{"id":560074,"date":"2026-03-24T00:56:09","date_gmt":"2026-03-24T00:56:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/560074\/"},"modified":"2026-03-24T00:56:09","modified_gmt":"2026-03-24T00:56:09","slug":"sue-vertue-and-steven-moffat-on-number-10-and-sherlock","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/560074\/","title":{"rendered":"Sue Vertue and Steven Moffat on ‘Number 10’ and ‘Sherlock’"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n\t\u2018Sherlock<\/a>\u2018 producer Sue Vertue<\/a> and co-creator Steven Moffat<\/a> talked at Series Mania<\/a> about their new political show \u201cNumber 10<\/a>,\u201d written by Moffat for Channel 4\/ITVS.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201c[It\u2019s about] British government, we don\u2019t know which party is in power. You have no idea. But, as I discovered in my research, it really makes no difference,\u201d says Moffat.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cIt\u2019s not a satire. Whatever the disastrous outcome, for most part, these people are trying to get a good outcome. It\u2019s funny and quite serious at times. I did an awful lot of research, which was usual for me, and got so many great stories about what goes on in this house. Yeah, I know they are politicians, but every proper sensible country governs from mighty buildings and castles. We got a wee street!\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cIf you want to look at British self-image and what we are like as a nation, go to Downing Street. This little street. That\u2019s us. That\u2019s how we are. Inside, the toilets don\u2019t often work, the lift breaks down, and in the room where they held the most important meetings, there is a sword \u2013 if everyone moves it, they\u2019ve broken a terrible law. You will find out why if you watch the show.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\tThe politics has very little to do with the show, he states. Even though it was filmed on the actual Downing Street.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cAs one character says, quoting a real-life Prime Minister: \u2018Most of this job is trying to choose between two unacceptable outcomes.\u2019 That\u2019s pure drama. That\u2019s glorious. \u2018Which one of these should I chose?\u2019 \u2018It\u2019s up to you, Prime Minister.\u2019 \u2018But they are both terrible? \u2018Yes, Prime Minister.\u2019 \u2018I will be blamed for it, won\u2019t I?\u2019 \u2018You will, Prime Minister.\u2019 \u2018Is more data coming in? Can we wait for it?\u2019 \u2018Yes, Prime Minister. No, Prime Minister.\u2019\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cThink of it as a workplace comedy drama \u2013 in the most ridiculous workplace. The one where if you have an accidental hookup at a Christmas party, it\u2019s going on the front page. If you have a serious hangover, you can start a war. It\u2019s a place of high drama, sometimes high principle, but staffed by just people,\u201d he notes.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cA lot of the stories are true. I\u2019ve disguised the names to protect the guilty, but tons of it actually happens. It\u2019s not about politics, because while making this show, any notion of having a political orientation went out of the window. I learnt too much. You are in a state of continuous crisis. What a perfect place to put a bunch of interesting characters in for a comedy drama.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tVertue adds: \u201cWe are so proud of this show. We finished filming on Friday. It\u2019s beautiful.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tA longtime couple in work and in life also talked about their partnership that spawned \u201cDracula\u201d or \u201cSherlock\u201d during the masterclass.<\/p>\n

\n\tThey spotted Cumberbatch in \u201cAtonement,\u201d where \u201che played a really creepy character. But he looked and sounded the part,\u201d says Moffat.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cHe had his demeanor. The BBC said: \u2018He\u2019s brilliant, just one thing: You did promise us a sexy Sherlock Holmes and he\u2019s not, is he?\u2019<\/p>\n

\n\tBefore Martin Freeman was cast, Matt Smith \u2013 Eleventh Doctor in \u201cDoctor Who\u201d \u2013 was one of the first people to audition for the role.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cMartin was a bit grumpy and we didn\u2019t think he wanted the part. Then his agent called me: \u2018No, he did, but he just had his wallet stolen\u2019,\u201d recalled Vertue, with Moffat adding:\u00a0\u201cThey are both brilliant but I don\u2019t know if they are ever more brilliant than when they are together.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\tWhen they first met, Vertue was a \u201cbigger name,\u201d says Moffat.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cI don\u2019t know, I guess making things like \u2018Mr. Bean\u2019 makes you famous. When we met, she was way out of my league. People ask: \u2018Is it a problem, working with your wife?\u2019 Well, raising children together is hard, too. If working together is \u2018hard,\u2019 what the hell are you doing getting married?!\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tHe adds: \u201cAlso, we are saving production money \u2013 we only need one hotel room.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tHow did they fall in love?<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cIn a bar,\u201d deadpans Vertue.<\/p>\n

\n\tOr, rather, at the Edinburg TV festival.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cYou know when you know immediately when it\u2019s right? We did. I promised another producer not to work with him for a year, kept my promise and then I nabbed him,\u201d she says.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\tThey also worked together on \u201cCoupling,\u201d which was close to their own story, they admit.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cWhatever you write, even nonsense like \u2018Doctor Who\u2019 and \u2018Sherlock,\u2019 you write what\u2019s in front of you. I went from being a single man to being a married man. I lived in a different place; I was \u2018a couple\u2019. The rules had to be rewritten: \u2018Stop flirting with women\u2019 \u2013 that was one,\u201d says Moffat.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cHow autobiographical [was it]? Not very. Every journalist would ask: \u2018Are any characters based on you and Sue?\u2019 \u2018Yes, those with our names. You are never gonna crack Watergate, are you?\u2019 But yes, there\u2019s some truth in it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201c[After we met] we said: \u2018Shall we be exclusive?\u2019 I said: \u2018I just have to go and dump someone.\u2019 Sue was dumping people for about a month, and it was so easy for her! Once someone called, she picked up and said: \u2018Oh hi! Sorry, I met someone. Bye\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tAccording to Moffat, \u201cif it\u2019s boring, stick some jokes in it.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cReal life is funny \u2013 drama is a lie. If you are saying goodbye to the love of your life, you can\u2019t wait for her to leave because you have to pee. These Sherlock stories? If you read the original, it\u2019s funny. Holmes is a funny guy, making impossible deductions and Watson still managing to be astonished by it. It\u2019s glorious stuff. [\u2018Sherlock\u2019 episode] \u2018A Scandal in Belgravia\u2019 is one of my favorite things and it\u2019s non-stop gags. You can\u2019t be too funny, too sexy or too pretty. Always go for funny.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\tHe adds: \u201cHumor is truth on speed, that\u2019s what it is. It\u2019s insight with velocity. We had a tradition: When Sue reads a script, I move very far from her in case I want to ask: \u2018Why haven\u2019t you laughed yet?\u2019 People must laugh when they read the script. You must laugh before you write a line. I used to say about comedy writing: Stare at the window until you make yourself laugh, and when you do, write it down.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\tVertue says: \u201cHe does all the voices and all the parts, and he\u2019s laughing while walking down the street. Our son would say to his friends when they were coming over: \u2018Don\u2019t worry about my dad. He\u2019s not mad, he\u2019s just writing\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tSally Mais<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\u2018Sherlock\u2018 producer Sue Vertue and co-creator Steven Moffat talked at Series Mania about their new political show \u201cNumber…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":560075,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[64,63,128383,134,60985,276364,276365,60986,276366,427],"class_list":["post-560074","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-tv","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-benedict-cumberbatch","tag-entertainment","tag-number-10","tag-series-mania","tag-sherlock","tag-steven-moffat","tag-sue-vertue","tag-tv"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/560074","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=560074"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/560074\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/560075"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=560074"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=560074"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=560074"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}