I’m a sophisticated kind of guy, I’ve really got to dig deep to become this dotty old man : Features 2024 : Chortle : The UK Comedy Guide

Q&As with Only Child stars Gregor Fisher and Greg McHugh

Gregor Fisher and Greg McHugh star as father and son, Ken and Richard Pritchard, in the new six-part comedy series Only Child, starting on the BBC next week. In these, not entirely serious, Q&As, the stars talk about the show and working together…

Gregor Fisher

What’s the relationship like between Ken and Richard?

This is like being in the psychiatrist’s chair or something. What’s the relationship? I’m his daddy and he’s my son and I suppose the relationship is quite a wee bit tricky because I’m maybe slightly doitit [dotty], old… maybe slightly on the eccentric side, shall we say. 

And he’s a bit of a hoarder, and his memory maybe isn’t as sharp as it should be. A bit like me, actually. I’m an absolute bloody shoo-in for this part. Because all these things are true of me.

What brings Richard back to live with his dad?

A train. He comes on a train and he arrives in Forres Station…and all because that’s what it said on the script. 

I think he’s probably, a bit pissed off with London because things aren’t going his way. Like most children, they always turn up and say: ‘My dad will help me out.’

I think he’s probably a wee bit concerned about his dad. I think he’s concerned, but it happens by  accident as well, as all good comedy does.

What other characters do we meet in Only Child?

There’s Rod who’s next door, played by Stuart Bowman, who’s good fun. Oh yes, there’s an absolute nutcase of a character called Digsy [played by Paul Rattray] who’s a nutcase, but he’s very charming at the same time, and he’s always stealing things, bikes and sausages and the like.  

What can viewers expect from this new comedy series?

You might be able to giggle now and again, comedy series…that gives you the clue! It’s not going to be some sort of documentary. Nothing too difficult to understand. Just a bit of, a half an hour of sheer unadulterated pleasure.

What has it been like working with Greg McHugh?

Pretty average. He’s quite young. He’s got a great deal to learn. He goes out at night. He turns up. He knows the words, he’s not very good at hitting the mark. He causes a bit of trouble with the cameraman. And sometimes he stands in my light. I don’t think it’s deliberate. I think it’s just, stupidity, really.

Do you relate to Ken at all?

Not at all. No, I’m not a bit like Ken. I look a bit like him, but that’s where the similarity ends. Ken’s a bit of a…whereas I am a man of the world. Sophisticated kind of guy, I’ve really got to dig deep to find Ken.

Greg McHugh 

So, what’s the relationship like between Ken and Richard?

Complex. Richard loves Ken, Ken loves Richard but like all families, they don’t get on all the time. And in fact, the more time they spend together, the less they tend to get on. And it’s just kind of like every family really, or many families in that respect.

What brings Richard back to live with his dad?

Well, it’s a combination of things. Richard is an actor whose career isn’t going terribly well…there’s no reflection on me personally about this! And he goes and moves back in with his dad. 

He’s not working very much, his mum has died a year before…and so he goes back to see his dad to kind of help him adjust to life as a widower.

What can viewers expect?

Relatable material in that it’s about a son – that could be a daughter – who moves home to really look at the inevitable issue of parents growing older and how you have to cope with that and their idiosyncrasies.

Have you and Gregor ever worked together before?

When I was not long into drama school I did a couple of episodes of Rab C Nesbitt in my youth and I was so nervous to, act opposite him I couldn’t say my lines. Whereas this time round, I still can’t say my lines but I’m not as nervous.

And what has it been like working together?

Amazing. I have absolutely loved it. So, I hope the audiences enjoy it, we think we’re making a good show. Bryce Hart has written really beautiful scripts which have got heart and comedy.

Do you relate to your character at all?

I think this is probably the closest I have played to myself. I’m not Richard, I sometimes find him a bit annoying. Although, people might say that about me, who know me. So, I can relate to Richard a lot.

Obviously, I’m an actor for a living. I understand the ups and downs. I also understand the reality of coping with slightly older parents, who I’m very lucky to still have… but who are also maddening.

What do you love most about your character, Richard?

I love the fact that Richard does care about people. I like that element to him  and I think that’s important in terms of what he invests in people. But, with that, he’s also quite irritating. 

He’s actually quite manipulative, Richard, in what he does.

He’s an actor and he doesn’t ever forget that. So actually, he seems lovely, but there’s a side to him that’s just a bit self-involved. He’s an odd one. He seems nice, but actually he’s a bit of an idiot.

• All episodes of Only Child drop on BBC iPlayer on Thursday November 21 . It airs on BBC Scotland that night and on BBC One the next day.

Published: 12 Nov 2024