How the creators of Netflix's Criminal got such a good cast
Watching Netflix's new crime drama Criminal is a lot like seeing a stage play – there are lengthy, intense monologues, the costumes and props are integral to the story, and the show depends on the power of the performances.
And it's these unique elements which enticed big name stars such as David Tennant and Hayley Atwell to guest star in the show.
The police procedural series – filmed across four different countries – mainly takes place in an interrogation suite, occasionally spilling out into an observation room and the police station corridor.
Therefore every microscopic detail – down to the character's clothing, their mannerisms, facial expressions, the way they are sitting in their chair, and *that* lone pen on the interviewing table – bears significance.
As it was filmed chronologically, it gave the actors "as close to a pure acting experience" as they'd usually only enjoy on stage.
Writer George Kay told Digital Spy: "Performance is so important, that's why we've been able to get a good cast across all four of the countries [UK, Spain, France, and Germany] because, bluntly, it's chance to act in front of a global audience, close-up for 40 minutes, and that's quite a rare thing.
"And if the scripts are good, then that's going to be an exciting thing to do. The scripts in the other countries have been really strong, and as a result they've got as famous a cast in their countries as we have in ours. The German series has Nina Hoss... all of your big actors in one show, so we're thrilled with the casting."
Creator and director Jim Field Smith added: "We were able to track the right talent here not just because of the strength of the scripts, but because these opportunities don't come along very often.
"As filmmakers, as actors, you're in a really intense setting, not bouncing around all over the place. I think that's why the actors enjoyed the experience of making it, because it's as close to a pure acting experience as you get. Normally on a TV drama you're breaking across multiple days and you might do a piece here – this was closest to a theatrical play experience."
Atwell's impassioned monologues in episode two are all the more engrossing and authentic because they have been acted out in real time, rather being cut in the edit.
"Tennant and Atwell have these long unbroken sections – particularly with Hayley, she's just talking for a lot in the episode, that's her character, she tends to rattle off a lot of words a minute, but also that's the nature of how that interview goes," Smith continued.
"So Hayley just treated it like it was a monologue, and we just ran and ran, and that speaks to the quality of her performance because it's all real. It's not built in the edit, it's her. It's not manufactured."
Regular cast member Katherine Kelly, who plays stalwart Detective Hobbs, said that she relished the scenes because they were filmed in order and so felt organic. That the episodes are held together by the meticulous interaction between police and suspect was also appealing.
"The time you are rolling and shooting [on an average TV show] is quite minimal in the day because you're moving locations, and now it's raining so you have to move and get continuity, and filming Criminal was all stripped of that," the Cheat star explained.
"The most expensive thing to do is to move locations and so you get somewhere and you do all the scenes in this location on that day for however many episodes. It's not just about remembering the lines but you're trying to figure out what you're doing. This was like a play – you never film in continuity.
"You never get a dialogue-heavy show either, whereas this, it's all about human beings and what's going on between them, so the responsibility rests on your shoulders and there's no way to hide with that and I relished that."
The series is made up of 12 episodes split between the four territories, which are the UK, France, Germany and Spain.
The cast in the UK edition also includes Lee Ingleby and Youssef Kerkour.
Criminal is available to stream on Netflix now.
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