Ralph & Katie star picks The A Word cast he wants back for season 2
Leon Harrop spoke exclusively with RadioTimes.com after being chosen for this year's BAFTA Breakthrough scheme.
The A Word spin-off series Ralph & Katie arrived on our screens earlier this year, with the two leads played by Leon Harrop and Sarah Gordy joined by co-stars Pooky Quesnel and Matt Greenwood, also returning as their A Word characters.
However, given The A Word's extensive cast, not everybody from the original show was able to return for the spin-off, and it seems that's something Harrop would like to see rectified in a potential second season.
RadioTimes.com caught up with Harrop exclusively as he was chosen for this year's BAFTA Breakthrough scheme, which is supported by Netflix and provides a springboard to creatives in film, games and TV.
Asked whether there were any cast members from The A Word that he would want to see return for a second season of Ralph & Katie, Harrop said: "Yes – Rebecca [Hughes, played by Molly Wright], Christopher Eccleston, Morven Christie, Joe [Hughes, played by Max Vento] and Lee Ingleby."
It was explained early in Ralph & Katie season 1 that Eccleston's character Maurice was "trekking in Nepal, the Annapurna ranges". Ralph's mum Louise, played by Pooky Quesnel, says in the first episode that he had "just turned 60 and he needed a new challenge, he'd run out of people to annoy in Cumbria".
As he hasn't been written out of the series permanently, there is always therefore a chance that we could see Eccleston return should a second season be confirmed.
When it comes to Ralph & Katie season 2, Harrop said that it was "all in the air at the moment", but added that the team had their "fingers crossed".
"The fans are shouting out for season 2."
Asked how he felt to have been chosen for this year's BAFTA Breakthrough scheme, Harrop added: "I'm over the moon. I'm really, really chuffed. I'm really excited that I've got this, it's amazing!"
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Alongside Harrop, individuals chosen for this year's Breakthrough scheme from the UK include: Alex Thomas, Alyx Jones, Ambika Mod, Chloë Fairweather, Diana Olifirova, Emily Brown, Jack Rooke, Jamal Green, Joanna Boateng, Marley Morrison, Morag Taylor, Nell Barlow, Nicôle Lecky, Paul Sng, Rose Ayling-Ellis, Runyararo Mapfumo, Sophie Cunningham, Theo Williams, Zachary Soares and Luciana Nascimento.
Meanwhile, US Breakthroughs include: Alex Pritz, Amrit Kaur, Brandon Perea, Charlotte Hornsby, Clare Knight, Daphne Qin Wu, Ellie Foumbi, Megan Fox, Melissa Adeyemo, Rebeca Huntt, Robert Ouyang Rusli and So Yun Um.
Ralph & Katie season 1 is available now on BBC iPlayer . Check out our Drama hub for more news, interviews and features or find something to watch with our TV Guide and Streaming Guide.
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Authors
James Hibbs is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering programmes across both streaming platforms and linear channels. He previously worked in PR, first for a B2B agency and subsequently for international TV production company Fremantle. He possesses a BA in English and Theatre Studies and an NCTJ Level 5 Diploma in Journalism.
