“Between us and Paw Patrol, there will be a better world”
Two rival investigators taking on London’s worst criminals? That’s no problem for Cush and Capaldi.
As frightening as the world can be, and as much escapism as we usually expect from TV series, a good crime drama series often hits the mark perfectly. Let the excitement of the workday melt away with some life-and-death betrayal and world-destroying crime on screen. Perfect.
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One of the series that makes this perfect is “Criminal Record” — Apple TV’s captivating crime series set in a troubled London, starring Peter Capaldi and Cush Jumbo. After a hit-first season that ended in February 2024, the duo is back for another round – with just as much intrigue, suspicion and unbelievably good acting.
“The hunt for a murderer becomes a bombing operation”
In the second season, Capaldi again plays the role of Daniel Hegarty, and Jumbo as June Lenker. The two police detectives are once again forced to work together when a young man is stabbed to death during a political demonstration. What starts as a hunt for a killer quickly escalates into an undercover operation to stop a far-right bomb attack right in the heart of London.
Now that the season premieres, and new episodes are released every Wednesday, we have had a chat with Peter Capaldi and Cush Jumbo about secrets from the filming, old alliances – and what other fictional detectives they would collaborate with.
“I have to clear my brain with reality TV”
“‘Criminal Record’ is a fantastic series, but it’s quite intense,” the journalist begins.
“I always have to watch some kind of ‘palette cleanser’ afterwards – preferably a 20-minute comedy – to calm me down. Do you have to do the same?
Peter Capaldi: I like a good crime series. I love “Task” at the moment, but if we watch a couple of episodes of it – I say “we” like me and Cush are watching it together!
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Cush Jumbo: Watching it together on the couch… No, we don’t! I can’t see drama while we’re shooting. I need something lighter for the brain. Something that washes me clean, like pineapple sorbet. A little “Real Housewives”, a little reality TV.
PC: I watch two hours of crime, and then I take something calming. Currently, it’s “Rooster” or a clever comedy like “Shrinking” so I can fall asleep happily.
– No “No, seriously?!” -moment
How much of the script will you see in advance? Are they holding something back so that it becomes a surprise for both of you?
PC: It’s not so much that they’re deliberately holding things back, but people outside the industry don’t understand that a series only gets the green light a few months before it’s supposed to air. There isn’t always enough time to write all the scripts – but the story is in place.
CJ: We had the opportunity to develop it with Paul (Rutman, showrunner) and Elaine (Collins, producer) beforehand, so we know the story’s development. But right up until the day of filming, we can still discuss angles and dialogue. We know the main points.
So you never turn a page and think “No, seriously!”?
CJ: “Wait a minute – am I losing my leg?!” No, fortunately not.
And no Joey Tribbiani-esque “Am I being pushed down an elevator shaft?!”
CJ: What a reference! It’s a great episode.
– Paw Patrol, Cagney & Lacey and Inspector Gadget
Their characters, Hegarty and Lenker, are a fantastic on-screen detective couple. But if you had to team up with another famous detective from literary or television history, who would you choose?
PC: I would choose Cagney or Lacey.
CJ: Yes! We would do well with them. If we became a team of four – the two of us and the two of them. Or maybe the Inspector Gadget? We have good skills, but we lack some with gadgets.
PC: Paw Patrol?
CJ: Yes! Some with cute eyes. We are missing pieces in our team. And your grandkids would love it if we teamed up with Paw Patrol.
– Today’s petty sins: cold coffee and rudeness
If you were real police officers for a day and could arrest someone for a small, petty offense, what would you choose?
PC: It would be the coffee companies that don’t serve hot coffee anymore – you have to ask for extra hot coffee just to get hot coffee.
CJ: And you always have to give your name – and they never get it right with me! Mine would be people steaming indoors or on the train. I would also like to be rude police – people who don’t say “please” and “thank you” to waiters. People who are demanding. Like with coffee – which says it’s not hot enough.
“Between us and Paw Patrol, it will be a better world…
– Another Scottish Doctor Who?
Their characters, Hegarty and Lenker, find their way back to each other in the second season. If you had to reunite with an old colleague, who would you choose to work with again?
PC: We’ve worked with so many amazing people!
CJ: So many amazing people… I try to get as close to Peter Capaldi as possible, so I choose another Scottish Doctor Who and go back to David Tennant. Not as funny, not as talented… and he drinks cold coffee.
PC: Cush is irreplaceable. I’m not sure I can choose anyone else.
– Everyday mysteries: hotel air conditioning and lost mobiles
Finally, since you both play detectives in “Criminal Record” – are there any everyday mysteries you’d like to solve? What are some (slightly boring) things that confuse you?
PC: (Laughs) I just go through life in a state of confusion. Messages, WhatsApp, emails – it’s confusing. The air conditioning in hotel rooms confuses me – I never get it to work.
CJ: Same here. I struggle mostly with everyday things like: “Where is that thing I just put down?” “Where’s my phone?” is the most mundane mystery. And it always turns out that it was only me who left it somewhere…
The first episodes of “Criminal Record” season two are streaming on Apple TV, with new episodes airing every Wednesday until June 22.
