Humans - about a parallel universe where people have robotic servants AKA ‘Synths’ - is one of the boldest, most bonkers dramas to come to Channel Four since Black Mirror. Which is exactly why we'll be watching it this weekend. We chatted to the captivating star of Humans, Gemma Chan, about why the C4 drama is her most exciting role yet...
1. It's bonkers, but really quite deep. 'We know little about the way the mind works,' says Gemma. 'I hope Humans makes people think about the way we live today.'
2. It's from the people who made Breaking Bad. 'AMC have a great track record,' she nods. 'It’s a hard act to follow. We’re all quite nervous because everyone has really big ambitions and I hope we've pulled it off.'
3. It's also, more surprisingly, a show about women. 'It's actually a really female driven show. I was talking to the writer and I said, "do you realise how many strong females who are really complex in their characters, you have written?"'
4. It's the role of a lifetime for Gemma Chan (and about time, too!) 'I’m naturally quite a fidgety person so I had a lot of homework to do, like ironing or folding washing ‘like a Synth,’ which is ultimately a machine,' she explains. 'They didn’t want any clichéd robotic head cocking or anything like that! The outtakes from the show will be hilarious; bumping into stuff and dropping things. I even fell down the stairs during one take.'
5. It will cure the Sunday night blues, no end. Like The Returned, it's epic, end of the weekend fodder. Enjoy!
Humans starts on Sunday 14 June