Rebus is making its way to our screens in a fresh take on Sir Ian Rankin’s Edinburgh-set crime novels.
The six-part series sees Richard Rankin (Outlander, The Replacement) take on the role of the no-nonsense, rule-breaking Scottish sleuth, who was previously played by John Hannah and Ken Stott.
As the drama begins, Rebus, who is a Detective Sergeant in his 40s and younger than in the most recent novels, is paired up with ambitious newcomer DC Siobhan Clarke, played by Lucie Shorthouse (Henpocalypse!, We Are Lady Parts).
Along with a troubled home life, Rebus is also facing an ongoing conflict with his nemesis, gangster Ger Cafferty (Guilt and The Control Room's Stuart Bowman). And when an associate of Cafferty’s is attacked, Rebus and Siobhan must investigate. But matters become complicated when Rebus’ cash-strapped brother Michael (The Ipcress File and The Victim’s Brian Ferguson) also gets involved in the underworld.
Here, Richard Rankin and Lucie Shorthouse give the lowdown on Rebus…
Rebus is such a popular character from the books and previous adaptations. How do you see both him and Siobhan in this version?
Richard Rankin: “Rebus is an ex-soldier who’s now a detective in the Scottish police force and he has questionable means of going about his job. His work life and his personal life are at a crossroads.”
Lucie Shorthouse: “And Siobhan is new so she is eager to prove herself, she's come up through the accelerated leadership pathway, so she hasn't taken the traditional route.”
What does it add to have Rebus as a younger man than he is in the later books?
Richard Rankin: “We’re shifting the world and moving the landscape. It gives us more danger and dynamism. As he’s about 10 years out of the army, I explored how that part of his life still manifests itself now. If he’d been older, those things would be less relevant for him.”
How do Rebus and Siobhan work together?
Richard Rankin: “Rebus is quick to judge. Siobhan represents the bureaucratic side of the police, which gets in Rebus’ way because he oversteps boundaries. But he warms to Siobhan. And she starts to open his eyes to how he's behaving.”
Lucie Shorthouse: “Yes, Siobhan doesn't understand their pairing at the beginning. There's a bit of a push and pull. But they can both learn from each other. He has maverick ways of operating and she pulls him back into line but she also needs to think more outside the box. They find their groove.”
How do you see Rebus’ relationship with his brother Michael?
Richard Rankin: “It's complicated! There are years of history. You have this interesting parallel, they’re so similar, but they operate in different ways. Rebus tries to keep a lid on things, maybe because he's a cop, but Michael’s aggression is right there and so there’s potential for conflict between them.”
Have you read any of the books or watched the previous TV adaptations?
Richard Rankin: “I was familiar with Rebus and my dad was an ex-cop, so he watched it all the time. And the books are great. I read a couple and Ian came to set and was so supportive.”
Lucie Shorthouse: “Both my best friends are massive bookworms so I remembered seeing the books on their shelves. And then when I got the audition, I asked my parents about the previous series, and they were big fans. And since then, I've read the books. It was nice to get a sense of that world and to understand why people love it. Hopefully we've done it justice.”
Finally, what was it like filming in Edinburgh?
Lucie Shorthouse: “I've been before for the Fringe but it was different seeing the pockets of Edinburgh that are featured in the books. And when we were filming, every time we'd come onto the Royal Mile for a take, there would be more people crowding trying to get a look at Richard. He was a top attraction!”
Richard Rankin: “It doesn’t happen often! But one day we had to stop filming and pretend that we were finished and come back later! Filming in Edinburgh was great though. We shot in some incredible locations like the Mound and Edinburgh Castle. Edinburgh is such a great character in the story.”
Rebus airs on BBC Scotland and on BBC iPlayer from Friday 17 May and will air on BBC One from Saturday 18 May. We will let you know about a US release as soon as it's announced.
