| A Feast of Beasts
Andrew-Lee Potts chats about a taste of what’s to come from the new Sci–Fi adventure Primeval. Since the rules of television got re-written two years ago with Doctor Who resurrecting the previously written off drama genre of drama-adventure for the family, every TV station and their wives have been trying to find something that would appeal to the same audience, and Andrew-Lee Potts, from ITV’s Time travel drama Primeval, isn’t going to pretend that Doctor Who wasn’t a factor in getting the show on the 2007 schedule. “I don’t think the range of audience - the demographic? is like you say,” he says, when asked if the show is aiming for the Doctor Who audience “and the thing is as well that it’s slick, it’s stylish and it’s sexy. A lot of times in this when country we wanted to get lost in something that’s sexy and slick and well produced to a ‘high’ spec, we kind of turn to America. Over here our stuff has been quite camp, or been quite tongue in cheek, but it’s nice that we’ve got to the point where Doctor Who has opened so many doors for shows like this to come up and come into our own really. “If I could compare it to anything it’s got more of a Lost feel to it,” he continues, “just simply because with all theses anomalies opening up all over the place you have no idea what’s going to happen next.” According to the premise of the series, holes in time are opening up all over the world, releasing creatures from other ages that Professor Nick Cutter (Douglas Henshall) and his team have to try and keep under control. Flesh hungry dinosaurs are one of the most obvious menaces, but as Potts, who plays Connor Temple, an eccentric student of Cutter’s who happens to be on the spot when the first anomaly is discovered and almost recruits himself to the team as it’s formed, explains, that it isn’t all that’s on the loose. “Every single episode has completely random things going on, it’s not as simple as Jurassic Park, its not as simple as trying to get away from dinosaurs, it’s about understanding these creatures and preserving them as best we can, and following back through the anomalies into their world. So with the Time- Travel aspect of it, it’s just scratching the surface of where the show could go.” Of his character, Potts (previously seen in Ideal and in two episodes of Strange, aside from numerous one- off guest spots), says “His weaknesses are he’s a bit of a whinger. Connor’s like a frustrated genius; he doesn’t know how to channel his intelligence very well. He is very intelligent deep down, but he’s the kind of guy that would say the wrong thing at the wrong time and he’s very quick sense of humour wise – always got a sarcastic remark to throw into the pot. In the show he kind of falls on the whole situation by accident in episode one, and gets placed into this team that’s kind of hired by the government to start investigating anomalies that’s opening up. Its sheer coincidence that he’s in the right place at the right time right place, but he’s just so over excitable all the time about everything.” Overtaken with enthusiasm in fact. “In a situation where you you’ve got a dinosaur where most people would be crapping their pants, he’s the one taking the pictures on his camera phone to e-mail back to his computer, he’s got a website that he’s been building since he was little about prehistoric creatures, he’s been obsessed with all sorts of creatures, all through evolution, and that coupled with his passion for conspiracy theories…Actually falling into the situation is a dream come true, and in his head he’s a crime busting gang and thinks he deserves a little cool nickname – probably thinks he’s a bit of a superhero! “He’s the kind of person that annoys everybody so much”, he says in conclusion, “but once he’s gone you miss him. He’s got a heart of gold, but he just says the first thing that comes into his head. He doesn’t filter it through like most human beings, he just says it,” Not the sort of to charm the ladies then? “He’s got no social skills whatsoever,” Potts agrees, “no idea how to talk to girls, nothing. He talks in one episode about a girlfriend, and actually it’s a pen pal who lives in Africa and he classes this as his girlfriend, bless him. “But that’s where he comes into his own a little bit with Hannah Spearritt’s character Abby, because they get thrust into a lot of situations together where he actually becomes an accidental hero. He’s constantly in situations where he has to protect her and stuff, so that makes nice viewing.” As does the series as a whole, he reckons. “I’ve seen all the episodes, and I’m a very cynical person, quite hard to impress TV show-wise, but my confidence is in it….it just creates a world that you’re allowed to get lost in completely. I know people are going to think ‘Oh, Doctor Who, Jurassic Park’…..because that’s what people are drawn to initially; they want to draw a comparison. But it’s got such a strong heart in it and such unique imagery that I think it’s going to stand on its own. “And also the CGI is done so brilliantly, so impressively. I watched episode six the other day and I won’t spoil it, but at the end it’s just incredible, on a par with King Kong and stuff. The guys at Framestore and Impossible Pictures have done a great job, and in the timescale that we’ve had to do it as well, but there’s been such a good gut- feeling about Primeval for everybody involved from the start. It’s one of those jobs where it’s just a breeze doing it, everybody really wanted it to succeed.” Stuart Weightman TVZone issue 210 page 12 |
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