Rupert Penry-Jones returns in ITV drama Whitechapel this Wednesday, but when he's not playing Detective Inspector Chandler he's watching all the other crime shows on TV.
"I like to watch as much of the competition as I can," says Rupert. "I find it helps with my own performance and I particularly like the stuff that's coming out of Sweden and Denmark at the moment.
"The Killing and The Bridge were superb and they've helped us raise the bar in Britain, but I wish we could come up with more original stuff rather than copying those shows.
"That's what I like about Whitechapel - there isn't really anything else like this on TV. Some people say Ripper Street is similar, but I think the historical aspect makes it quite different.'
"We're proud that Whitechapel is unique, the show has really found it's identity. There's only so much real police drama one can take before it all starts getting a bit samey and especially now where we've embraced the Norwegian noir so much!"
Whitechapel opens with a two-part story about a real-life witch hunt.
