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

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

I had a very high opinion of my father's judgement of things and he said, "You better get a job that pays the bills because a writer doesn't make any money. If possible, get a job that allows you to write in your spare time."

The older I get, the more fun it is to write young people. It's just a holiday from what is becoming old age, really.

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 joy of writing drama is putting yourself into different people's heads.

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