Tv Preview: Drama Can Be Dead Funny

Sep 28 2008 By Billy Sloan

Pick Of The Week Silent Witness Wednesday, Bbc1, 9pm

Silent Witness stars Emilia Fox and William Gaminara discovered the hard way that appearing in the top forensic drama is not for the squeamish.

They both had to attend a police autopsy to prepare for the return of the BBC1 series.

Emilia, who plays pathologist Nikki Alexander, said: "That really told me what is so fascinating about Silent Witness.

"Your worst nightmare is that you'll faint or be sick but what they're doing is so riveting you stop seeing it as something gruesome and become involved in the detective process."

And William, who plays Professor Leo Dalton, added: "I had an idea what was involved - but it was completely the wrong idea.

"I wasn't squeamish until we met the pathologist who told us what would happen. Then I thought: 'Oh my God!' "He took us through, blow by blow, and I was very glad he did because that took the sting out of it. It was an uncomfortable experience but I'm very glad I did it."

Silent Witness - now in its 12th series - returns with a two-part story which investigates the horrific rape and murder of a girl at a funfair.

Police suspect the death is the result of a gang initiation ceremony gone wrong and begin to investigate knife crime in the area.

Leo finds himself immersed in gang warfare when he's ordered to do community service with a local football team after being done for a drink-driving offence.

But Emilia revealed that, despite the serious storylines, there are some lighter moments during filming.

She said: "A lot of pathologists come on set to advise us and they've always got a fantastic sense of humour.

"They say you have to because otherwise what they're dealing with is so dark they'd spend their lives miserable. They encourage us to find the humour in it...without being insensitive to the subject."

Emilia joined Silent Witness three years ago.

She said: "I liked that Nikki was a lively character and thought it interesting she had a past in pathology in South Africa but had chosen to be an archeological pathologist.

"It was one of those jobs which seemed too good to be true.

"Nikki is an impulsive character and I think she relates very quickly to the people involved in the story, sometimes to her detriment.

"So she sort of dives in - with a good heart - but sometimes without much caution."