Line of Duty's Vicky McClure on how Trigger Point is different: "She couldn’t arrest anyone if she wanted to!"
McClure takes on the role of bomb disposal expert Lana Washington in the new ITV thriller.
Vicky McClure is back on our screens tonight in the first episode of ITV drama Trigger Point – and ahead of the debut, she has reiterated that the new show is a very different proposition to Line of Duty.
Although both shows are tense thrillers set in the world of the police, and despite the fact that she has donned somewhat similar uniforms across both series, McClure has explained that there is a key difference between her new character and Kate Fleming.
"She's not a copper; she couldn’t arrest anyone if she wanted to," she said during an appearance on Friday's Graham Norton Show. "She has to have a police officer by her at all times, she's a bomb disposal expert."
- The Big RT Interview: Read our Vicky McClure Trigger Point interview
Another difference is that whereas in Line of Duty McClure is one of three main stars – alongside Martin Compston and Adrian Dunbar – here she is very much taking the lead, and she said that that change made it an interesting experience.
"It really took me by surprise," she explained. "I felt like a crew member by the end. I was really up for it and the challenges I got in there; Lana’s story was all there, there was so much for me to do.
She added, "In the Met there aren’t any female bomb disposal experts. Until you get up close and personal you don’t know what happening or what's going on."
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These comments echo the sentiments of Line of Duty boss and Trigger Point producer Jed Mercurio, who stressed the differences between the shows towards the end of 2021.
"We're very proud of our collaboration on Line of Duty, and obviously thrilled with the way in which that series has connected with such a large audience," he said. "But I think that the audience [of Trigger Point] will realise that this is a very different piece of work."
But he added, "You know, it's great if people come to [Trigger Point] because they love Vicky from Line of Duty, and they want to see her in this particular role. So that would be lovely if it gives the show more attention."
Read more on Trigger Point:
- Meet the cast of Trigger Point, ITV's new drama from Line of Duty producer
- Trigger Point’s Vicky McClure teases “edge of your seat” bomb disposal drama
- Jed Mercurio reveals "mystery" hook behind new drama Trigger Point
Trigger Point begins on ITV at 9pm tonight (23rd January). See what else is on with our TV Guide, or visit our Drama hub for all the latest news.
Authors
Patrick Cremona is the Senior Film Writer at Radio Times, and looks after all the latest film releases both in cinemas and on streaming. He has been with the website since October 2019, and in that time has interviewed a host of big name stars and reviewed a diverse range of movies.
