Jason Donovan has revealed that he is very happy with his role in new ITV soap opera, Echo Beach, as it is ‘very him.’

Speaking to the Daily Record Jason said:

“It’s the beach, it’s me, it’s surfing, it’s blonde hair and blue eyes. It’s very me.

“I’m nearly 40. I look back with fond memories. There’s not a day when I can escape those references to Neighbours or Kylie but why would I want to? I’m proud of all that. Life’s short, f****** enjoy it. I think you should never start taking yourself too seriously.”

Echo Beach will run alongside behind the scenes comedy, Moving Wallpaper.

He said: “I read Echo Beach and thought, ‘yeah’ and then I read Moving Wallpaper and thought, ‘this is for me’. They work very well together but can stand up on their own. It’s a potent mix. Read more & comment »

This is an interview with actor Ben Miller on his new ITV show, Moving Wallpaper.

“Jonathan Pope is the puppeteer of Echo Beach. If you see Moving Wallpaper first, you see Echo Beach in a completely different light. Suddenly, little things that seem completely insignificant become significant – for example, Susie Amy from Moving Wallpaper is desperate to get a line in Echo Beach. Eventually, she tracks down Jonathan Pope, and says, “If you give me a line in Echo Beach, I’ll give you …” and you never know quite what that something is but you see a big smile on his face in the next scene. Then you watch Echo Beach and suddenly Susie comes into the bar and asks for a drink. Read more & comment »

“Ladies and Gentlemen, we are about to change the face of British television forever… welcome to Echo Beach,’’ Jonathan Pope, Producer

Jonathan Pope is a man on a mission. That mission is to make the most talked about post-watershed soap opera in Britain. But when your boss hates you, the writers despair of you and the entire cast and crew think you’re a prat, that mission is bound to be a fraught one.

ITV is proud to announce two interlinking shows from the makers of Life On Mars, Spooks and Hustle. Jason Donovan and Martine McCutcheon return to their soap roots to play the parts of ex-lovers in Echo Beach. Ben Miller plays the hapless producer desperate to make the soap a success in a behind-the-scenes comedy Moving Wallpaper.

Both 12 part series, from the award-winning Kudos, will run together on ITV1.

In Echo Beach, Hugo Speer (Bleak House, The Full Monty) plays Mark Penwarden, who will stop at nothing to run his wife Susan’s (McCutcheon) ex-lover Daniel Marrack (Donovan) out of Polnarren, with Johnny Briggs (Coronation Street) as long term resident Fin Morgan. Read more & comment »