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

From time to time there is a move to do a little less in the way of period dramas, but people rebel. Audiences say we want them. There is a big hunger for them. I don't think it's sentimentality or nostalgia, it's often that they are simply the best stories.

A distinguished producer called Kenith Trodd actually lived in his office for over a year - the cleaners refused to go in because it was such a tip.

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.

Look at Jane Austen. Her characters derive in a reasonably straight line from fairy tales.

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.