The Stage

Lack of TV drama obstructs emerging talent, says Dibley star Fleet

Published Tuesday 7 October 2008 at 15:35 by Matthew Hemley

Vicar of Dibley star James Fleet has criticised the lack of drama on television for depriving new actors of a platform for their talents.

Fleet, best known for playing Hugo in the BBC sitcom and for starring in the film Four Weddings and a Funeral, said the quantity of television drama was “lamentable” and hit out at ITV in particular for appearing to favour reality formats over the genre.

He said: “Everything in the paper you read is about broadcasters cutting money and in economic straits, the first thing they will do is hesitate about drama. I would hate to be starting out as an actor now, because it’s a different world.

“When I started acting, they used to make Screen Two and Play For Today. Now they want to restrict public service stuff so ITV doesn’t want to do anything else apart from The X Factor. It’s terrible.”

He added: “I think there is too much reality stuff, but that’s what television is becoming. Ten years ago, I used to watch quite a lot of television. Now I go on the internet or listen to the radio.”

Speaking to The Stage, Fleet, who is about to appear in the BBC’s forthcoming adaptation of Charles Dickens’ Little Dorrit, said he thought the quality of drama on British television was good, but said there should be more opportunities in both theatre and television to provide career paths for young actors.

“If you leave drama school today and get in to EastEnders you’ve made it. When I left drama school, there was the idea of doing Shakespeare and rep, but it just seems to me they [young actors] do less interesting work. I am constantly acting with people who are very accustomed to making rubbish sound good, which is a quite a skill in itself, but a sad one to have acquired,” he said.