James Nesbitt gives fans hope for yet another series or two of Cold Feet
Cold Feet’s James Nesbitt, John Thomson and Robert Bathurst talk middle-aged dilemmas, getting down with the kids and where they go from here
It was one of telly’s most heartening comebacks when Cold Feet returned in 2016 – a little bit older but none the worse for it – after a potentially terminal 13-year absence.
And although James Nesbitt, John Thomson and Robert Bathurst – aka Adam, Pete and David – made another hit return last night with a seventh series, when we join them for an exclusive chat and photo shoot, they’re still not taking anything for granted.
“No one has at any stage in the history of this show assumed that it was going to work,” says Robert.
“The biggest reaction I received from viewers was relief: ‘Thank God it worked.’ People had a lot of emotions invested in it.”
“Better to go in with low expectations and be amply rewarded,” grins John. “That’s my motto. But people wanted us to succeed.”
“Also, you don’t know,” agrees James. “It’s as simple as that. What I felt was that people were happy to see the characters again.”
Fay Ripley (Jenny) revealed to TV Magazine last year that she took herself off to the premiere of Bridget Jones’s Baby the night the very first ‘comeback’ episode aired to take the pressure off.
But a quick check of her Twitter feed at the end of the film reassured her enough to go and enjoy a drink. How was it for the boys?
“I got a call saying Chris Evans wanted to speak to me on his Radio 2 show the day after it aired,” remembers John.
“The first time round, we didn’t have social media. It was just word of mouth. But the internet went absolutely berserk.
“I tend to dip in and out of Twitter as time allows, but I do try to ‘like’ things and respond
to people who ask me questions – it took me three nights to do all my responses!
That was just to be grateful to the fans who, inevitably, make the show. It’s not us. If they don’t watch, we don’t get recommissioned. When I spoke to Chris, he said: ‘You sound overwhelmed.’ I said: ‘That’s for the simple reason that I am.’”
One thing that seems to have taken them all by surprise is the way younger audiences have responded to the show’s return.
Robert, 60, James, 52, and 48-year-old John – who play roughly the same ages on screen and are all parents to youngsters – didn’t expect a drama about middle-aged men and women dealing with middle-aged problems (and plenty of dad dancing) to go down well with ‘the kids’.
“I’m not one of those number-crunching, figures-reading types of people,” says John, “but I’ve had feedback about the young demographic. What’s it called? The A-something?”
“A-holes?” jokes James.
“Youf with an ‘f’!” laughs John. “That has always been this unattainable demographic in TV for the simple reason that those people are going out drinking and meeting partners.”
“The 16-24s did well,” nods Robert. “I’m amazed at their obedience. They were told by their parents: ‘You’ve got to watch this.
We used to like it in the old days.’ I’d have thought that would be the one thing that would put them off. It’s quite extraordinary.”
“But we had very strong storylines,” says John. “Adam’s impulsive second marriage [to Angela] then looking for love [with neighbour Tina]; it had David going to prison for fraud; and Pete’s depression and suicide attempt.
"They were great hooks. This time round, I have to admit that it’s a slower burn. But that’s fair enough because we’ve re-established the show.”
Thankfully, life for Pete appears to be on the up this series. There was a minor windfall for him and Jenny that has eased their money troubles – Pete’s now chauffeuring wealthy Cheshire women around (including Happy Valley’s Siobhan Finneran as Nikki Kirkbright) and his depression has responded to medication.
“His mental-health problems are still there, but obviously the medication works so we’ll go with that,” says John.
“The depression is not greatly referred to this series. We’ve got Pete wanting to nurture his happier side. He likes the old people’s home [where he spots a job for an entertainment officer] and has a great relationship with the old ladies and old men...”
“Fancies them, in fact,” interjects James.
“That could be a whole other show, couldn’t it?” John laughs.
“It could be a sitcom – ‘What A Grey Day’. So yes, Pete is nurturing his caring side. That in itself is an antidepressant for him. Whereas driving very wealthy Cheshire types is very detrimental to his health.
So Pete’s at a crossroads. Which path does he take?”
As for Adam and David – the path of true love and potentially co-habiting with Tina is not running smoothly for Adam, while David is steered in the direction of ‘filthy rich’ Nikki, with typically hazardous consequences.
“Adam has seen off Jamie,” reveals James, of Tina’s irritating guitar-playing ex. “But for how long? With Adam, as is usually the case, the obstacles are put there by himself. He can’t seem to be content.
He finds contentment hard. Rachel [his late wife] was very good at quelling that. There’s a thing with Adam of: ‘Is that it?’
I think that’s common with all of us at my age. I’m very fortunate that I’m very happy in work and in life, but there’s that nagging thing – is there another chapter?”
“I think, however assured David appears to be, there’s nothing that life throws at him that doesn’t take him by surprise,” adds Robert.
“That middle-aged yearning, as James was saying, when you do look back and you do look forward, and you are asking in midlife with words that are more often associated with the deathbed: ‘Is that it?’ I think that’s a really key thing. But David can’t look forward. Yet again, he finds things that trip him up.
He gets himself in some terrible pickles.”
In the flesh, all three actors at least sound similar to their characters.
“There are times when there’s not a million miles between Adam and myself, I’m sure,” confesses James.
Robert is a lot more assured and less hapless than David, though, and former Fast Show star John is much funnier than poor fretful Pete.
“There is something that happened to Pete that I just don’t get,” admits John.
“It was just prior to his split from Jenny when she went to America. On the morning of their wedding anniversary, he kind of knocked up a breakfast – which was an amazing feat for Pete – and really went to town, flowers on the table, apron on. Jenny turned round and went: ‘Pete, I don’t love you any more.’ Tragedy.”
John pauses.
“However... it was a big ask for Pete to knock up a breakfast back then,” he continues.
“Now, he’s never got an apron off. He’s always chopping something. I think in these interim years he’s gone to some kind of catering school. People used to ask the difference between me and Pete, and I’d say: ‘Well, Pete can’t cook – I can.’ So I don’t know where that came from.”
There’s also great amusement that David’s son Josh is nowhere to be seen.
“Joshy went to university and hasn’t appeared this series,” smiles Robert. “Actually, Joshy [Daniel O’Brien] has got a part in The Durrells!”
For all the good-humoured banter, there’s no doubting what a significant role the show has played in all their lives.
“None of us will look back and go: ‘God, I wish I hadn’t been in Cold Feet,’” says James.
“It’s been very good for all of us and opened many doors. It’s evolved and we’ve evolved with it. And it’s not something that you can just wing. It’s continued to challenge us.”
“We never just ‘clock on’,” agrees Robert. “You try not to do that with any job, but this one in particular.”
“I’m very grateful that I’m in a show that has quality in it,” says John.
“I remember watching things as a kid and hearing my mum go: ‘Oh, it’s him from The Brothers’ or ‘It’s him from Bouquet Of Barbed Wire.’ I didn’t have a clue what she was on about, but I could tell those actors had made an impact in those shows.”
So is there already talk of series eight?
“It’s down to the ratings,” says John.
“Truthfully?” asks James. “I don’t know if this is the right thing to say, but I would be very happy to do Cold Feet for as long as Cold Feet want me to do it.”
The chorus of emphatic nods around the table suggests there’s plenty more to come.
Cold Feet Friday 9pm ITV
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