When you see two writers named on a movie, one of them did some drafts and got the boot.
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.
One of the things I've always thought is a drag in so many period adaptations is that they are always buttoned up to the neck in so many clothes all the time. I'm always looking for excuses to get them out of their clothes.
I was getting rewarded for writing well, from about the age of five or six. A teacher would say, "Look what Andrew has written," and I thought, "Maybe I could be a writer."
Novels often have leisurely openings; a TV drama needs an arresting opening.
I prefer love scenes to be shot up close with a lot of focus on eyes and mouths. Otherwise it can feel uncomfortable and voyeuristic.
Be careful about the advice you give, especially to your children.
The joy of writing drama is putting yourself into different people's heads.
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.
You're stuck with being yourself, so the important thing is to find people who like that.
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.
As a fairly innocent teenager, growing up in a village in Wales, I just thought, "God, I would like to go and hang about Soho and write great poetry and try to avoid drinking myself to death."
My wife likes history and documentaries, but I'm not so keen on them. I generally go and do some work if there's one of those on.
Look at Jane Austen. Her characters derive in a reasonably straight line from fairy tales.
I'm absolutely delighted if people think of me as a reliable purveyor of quality period stuff.
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."
I would love it if anyone gave me the job of adapting 'The Great Gatsby,' but nobody ever does.
I used to have this Mercedes, a dark blue 450SLC, which was the most beautiful car. I'd like to have another unusual, beautiful car.
I adore doing classic adaptations, but I also feel their frustrations and their limitations.
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 always do like to write love stories, even if they end tragically.
I know that a ridiculous number of classic serials have been commissioned, and that reviews show a reaction against them. The critics seem fed up.
I remain, however, fairly optimistic for the future of period drama because it's just such a popular thing.
I suppose I have the tastes of someone who teaches at a university in the provinces.
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.
