{"id":26177,"date":"2022-11-28T16:55:06","date_gmt":"2022-11-28T15:55:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.radiotimes.com\/?p=1746872"},"modified":"2022-11-28T17:30:03","modified_gmt":"2022-11-28T16:30:03","slug":"dodger-star-lenny-rush-says-childrens-tv-is-so-important-at-christmas","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/rss_feed\/dodger-star-lenny-rush-says-childrens-tv-is-so-important-at-christmas\/","title":{"rendered":"Dodger star Lenny Rush says children\u2019s TV is \u201cso important\u201d at Christmas"},"content":{"rendered":"

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By Morgan Jeffery\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Monday, 28 November 2022 at 12:00 am<\/p>

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Lenny Rush, the breakout star of the BBC\u2019s Am I Being Unreasonable?<\/a>, has spoken about the importance of children\u2019s drama as his series Dodger returns to CBBC.<\/p>\n

Rush plays Morgan, a mischievous scamp with a keen ear who picks up all sorts of useful gossip, in the Oliver Twist prequel series starring Billy Jenkins as Dodger.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s just like me \u2013 we\u2019re so similar,\u201d Rush said of his character. \u201cTo be honest, we\u2019re both a bit cheeky!\u201d<\/p>\n

Earlier this year, BBC Director-General Tim Davie announced that CBBC would be moving online as a \u201ccost-saving measure\u201d<\/a>, in a move that would \u201cembrace the huge shifts in the market around us\u201d.<\/p>\n

Speaking to RadioTimes.com<\/a>, Rush said that series like Dodger that can be enjoyed by the whole family are \u201cso important\u201d \u2013 particularly at this time of year.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think it\u2019s so important \u2013 especially the Christmas special, because it brings everyone together. A few weeks ago, I did the ADR \u2013 basically just voiceover for the show \u2013 and you get to see certain clips of it and I walked out the studio feeling Christmassy, y\u2019know?<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s that time of the year, isn\u2019t it, when everyone comes together and has a laugh.\u201d<\/p>

Rush added that he saw \u201cso much\u201d positive buzz around the first season of Dodger, which aired 10 episodes earlier this year and is now returning for a trilogy of specials.<\/p>\n

\u201cI saw a lot on social media \u2013 and I\u2019ve got a younger brother and I had a lot of his friends come over to me and say, \u2018I saw Dodger and binge-watched the whole series.\u2019 It\u2019s just great to hear.\u201d<\/p>\n

In the previous season, Rush didn\u2019t get an opportunity to work with Christopher Eccleston, who plays Fagin in Dodger, but the pair finally shared some scenes in the new specials.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s the loveliest guy.\u00a0 He\u2019s great at acting \u2013 and he stays in character as well. Even when they say cut, he keeps that strong Cockney accent!\u201d<\/p>\n

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Billy Jenkins and Christopher Eccleston in Dodger<\/span><\/figcaption> BBC\/NBCUniversal International Studios<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

The only downside for Rush when it came to reprising his Dodger role was the challenge of filming a Christmas special at the height of summer. \u201cWhen we were filming, you\u2019ve got the Christmas episode and we\u2019re outside in the boiling hot sun in all these scarves and these big jackets and you\u2019re like\u2026 oof!\u201d<\/p>\n

Since the first season of Dodger aired, Rush has become known to a wider audience for his scene-stealing role in the BBC comedy-thriller Am I Being Unreasonable?, starring and co-written by Daisy May Cooper. That series allowed the young actor to show off his improvisational skills, which he was again able to utilise on Dodger.<\/p>\n

\u201c[Series writers] Rhys [Thomas] and Lucy [Montgomery], they both said, \u2018Go off a little bit\u2019 \u2013 you just want to make it realistic. I think that\u2019s what draws people in. I like it when the script is there as a guide and you can go off on your own tangent \u2013 you\u2019ve just got to know where to end it, you\u2019ve got to follow the story!\u201d<\/p>\n

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Lenny Rush and Alex Kingston in Dodger.<\/span><\/figcaption> BBC\/NBCUniversal International Studios<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

Previously, Rush tackled the dramatic role of Tiny Tim in Steven Knight\u2019s 2019 miniseries A Christmas Carol, but says he\u2019s keen to take on more comedic roles in the future, having shown off his comedic chops again in a recent sketch for Children in Need.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was a mockumentary and I love things like that \u2013 before Am I Being Unreasonable?, I watched Daisy in This Country, and obviously you\u2019ve got The Office with Ricky Gervais. I\u2019d love to do something like that.<\/p>\n

\u201cI like the variety but If I had to choose one, it would be comedy. There\u2019s no better feeling than knowing that you\u2019ve made someone laugh. Yeah, I love it!\u201d<\/p>\n