Irish actress Sinead Keenan and Sanjeev Bhaskar reprise their on-screen partnership as they delve into the unresolved crimes in series six of ITV’s Unforgotten, which hits our screens this weekend
The series begins when suspected human remains are uncovered on Whitney Marsh. Jess and Sunny are immediately called to the scene, abandoning their evening plans, much to Jess’s husband’s chagrin.
Dr Balcombe’s analysis reveals that the remains are relatively recent and suggest a grim conclusion: the body was placed there already dismembered. With this insight, Jess and Sunny intensify their search, certain that other body parts may not be far away.
Sinéad you joined the cast last season after the passing of DCI Cassie Stuart at the end of the fourth series from injuries sustained in a car crash. What was your feedback from people like after your first series?
I was very, very relieved with the feedback, and people were incredibly kind and generous. I couldn’t have asked for better, really, in terms of response, because I know it’s a big ask of an audience for a show that has such a committed and dedicated following.
For them to suddenly get on board with somebody new, particularly when their beloved character has been killed, and they’re expected to follow on through with some new interloper. So I was very pleased and delighted with the response, which was thankfully overwhelmingly positive.”
Where do we find Jess at the start of this new series, both at home and at work?
In terms of her home life, we’re six months on, or thereabouts. At the end of series five, in terms of where she is with herself and husband Steve, she’s found out that he had been having an affair, and then subsequently that it was with her sister, which is no small thing, but at the end of the last series, it did look like she was going to stay, she was going to work through things with Steve.
At the start of this series, it appears that is the case. But obviously the shadow hangs. Steve appears to be trying his best, and it looks like they’re trying to work through it. But the detective in her… it’s still niggling away, and she reaches out to her sister, and then that whole part of her life unravels a little bit further.
In terms of work, her and Sunny are working really well together. She seems to be getting along with the team. Her work life is, again, much more improved than the first couple of days of the last series.
What about the case they are investigating this series…
At the start we find what appears to be a body part in Whitney Marsh, and Dr Balcombe very quickly surmises that this is fairly recent, and this body part has been dismembered. So then we carry out a further search, and sure enough, we find that it’s a body of a man who seems to have collected a certain amount of enemies throughout his life.
As with all Chris Lang’s scripts, you’re gradually introduced to four main suspects, who appear to be such a disparate group of people. But then, the further we go, the more we find out how they’re all possibly linked or intertwined, and how each of them could easily have done the deed.”
What was it like working with your guest stars this series?
Oh, they were all brilliant. I didn’t have an awful lot to do with MyAnna Buring – they just sent Sunny over to Ireland because Jess has to deal with stuff at home – so that was unfortunate, but Victoria Hamilton was extraordinary. It was so lovely working with her and Max Fairley, who’s a relatively new actor, who was brilliant, plays Marty. And Elham Ehsas playing Asif – all just really brilliant actors and working with really good material. All well-written and well-rounded characters from Chris.
And when you first get those scripts, how do they make you feel?
Chris’s scripts are brilliant. You get all six, and you can sit down and dedicate a whole afternoon to what is inevitably a whopping page-turner. So I read those scripts as a viewer would watch the show. The ups and downs and twists and turns are brilliant.
As with all Chris Lang’s scripts, you’re gradually introduced to four main suspects, who appear to be such a disparate group of people.
— Sinéad Keenan
Also, he always has something to say in his scripts, but he doesn’t necessarily shout about it. This year we’ve got themes of immigration, asylum seekers, social services, social media, which are very timely, but again, he’s very, very clever and economical with his writing while always getting the point across and making you think. Nothing is black and white in his scripts and his characters are never black and white – we all live in brilliant shades of grey.
What was the most challenging thing you had to face this series?
“To be honest, the most challenging aspect with this job – and actually, it’s with any acting job, it’s not unique to Unforgotten – is being away from home. But the production were brilliant. As soon as I had a day off, I was in a car straight down the M40 to see the kids. That’s always the toughest bit. But it’s the price you pay, which is hopefully worth it.
Did you have a favourite scene or favourite moment? Either yours or someone else’s?
“I have to say, everyone was brilliant this year. In those interview scenes, you are up close and personal, watching some brilliant actors do their thing. But watching and acting with Victoria Hamilton was quite something. She is so brilliant and so lovely with it. That was a real pleasure. I was very lucky. ”
