Too involved in the character

New series

The name of Sue Vertue is well-known in the world of television.

Not only is she the legendary producer of worldwide phenomena ‘Sherlock’ but also has shows like ‘Coupling’, ‘Mr Bean’ and ‘Doctor Who’ to her name. Her passion for ‘Sherlock’, the third season of which airs on November 4, is evident when she speaks about the show.

“I love everything about it — the script, working with the actors and the pride the crew seem to have when they’re working. I think we all know that we’re all working on something quite special,” she tells Metrolife.

What adds to this love is the fact that she is married to the show’s co-creator Steven
Moffat, often resulting in the character going home with them from the sets.

“We worked together for several years and did a comedy that was based on the two of us meeting. So we’re sort of used to it. Also, it’s easier sometimes if a husband and wife both have jobs where they understand what the other one’s job is. We know exactly what a good day and bad day is.

It works well and there’s no feeling of conflict even when we disagree,” shares Sue, who enjoys watching American shows like ‘Breaking Bad’, ‘The Newsroom’, ‘Hannibal’ and ‘West Wing’.

As fans would remember, the finale of the previous season shows Sherlock having committed suicide to prevent his arch-enemy Moriarty from killing his friends.
Asked what to expect in the next season, Sue reveals, “Sherlock’s alive.

There’s a lovely relation between Mycroft and him. We see how John feels when Sherlock comes back, which wasn’t covered in the original stories. And we see John get married!” Is there a romantic side of Sherlock too? “You’ll have to wait and see,” she laughs.

With time, the show’s cast and crew have become like family to her. “When the show airs here, we all gather around at someone’s house and watch it together. We clap for each other’s name and have a great time,” says Sue, adding, “what’s great is that they haven’t changed since the first season even though they’re now huge stars. When you do the first read-through for the next episode, it’s like a big family reunion. We all get along and e-mail when we’re not working together.”

On Benedict Cumberbatch, who plays the lead role, she says, “He’s not naturally like Sherlock but he’s a stunning actor. He’s a very intelligent person which obviously helps when he’s playing the role. What suddenly comes out when he turns into Sherlock is extraordinary.”

 Surprisingly, it was not always her dream to become a television producer.
“I grew up in the world of film and television. My mother’s been a producer and my sister was an assistant director.

I would have liked to be a lawyer but I’m not very good at arguments. I’ve never felt that I must be a producer but realised that I do like and understand
that world and the people in it,” she recalls.

Her future production to watch out for is a gritty drama called ‘The Guilty’.