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Press Releases & Press Packs

06.03.03

TV DRAMA SCOTLAND

Real Men

A new drama for 91热爆 TWO, starts Wednesday 12 March at 9.00pm and concludes Thursday 13 March at 9.00pm

Press pack available

Real Men, a two-part serial made by 91热爆 Scotland for 91热爆 TWO, is a searing new work from Frank Deasy (Looking After Jo Jo, The Grass Arena).

A powerful drama about sexual manipulation, the loss of innocence and the betrayal of trust, it looks set to make a huge impact on viewers.

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We view disturbing events through the eyes of Detective Inspector Matthew Fenton (played with genuine magnetism by Ben Daniels, best known as the manipulative Finn from Cutting It). As he embarks on what he thinks is a straightforward missing child investigation, Fenton soon stumbles upon a network of abuse whose tentacles stretch far into the community.

In order to get to the heart of this web of corruption, he must win the trust of Russell, a vulnerable 12-year-old boy. But the more he probes this case, the more Fenton is forced to confront uncomfortable elements in his own relationships.

David Snodin, the award-winning producer responsible for such landmark productions as Crime and Punishment, Holding On and Great Expectations, thinks that viewers will be riveted by this unusually potent drama, which also stars Charles Dale (Paradise Heights, The Lakes, Coronation Street), Christine Tremarco (Clocking Off, Swallow) and Zoe Telford (Teachers, Men Only) and is directed by Sallie Aprahamian (The Sins, This Life, The Lakes).

"The moment I started reading it, I couldn't put it down," Snodin says. "By exploring the links between the perpetrators of abuse and their victims, I believe that Real Men provides the deepest examination of this subject in a drama to date."

Snodin continues by underlining the authenticity of Deasy's script. According to the producer: "This piece is drenched in truth, so it can't be exploitative. Frank's writing may be dangerous and close to the bone, but it's always truthful. You get drawn into the world of these characters - you don't approve of it, but Real Men just shows you how it is."

Barbara McKissack, who is Head of Drama for 91热爆 Scotland and Co-Executive Producer with Deasy and Victoria Evans, reinforces the point: "Frank and I had been talking for a long time about doing a drama which looks at the issue of child protection," she says.

"The initial inspiration for Real Men came from the sheer number of cases that have happened over the past decade. We realised how endemic the abuse of power within the child-care system had become. I'm afraid it's a phenomenal problem.

"Current research shows that if you're abused as a child, you can develop a distorted view on sexuality and power which may affect you as an adult. We thought it was the perfect, weighty subject for Frank to tackle."

The result is an enormously affecting piece of work.

She explains: "Fenton, who is new to this world, is our guide through the shocking levels of deception that paedophiles practise. Fenton's response will be the same as most viewers', so he is a great way of getting into the story.

"Through him, we begin to understand that being the victim of the abuse of power as a child may well have an effect on you as an adult. The tragic, life-time impact on the victims is handled with great delicacy."

McKissack is quick to stress how responsible Real Men is in dealing with what is an undoubtedly sensitive subject.

"In approaching this topic," she declares, "you realise that your audience will include a number of people who have suffered abuse themselves, so you've got to be absolutely responsible about what you're showing. Making this drama, we were well aware of the enormous duty to get it right."

Aprahamian enhanced this responsible approach: "I tried to mirror the sensitivity of the script in my direction," she says. "The skill of Frank's writing is that he manages to make an unpalatable subject gripping. So rather than sensationalising it, I tried to film it in as factual a way as possible."

McKissack also highlights Real Men's topicality: "Frank wrote this before any of the high-profile recent cases - it was inspired by inquiries from years ago. But it goes to show that the story is still horribly relevant - in fact, it's quite scary and staggering how relevant it has turned out to be."

The Executive Producer goes on to praise the cast: "We have secured a team of fantastic actors who do a wonderful job of portraying how the scarring from abuse can sometimes last forever."

She singles out Ben Daniels: "He's an extraordinary actor. He's got a real intensity about him, and he is equally believable as a policeman in this and as a businessman in Cutting It. He brings a genuine authority to everything he does."

McKissack hopes that the drama will perform a beneficial social function: "One of the biggest questions of our time is our responsibility to children - how we protect them and how vulnerable they can be to adults. If Real Men makes us question society's role in that duty of care and our part in that, then it will have played a positive role."

Deasy echoes this point: "I hope Real Men will provoke a lot of questions. There was a police officer on television last night saying he thinks child protection should become a genuine political priority - I couldn't agree more.

"As a dramatist, you realise that someone has a story to tell which hasn't yet been told. It would be immensely helpful for society to listen to the thoughts of survivors of child abuse. We have politicians and judges and policemen and teachers who are survivors of abuse. If that subterranean experience were genuinely opened up, a lot of answers would emerge. If we listened more, we'd understand more."

All in all, viewers should find Real Men a deeply moving experience.

"On one level, this is a rewarding, conventional detective story, but at its heart it's also a great relationship drama," McKissack concludes.

"People should be gripped and profoundly affected by this. If you're watching it and it doesn't get to you, then we haven't done a very good job. I think this drama is bound to get to you."

Notes to Editors

The Real Men press pack is available here, in . You may require Adobe Acrobat Software to read PDF files which can be obtained .

Real Men press pack (40 KB)

Pictures and preview tapes are available, for media use only, via the 91热爆 Press Office.

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