Trevor Eve, 73, makes stance clear on rebooting hit drama BBC Shoestring 40+ years after axe: ‘I had the rights!’
Trevor Eve has spoken candidly about the possibility of a remake of the legendary BBC detective drama Shoestring.
The 73-year-old actor played the titular troubled detective until he abruptly left the series in 1980 after only two series.
Eve left after wanting to “diversify into theatre roles” which ultimately led the production time to produce a similar series in Bergerac.
John Nettles played the new brooding eponymous investigator in the series which ran until 1991 across 10 seasons.
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“As John Nettles says, ‘I owe my entire career to Trevor Eve.’ I’m still waiting for him to buy me that pint,” Eve joked while speaking with Radio Times.
The actor was being quizzed on the reboot of Bergerac currently airing on U&Drama and streaming service U.
When asked if the original Shoestring was due for a similar refresh, Eve was not confident.
“I’m not sure who has the rights now. I had them for a long time,” he explained.
The 73-year-old also wondered if there would be the same appetite for a remake, fearing he “wasn’t sure Shoestring had the same impact” as Bergerac.
Even still, Eve admitted he is asked by fans about the show, which he thought was “fabulous”.
He was also keen to throw cold water on the rumours; he did not care for people mentioning the classic series to him.
Eve emphasised he remained “very proud” of Shoestring some 40 years after it left screens.
Righting what Eve felt were incorrect perceptions of him was a key theme in his chat with Radio Times.
He began acting in his native Birmingham under the tutelage of legendary thespian Sir Laurence Olivier and, as a result, maintained a rigorous dedication to his craft throughout his 50-year career.
However, this often rubbed people the wrong way – including making changes to scripts that he didn’t care for.
“I upset some people. But I was only difficult because I cared,” Eve assured.
Yet, in recent years, he has softened his approach. Eve admitted he no longer makes edits to scripts and performs them as originally intended.
Nowhere was this new mindset better seen than in Eve’s upcoming drama I, Jack Wright.
The series follows a family after the death of their wealthy patriarch, played by Eve, who leaves nothing for them in his will.
Having worked with creator Chris Lang previously, Eve happily took on an incomplete script dealing only with the parts where he featured.
Even admitted: “I’ve no idea what happens after I die.”