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Dramatice changes are in store for the Bugs team when the series makes its comeback on BBC1 this month
The new series of bugs explodes onto our screens this month with a new mission, new characters and a new style. Our heroic threesome are still out to save the world, but this time they get to have a personal life too. "We were all very positive about embellishing the human sides of Ed, Ros and Beckett," says Craig McLachlan, who returns as Ed. "We all felt that they had to open up their lives a bit to other people, and it's worked brilliantly."
Injecting some characterization into the stories was, perhaps, inevitable following last year's disappointing ratings. Bugs was a success when it first began, attracting millions of viewers with its action-packed stories and trio of ex-Soap stars. But, by the second year, the novelty started to wear off and a sizeable number of people either switched off or switched over. That might have been the end of Bugs if the BBC hadn't already committed itself to a third series. But committed it was, and so steps have been taken to shake up the format and persuade some of the show's lapsed viewers to give it another try.
At the centre of the new-look Bugs is a stronger emphasis on the characters. The aim is to add another layer of interest to the stories without detracting from the action and adventure that has become the show's trademark. "It's still very hi-tech and fast-moving," says Jaye Griffiths, who plays Ros, "but it doesn't mean that the characters have got to be cardboard ciphers. We all wanted the team to have a bit more of a private life away from the stunts, and that's really come through this time round… The writers have made it much more character-driven. There are a lot of very interesting frissons going on, and things developing that I rather like. I think that, as an actress, even in this glorious escapist material, it is important to take the character forward."
Love enters Ros's life in the shape of Channing Hardy (Michael Grandage), a businessman who is successfully marketing some of her inventions. Beckett takes an instant dislike to him and it soon becomes obvious that Beckett is jealous and is developing feelings for Ros himself. "The script writers have done a brilliant job fleshing out the plots and the characters," says Jesse Birdsall, who's back as Beckett. "We knew from fans that they were enjoying the series a lot, but unless things change a little in a progressive sense, you soon get stale and bored."
Another layer added to the action this time is the team's new boss, the mysterious 'Jan'. She is a highly powerful civil servant who uses Beckett to set up a secret government organisation, Bureau 2, and to persuade Ed and Ros to work for her. Their new job is to protect the country against internal and external threats which takes the series into the traditional, tried and trusted territory of secret agents. The move brings with it a whole new series of questions, particularly about Jan. No one knows her true identity - 'Jan' it transpire, is just her code name - and no one knows if she has an underlying motive. Ros, for one, doesn't trust her. "This enigmatic woman touches each of their lives in different ways," says actress Jan Harvey. "She knows Beckett of old, and relates better with him in the beginning. With Ros, she's pretty prickly. But with each of them, there's a deal of respect on both sides. She has a regard for their expertise, they have an equal - if sometimes gruding - regard for her efficiency, and she has the ability to get to people they wouldn't otherwise have a hope of reaching."
| Paula Hunt also joins the cast. She plays Alex, Jan's deceptively ordinary-looking secretary. "As the series starts she's a bit of a plain Jane, and quite happy doing the filing and playing a quiet back-up role," says the actress. "Until, that is, in he classic cinema way, someone lets her hair down, takes off her glasses and reveals her to be something rather different." Alex brings a new dynamic to the show, using martial arts to fight off the bad guys in true Avengers fashion. She teams up with Ed, allowing the stories to branch out, following Alex and Ed on one line of enquiry, while Beckett and Ros pursue another. She also provides a love interest for Ed. "As they get to know each other it becomes obvious that Ed would like to have a little bit of a fling with her," says Paula Hunt. "It ends up with them getting on, but not getting on. It's a sparring partnership that is funny and well observed. The audience will hear about a date they go on, that has gone horribly awry. Ed has tried to impress her, but only succeeds in making a total fool of himself. Alex certainly doesn't appreciate that. I rather think that she enjoys putting him down when he gets a bit bumptious and above himself." |
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The stronger human elements of the show are complemented by a new look. There are fewer hi-tech sets and more down-to-earth locations, including stately homes and Beckett's houseboat (introduced "so they can blow it up," according to Jesse Birdsall!). It's a departure from the futuristic look generated by filming on location in London's Docklands, and the decision seems to have been a practical, as well as a creative, one. They had had difficulties filming explosions in the second series following the Docklands bombing, while previously unused locations were getting harder to find. The production company was already filming Crime Traveller in Uxbridge on the other side of London, so it seemed sensible to base Bugs there too. It fell into place nicely with the desire to move away from the superficial gloss of a hi-tech environment and towards something more realistic.
With so many changes, the producers are keen to stress they have no intention of alienating their core audience. The idea is to enhance what they already have, not detract from it. "The most important thing about taking a show into a third series is to keep the appeal fresh," says co-producer Stewart Doughty. "The regular Bugs viewers won't be disappointed. There's still plenty of fast-paced action and excitement." The plots are still somewhat futuristic. The third episode about an 'engine killer' weapon with the ability to stop motor vehicles' the fourth episode is about holograms: and the final one sees the return of the Cyberax computer virus that can infect humans. The main cast is the same, as is the production team. Writers again include Science Fiction specialist Stephen Gallagher, who has been with the project since the beginning, and last year's script editor Colin Brake.
There is no guarantee that the new-look Bugs will claw back some of its lost audience. After all, it has been demoted to the summer schedule where even the most successful series struggle to lure viewers away from the evening sunshine. But Bugs is still at the heart of the Saturday evening schedule, and with its new mixture of action and characterization, that could well be enough to revive its fortunes.