Award-winning TV scriptwriter Jimmy McGovern has said he has no plans to retire.
Jimmy, famous for such dramas such as Cracker, Hillsborough, The Street and Accused, turns 65 in September.
He said that while he can’t see himself stopping work any time soon, he is taking things a tiny bit easier.
“I used to be really tough on myself, but I’m not now. The energy comes and goes now, whereas in the old days, nobody worked harder than me,” he said.
“I’m coasting a bit now. I work as and when it suits me. So if I’m late, I’m late!”
Next up is the epic BBC2 drama Banished, a seven-part series about a group of convicts in 18th-century Australia, starring Julian Rhind-Tutt (The Hour), Russell Tovey (Being Human) and MyAnna Buring (Ripper Street).
Currently filming in Australia, it’s due to air in 2015.
“It starts off when the convicts have only been there a month or so, they’re starving and have no prospect of rescue. It’s pretty good,” he said.
His current BBC drama Common is a one-off film, which explores the controversial law of “Joint Enterprise”.
The law means that more than one person can be charged with the same crime if it can be proved that they were in some way “in it together”.
“Joint enterprise is bad no matter what the crime, but when it’s murder, it’s particularly bad because those who play smaller parts in a crime get entangled in the same net as the main players,” said Jimmy, who wants to see reform of the law.
Common airs on BBC1, Sunday, July 6, 9.00pm.
