david-mitchell tvradio interviews Virgin Media
VM:The show has won a Golden Rose award for Best TV show. Ricky Gervais says it's his favourite sitcom and so do we. Did you expect the show to be so successful?
David:"Not really. We always thought it was a funny script but it felt like it was our little show and no one was really going to watch it."
VM:Because the script fits your characters so well, everyone assumes you write the show as well. Do you have much input?
David:"Yes, I know it's odd. People do think we write it. The thing is, the scriptwriters, Sam and Jesse (Sam Bain and Jesse Armstrong) are good friends of ours. We've known them a long time (David and Robert initially met at Cambridge University.) They know us really well. So they write perfectly for us. We really don't need to touch the script. We can have input into plots and we do make suggestions from time to time but to be honest, it's perfect as it is."
VM:What happens to your characters in the new series?
David:"Well, my character Mark proposed by accident to Sophie at the end of series three so now I face the horror of having to actually go through with the wedding. I spend a horrific weekend with her parents and er, get involved in a bit of arson. Jeremy's American ex-wife Nancy is back on the scene and he tries to win her back. Jeremy also does some pretty unspeakable things to a dog and then er, sleeps with Sophie's mother!"
VM:WDo people recognise you in the street now?
David:"Occasionally. A lot of people seem to have bets with each other about it in the pub. One of them will say 'Oh, he was in that thing?, and the other will say 'No way.' There's no way that anyone who was in that thing would be in here? And then someone comes over and you're able to confirm you were the bloke in that thing. And then you have to tell them what that thing was."
VM:You've both worked on other shows since the start of Peep Show. (David starred in sketch show Doctors and Nurses on BBC1 while Robert starred in BBC3's The Smoking Room.) Do you eye eachother's solo work with jealousy?
David:"On the surface, it's supportive, with a malestrom of envy and greed inside."
VM:What comedies make you laugh?
David:"I tend not to watch much comedy on TV. I watch TV comedy with an air of professional jealousy. When I laugh at something I get annoyed that I didn't think of it! But Seinfeld is probably my favourite comedy of all time. It still makes me laugh."
VM:How about Curb Your Enthusiasm?
Rory:"Mmm.. It's a bit too dark for me. I'm a big fan of TV detective shows. I love a good murder mystery. So I spend a lot of time watching them. I used to love Inspector Morse. I'm not sure about this new spin-off series Lewis though."
VM:You've also just finished filming your first movie with Robert, The Magicians. Do you feel like a real movie star now?
David:"God no. I mean, it was a marvellous experience but it wasn't like a big Hollywood experience or anything. I didn't even get my own trailer! Rob and I play two magicians who used to be the greatest magic act in the country but after a guillotine trick goes wrong, our friendship and careers are finished. Then, by means of a comeback, we both compete individually in a prestigious magic tournament for serious prize money. It's a tale of bitterness and twisted revenge. Ideal for us really."
VM:Will Peep Show continue past this new series?
David:"Well, we both want to keep doing it. Personally I feel very lucky to be in it and to have found something that works so well. I think if we can keep coming up with sick, twisted storylines we'll be fine!"
10th April, 2007