Biography

[on Waking the Dead (2000)] I've loved it. It's been a bit of a battle at times because we've always wanted to maintain standards. We've done a total of 92 hours of television and more than 650 actors have worked on the show, so that's a lot of scripts! It's had an audience appreciation rating of 90 per cent, which I think is higher than anything else.

[on the end of Waking the Dead (2000)] We were going to finish after 10 [seasons], but we stopped after nine because the BBC doesn't really have the money to make it. I mean, they could make it if we changed how it's done at the moment, but I don't want that. I can't see the point of suddenly delivering a show that's a different kind of programme, just to cut costs. The BBC can go and make other stuff that costs them less money; it's fine.

The programme [Doctor Who (2005)] is great, but it was created for children in 1963. One doesn't need to say more. They spend a lot of money on Top Gear (2002) as well. I'm not saying that everything popular is bad, but it's desperate when nothing can exist unless it achieves financial rewards.

Everything is results. We even have shows with people judging results. Is there anything on TV that isn't four people on a panel? But what can you say when 20 million watch?