Top 30 Andrew Davies Quotes

I’m not one of these people who say how much better American drama is than English. I find it mostly too American, except for The Sopranos, which I think is the best thing.

People in the BBC are always dying to get out of their open-plan offices.

I would love it if anyone gave me the job of adapting ‘The Great Gatsby,’ but nobody ever does.

I had a mother who was very emotionally demanding, wanting to be the centre of attention. As they say in EastEnders, she thought it was all about ‘er. I spent a lot of time trying to work out what was going on.

Look at Jane Austen. Her characters derive in a reasonably straight line from fairy tales.

Novels often have leisurely openings; a TV drama needs an arresting opening.

When you see two writers named on a movie, one of them did some drafts and got the boot.

‘Affinity’ is beautiful and intense, with no laughs. It’s a rather delicate and emotional love story, with a spooky element.

I used to have this Mercedes, a dark blue 450SLC, which was the most beautiful car. I’d like to have another unusual, beautiful car.

A distinguished producer called Kenith Trodd actually lived in his office for over a year – the cleaners refused to go in because it was such a tip.

I suppose I have the tastes of someone who teaches at a university in the provinces.

‘Othello’ is the most domestic of Shakespeare’s tragedies and the one that’s likely to strike a personal note with a lot of people watching it.

I’m absolutely delighted if people think of me as a reliable purveyor of quality period stuff.

The BBC fulfils a wonderful cultural function. Maybe the problem is that it feels it needs to be everything to everybody.

The writer in movies is about as low as you can get and you really are a hired hand. You are paid a lot of money to be treated like dirt.

I remain, however, fairly optimistic for the future of period drama because it’s just such a popular thing.

Most actors hate readthroughs – they’re exposing themselves before they’re ready to, and before they’ve bonded. But I love them because they give us all the first inkling of what the whole show is going to be like, how each part affects every other part, and we won’t see that again until it’s all edited together.

From time to time there is a move to do a little less in the way of period dramas, but people rebel. Audiences say we want them. There is a big hunger for them. I don’t think it’s sentimentality or nostalgia, it’s often that they are simply the best stories.

I know that a ridiculous number of classic serials have been commissioned, and that reviews show a reaction against them. The critics seem fed up.

I adore doing classic adaptations, but I also feel their frustrations and their limitations.

I always do like to write love stories, even if they end tragically.

Taking the humour out of Dickens, it’s not Dickens any more.

People like bonnets. I don’t think you can under-estimate that.

I got quite cross when I heard about Emma Thompson adapting ‘Sense and Sensibility.’ It was absolutely childish of me, but I thought, ‘I should be doing that. They didn’t even ask me.’ Some mistake, surely.

I’m glad nobody has asked me to adapt ‘Wuthering Heights’ because I think I would make a mess of it. Everybody makes a mess of it. I think the Bronte Sisters are mad.

Plan for each episode to be a satisfying experience, but still leave the audience thinking, ‘Oh, my God! Now what?’

One of the things I’ve always thought is a drag in so many period adaptations is that they are always buttoned up to the neck in so many clothes all the time. I’m always looking for excuses to get them out of their clothes.

My wife likes history and documentaries, but I’m not so keen on them. I generally go and do some work if there’s one of those on.

Be careful about the advice you give, especially to your children.

I’d love to adapt more contemporary novels. But there isn’t really enough story and character to make a really satisfying serial, so they tend to be single dramas.