish star celebrates his 44th birthday next month, and he remembers his 40th birthday as being a scary milestone. “I’m not old, but my youth is pretty much behind me and I miss that already,” he smiles. “Turning 30 was a breeze-it was 40 that kind of hit me like a punch! So, I’m slowly but surely coming around from that...but I’d still rather be 30!” David Hollingsworth TV Times (November 7th -13th 2009) |