The Commander

[di marco]

sorry if theres already a thread for this, i couldnt find one

has anyone else been watching this? i thought the first 2 epis were really good

[alan45]

sorry if theres already a thread for this, i couldnt find one

has anyone else been watching this? i thought the first 2 epis were really good


Im watching it too and not just because of Amanda. Thought the first two episodes had a real twist in the tail.

[di marco]

sorry if theres already a thread for this, i couldnt find one

has anyone else been watching this? i thought the first 2 epis were really good


Im watching it too and not just because of Amanda. Thought the first two episodes had a real twist in the tail.

yeh i liked the twists, it wasnt completely predictable from the start which i liked. i dont normally like itv shows but this has to be an exception!

[alan45]

sorry if theres already a thread for this, i couldnt find one

has anyone else been watching this? i thought the first 2 epis were really good


Im watching it too and not just because of Amanda. Thought the first two episodes had a real twist in the tail.

yeh i liked the twists, it wasnt completely predictable from the start which i liked. i dont normally like itv shows but this has to be an exception!Prime Suspect was an ITV show and it was Brilliant.

[Katy]

I really liked the first episode, i like Amanda burton in it i think she is great, she was really funny with that cop in last weeks episdoe.

I can't believe that he got away with murder in the last one.

[alan45]

I really liked the first episode, i like Amanda burton in it i think she is great, she was really funny with that cop in last weeks episdoe.

I can't believe that he got away with murder in the last one.That was an ending that none of us suspected at all. Just brilliant.

[di marco]

can anyone tell me what happened in the commander on sunday? cos i was on hols and my gran forgot to record it :angry:

[Perdita]

Amanda Burton just about has the market cornered in playing women of steel. After eight years as forensic pathologist Sam Ryan on the BBC's Silent Witness, she hopped across to ITV to lead Lynda La Plante's The Commander. The latest instalment, which airs for three consecutive nights on ITV1, is titled Abduction. DS gave Amanda a call to find out more about Clare Blake's next case.

What can you tell us about the storyline of the new Commander?
"There are two major storylines running alongside each other. A policeman - one that we have worked with before on our patch - has a nervous breakdown on top of his mother dying. No, he doesn't have a breakdown on top of his mother physically! His mother is murdered and he's implicated in that murder. The other is that Doug [James, Mark Lewis Jones] is having a baby but he's not connected with his wife. He does get connected when the baby is born, but then the baby is abducted."

You've switched the format to three-hour long instalments this year. How has that changed things?
"It's great fun and very innovative for ITV to do this, so we'll see how that goes. It's exciting to put it out like that."

What's your relationship like with Lynda La Plante? Do you ever approach her with ideas for the character or do you just go off the script?
"You just take it from the script, with such a bold and wonderful writer like Lynda. There's not much more one can say on top of those scripts really!"

Is it a character you feel you can slip back into easily, or do you always find surprises playing her?
"I think I've been surprised this time, which has been good. There's been lots of new facets to her character which come out of the baby abduction. We find out more about her and what she's capable of doing. She acts slightly out of character and that becomes more progressive throughout the story."

How was it working with Jennifer Ellison? Did you reminisce about starting out on Brookside?
"She was great to work with. Really fantastic, very focused and wonderful. She pulled in a very strong performance. We didn't reminisce too much - we were too buried in The Commander! Obviously she's from the 'Pool and it's a cross-reference point. I'd also worked with Crissy Rock before on Peak Practice so it's nice to see people again that I knew before."

Do you miss doing Silent Witness at all?
"No, no, no. It was wonderful. I absolutely loved doing that show while I was on it. It was a big part of my life really for nearly ten years. But no, I've moved on."

When you left you said that you didn't want to be associated with it forever. By that token, do you think The Commander may have a limited life-span for you?
"I think every show has a limited life-span. I think if you're still enjoying it, if you still think there's a lot of material there to play with and the characters are getting better then that's always a very good basis to work from. I think everyone always knows when a show loses steam. Hopefully that point hasn't been reached."

So you're still up for doing another?
"Yes. I thoroughly enjoy the character and I love all the other characters as well. It's a good show. It has a lot of humour in it as well as the dark side."

You're known for playing very serious characters. Have you ever thought about doing an out-and-out comedy?
"Yeah, I suppose I would, but I don't think you can make that crossover very easily when you're seen as being a serious actor. I suppose it's a shame really, but hey, there's always the future. Maybe I should go and do some stand-up!"

The Commander begins November 10 at 9pm on ITV1.

I love this programme and think Amanda is just great :cheer: