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

The most moving scene for me in 'Pride and Prejudice' is the Pemberley music room scene: Elizabeth has just saved Darcy's sister from embarrassment and confusion, and as the music plays on, Darcy's look of gratitude becomes a look of love, which we see reciprocated in Elizabeth's eyes.

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

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

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.

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.