{"id":50796,"date":"2024-05-05T08:00:09","date_gmt":"2024-05-05T06:00:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.radiotimes.com\/?p=2034159"},"modified":"2024-05-05T08:50:08","modified_gmt":"2024-05-05T06:50:08","slug":"martin-freeman-and-tony-schumacher-compare-the-responder-to-the-office","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/rss_feed\/martin-freeman-and-tony-schumacher-compare-the-responder-to-the-office\/","title":{"rendered":"Martin Freeman and Tony Schumacher compare The Responder to The Office"},"content":{"rendered":"

The star and screenwriter behind the acclaimed thriller spoke to RadioTimes.com ahead of season 2. <\/p>

By David Craig\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Sunday, 05 May 2024 at 06:00 AM<\/p>

\n\n

The bottom floor of a central London hotel is abuzz with chatter one Tuesday morning, as members of the press are unleashed on The Responder cast<\/a>.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a slightly overwhelming environment at first, with stars in each corner of the room and several interviews taking place at once \u2013 all rotating at regular intervals as if I\u2019ve wandered into an A-list speed dating session.<\/p>\n

Nevertheless, creator Tony Schumacher and lead actor Martin Freeman easily drown out any possible distractions, capturing my attention with their palpable excitement for the BBC thriller \u2013 which returns this weekend after a two-year absence.<\/p>\n

The show\u2019s narrative makes a similar time jump, bringing some major changes to the life of troubled cop Chris Carson (Freeman), which I won\u2019t spoil here for those planning on tuning in. What remains identical, however, is his shift pattern, which takes the form of a seemingly never-ending sequence of exhausting night shifts.<\/p>\n

As was noted at the launch of season 1, Schumacher himself is a former policeman, meaning scenes on the beat have an air of authenticity that sits above your typical crime drama.<\/p>\n

Yet he insists that The Responder<\/a> is \u201cnot a cop show\u201d but a \u201clife show\u201d, with forensic labs, interrogation room duels and \u201cwhiteboards with bits of string\u201d among the tropes avoided.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a version of the show where [Chris] works in a supermarket,\u201d he told RadioTimes.com<\/a> in April. \u201cTo me, it\u2019s about people, it\u2019s not about cops.\u201d<\/p>

Freeman argues the same logic applies to The Office; the highly influential sitcom that shot him to stardom. While you wouldn\u2019t initially expect comparisons between a gritty drama set on the streets of Liverpool and a cringe-inducing mockumentary at a Slough paper merchant, there is a certain universality written in the DNA of both shows.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen we did The Office, so many people used to say, \u2018Isn\u2019t it great? Because I work in an office exactly like that.\u2019 Yeah, but it\u2019s also about people who don\u2019t work [in offices],\u201d the actor explained. \u201cYou don\u2019t have to be in that environment. All you have to do is fall in love with someone who doesn\u2019t love you back or just have to work with some t**t you can\u2019t get rid of \u2013 and that\u2019s everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n

Freeman continued: \u201cA lot of the stuff that I think really interests Tony is just about being alive, being human. Trying to keep your family together, trying not to be a complete f**k-up, trying to keep your friends, trying to know yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Responder marks a major departure for the star that extends far beyond his stellar accent work. Having never entirely shed the \u2018nice guy\u2019 screen persona that began with The Office\u2019s Tim Canterbury and endured through roles likes John Watson (in Sherlock) and Bilbo Baggins (in The Hobbit trilogy<\/a>), it\u2019s exciting to see him play a character so nuanced and unpredictable here.<\/p>\n

\"Chris