Jonathan Creek star Sarah Alexander reveals all about her role in Dave's new crime sitcom, Undercover (screens Tuesdays)…
Undercover tells the story of former traffic cop Chris (Daniel Rigby), who’s been chosen to infiltrate a violent Armenian crime family. How would you sum up the show?
"In the middle of this nasty, frightening criminal world, there's this little buffoon who really shouldn't be there. As the police try to get information out of the gang, there are quite a few disappointments along the way."
How is your character, DS Zoe Keller, involved?
"Zoe is the driving force behind the operation and Chris is not quite as efficient as she would like him to be, so she gets very frustrated with him. The way Zoe thinks is pretty black and white and she's not particularly sympathetic. She's very focused and just wants to get the job done."
Zoe's certainly a strong, feisty character – has she been fun to play?
"Really good fun, yeah. Zoe's a tough cookie and I think she has to be because, not only is she working in a man's world, but we also find out that her last undercover guy came to a sticky end. So she needs to prove herself to keep her job."
Zoe and Chris have a fractious relationship. Could there be romance?
"There is a connection, but I think they keep missing the moment because they’ve got to keep things moving, timing is everything. As Zoe gets more and more involved in what's going on, she lets her guard down a bit, becomes a little more vulnerable and Chris helps her out. But only briefly… until we get things back on track!"
How would you describe the tone of the show?
"Well, the channel is calling it a 'crime sitcom'. We shot it like we were shooting a drama, so we played it completely straight. But there are some really silly, funny things going on right in the middle of it."
How does Undercover compare to other jobs you’ve done?
"I always say there's one in every 10 shows that you do that is really great fun and everyone working on it is supportive, brilliant and funny and this was that job! We had a lot of laughs and Daniel made it very easy."
What are you up to next?
"I'm writing a comedy with my husband [writer and actor Peter Serafinowicz], but that's all I can tell you. When it comes to roles, I like to mix things up definitely – I like the variety of doing comedy and drama. But, if I had to make the choice, I'd always pick comedy."
