Samantha Bond hails The Marlow Murder Club as 'one of the happiest jobs' she has had
Samantha Bond says her role in the cosy UandDRAMA murder mystery series 'The Marlow Murder Club' is "one of the happiest jobs" of her acting career.
Samantha Bond has hailed ‘The Marlow Murder Club’ as “one of the happiest jobs [she’s] ever had”.
The 63-year-old acting legend - who plays Judith Potts in the UandDRAMA murder mystery series - adored working on the show because of the happy and friendly set.
Samantha - who played MI6 secretary Miss Moneypenny opposite Pierce Brosnan's 007 in four James Bond films - exclusively told BANG Showbiz: "I’ve been so lucky as I’ve done in theatre and television - so many extraordinary things - but this has got to be one of the happiest jobs I’ve ever had.
"And I think the other thing that has happened is word has gone out that it’s a happy, friendly set.
"It means that word travels in the business, and I know some members of the crew that have gone to the technical side as well. So actors want to come and do it, technicians want to come and do it, and that’s lovely.
"Filming day is incredibly long, incredibly hard work, and if you can be involved with that at a place of happiness and friendliness, it sure helps."
The show sees retired archaeologist and crossword setter Judith enlist the help of her friends Becks Starling (Cara Horgan) and Suzie Harris (Jo Martin) after police shut down her story that a murder has taken place in the peaceful Buckinghamshire town.
The series is based on the novels of the same name by Sunday Times bestseller Robert Thorogood - who also co-wrote the show but Samantha admitted she did not read the books before she started working on the first series last year as she doesn't want them to influence her portrayal of the amateur sleuth.
The 'Outnumbered' star added: "I, sort of, traditionally don’t because all I can play is what is in the script, and if something I read in the book wasn’t in the script, and I loved it, then I’m going to be disappointed.
"Whereas the script has been so good, and the plot is so complex and challenging for an audience, but that’s what I’m there to play.
"Also, series two episode one is based on Robert’s book, but the next two stories have nothing to do with the books. They were created by two brilliant female writers.
"They were really, brilliantly devised, and it is a joy to play."
Looking ahead to the future, the idea of the series turning into a movie is exciting to Samantha but she is keeping everything crossed that the broadcaster will commission another series of the show.
She said: "I think, at the moment, I’m just keeping crossing everything to see if we can get another series before we think about movies.
"'Downton [Abbey] had to do six series’ before it got a movie."
'The Marlow Murder Club' Series 2 starts Wednesday, March 19 on U and UandDRAMA.
