Mark Gatiss, star and creator of the cosy crime drama Bookish, has opened up about the “difficult” physical toll of filming action scenes. The actor, who plays Gabriel Book in the U&Alibi series, spoke about the challenges of the role as he approaches his 69th birthday.
What is Bookish about?
Bookish follows an unconventional bookshop owner called Gabriel who helps police solve crimes in London in 1946. The show premiered last year and was a huge hit with fans, with many likening it to fellow crime series like Beyond Paradise and Sherlock Holmes. The programme has since returned for a second run.
Alongside Mark Gatiss, Bookish stars Trottie Book (Polly Walker), Jack Blunt (Connor Finch), Inspector Bliss (Elliot Levey), Sergeant Morris (Blake Harrison) and Nora (Buket Kömür).
Mark Gatiss on the physical demands of the role
On Monday (August 31), Mark appeared on This Morning to chat about the new series. “I always wanted to play a detective and for me this show is a combination of so many things I love. I wanted a lot of laughs and a lot of pathos,” Mark shared.
Revealing that the title of Bookish came to him first, Mark said: “Every detective has a thing and my idea was that this guy, he’s an antiques bookseller and if his bookshop was kind of like an analogue computer, then essentially the solution is somewhere in there, there is a book.”
Mark also spoke about the physical aspect of playing Gabriel, saying: “I love a bit of action. The trouble is, I’m 69 this year. But it is difficult. There are times when I’ve gone, ‘I don’t think I can get up. Not as quickly as I used to be able to! It’s always the knees!”
What to expect in series two
A synopsis for the second series of Bookish says: “In series two, the bibliophile sleuth investigates the world of spiritualism as he helps to solve a baffling case involving medium Harold Sneed (Jason Watkins) and a séance full of secrets.
“Off Savile Row, Inspector Bliss asks Book to help in a puzzling crime at a gentleman’s outfitters – the elderly tailor Maxie Kleinmann (Allan Corduner) is keen to confess to murder but the evidence doesn’t quite stack up and points to something much more complex and sinister.
“And Book and Jack are sent to the seemingly charming German village of Würl by the mysterious ‘E’ (Simon Callow) to thwart a thieving Duchess (Miranda Richardson) at Christmas time. However, festivities take a deadly turn when Book and Jack uncover secrets of their own in a castle brimming with shady characters.”
Watch Bookish on U&Alibi in August.
