Sharon D Clarke says Ellis will spark debate: "It’s not been seen before"
"I’ve never seen a Black, dark-skinned female woman in a title role in a cop show, ever."
New Channel 5 detective drama Ellis lands on our screens tonight (Thursday 31st October) and sees Sharon D Clarke lead the cast as the titular police officer, who we follow as she parachutes into various towns to help their failing investigations.
Talking about her leading role in the new series, Clarke has said that the very aspect of Ellis being a show that could "spark debate" is something that immediately pulled her in when deciding to be part of it.
Speaking to RadioTimes.com and other press at a roundtable for the series, Clarke said: "I came on board about a year and a half before the scripts were written. I had a chance to chat to Siân [Ejiwunmi-Le Berre] and see what the first drafts would be.
"My 'in' was really about the fact that I would be in this position to be doing what, for me, is something I’ve not seen on television before.
"So, without even seeing a script, just knowing that – for me, it’s a bit of history."
She continued: "I’ve never seen a Black, dark-skinned female woman in a title role in a cop show, ever. And that alone is the biggest draw for me before anything had gone in the script.
"If someone has this vision and someone wants to put that out there to the nation ... I always think that, when we do what we do in our industry as actors, we should be entertaining, we should elevate, we should inspire, we should educate and we should spark debate, start some kind of conversation.
"Something like Ellis is going to do that because it's not been seen before and so that was the draw for me, completely and utterly before I'd even seen any scripts."
The new three-part series will air weekly on Channel 5 and sees Clarke's Ellis joined by DS Harper (Andrew Gower) who together, try to get to the bottom of the cases that are perplexing these small towns.
Read more:
- Ellis star Sharon D Clarke: 'Meeting real-life Black DI was a blessing'
- Doctor Who's Sharon D Clarke commands the room in first look at Ellis
As per the series synopsis, Ellis "will have to win over the local cops and immerse herself in the cases she has come to solve".
It continues: "As a Black female detective, Ellis is used to being dismissed and overlooked, but she is a first-class murder detective with a commitment to bringing the guilty to justice, and a deep well of compassion for those who need it."
Clarke, who is known for her previous roles in Holby City and Doctor Who, has also spoken about how much of a "blessing" it was to meet a real-life Black Detective Inspector in preparation for her role in the new series.
By entering your details, you are agreeing to our terms and conditions and privacy policy. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Speaking about meeting Irene Afful, Clarke said: "She was the first Black female DI in Merseyside, and I probably had a two and a half hour Zoom with her, we just chatted.
"She just told me her experiences of joining the force, how she joined, and the two detectives that kind of championed her who thought she should be a DI and helped her through it.
"She'd had lots of racism before that, but hanging on in there, knowing that being within the institution she could make a difference for her and her community."
Ellis will begin airing at 8pm on Thursday 31st October on Channel 5.
Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to see what's on tonight. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
