Rebecca Eaton has made an enormous contribution to the cultural life of America, and, more than that, she is one of the most fun people I know.

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

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.

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.

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

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