Impression
On Monday, in common with around 10 million other people, I watched the conclusion of Broadchurch. Turned out I’d guessed, correctly who’d done it. When he was unmasked I thought his motive was pretty facile and didn’t buy into that at all. That may have been because the man who played him wasn’t capable of putting it over in a way tahat I believed.
If he wasn’t he was the only one who fell short. I’ll tell you how big an impression it made, and one player more than any other.
I’ve been writing the Skinner stories for well over 20 years now. I’ve done countless public events and I’ve been asked countless times who I see as Bob, if it ever made telly. I’ve given many different answers yet in all that time I have never sat down to write and found any actor’s face forcing itself upon my personal vision of my lead character.
Until yesterday morning,when I sat down to write a first person Skinner chapter and found that David Tennant was doing the talking.
Quintin Jardine's blog 
Too puny. Needs to be tall, rugged looking but so far I can’t put a name to him.
He can act big. No name, no pack drill.
Someone more long the lines of Sean Bean?
Last seen playing a transvestite? Also, he seems to be at his best in movies that require swords.
Now that’s a real surprise. He’s a good actor, but in my mind I have to admit, that he isn’t rugged enough. He’s certainly got the charisma to do it, and the voice is one you listen to. He’d be great on the radio versions!
Rugged is as rugged does. The scene in The Politician’s Husband, where he subjected his rival to serious scrotal agony in the back of the official car, that was pure Skinner. Bob might have squeezed harder and longer, though.
This is true. I feel Bob would still be hanging on! He is certainly very good at making you believe in different characters – by which I mean he doesn’t seem to carry too many littler mannerisms over from previous work. So maybe he could…
Much as I love David Tennant I too think he’s too slim, Robert Carlisle would be good but again a bit too thin. I wonder what Liam Neeson’s Scottish accent is like.
Is like 20 years too old. Also it would have to have come on since ‘Rob Roy’. But in reality, accent and ethnicity mean nothing to me. For TV I would want the best TV actor out there. If Idris Elba wanted to be Skinner, he would be perfect, for me.
Gerard Butler as Skinner with Douglas Henshall as Andy. Although Peter Capaldi could definitely do Skinner’s terrifying temper.
Andy is supposed to be Skinner’s protege, and more than ten years younger. Douglas Henshall is four years older than Gerard Butler. Small problem there? Peter Capaldi’s Skinner-time is past.
just so long as it’s NEVER tom cruise!!!!
You have cruises on your mind these days, Pat. So far the worst Scottish accent in movie history was that of Robert Duvall in ‘A Shot at Glory’, but I suspect that the Cruiser could run him close. If he wanted to try and there was enough cash on the table it would be difficult to deny him the chance, but rest easy, not in either of our wildest dreams.
I think Martin Shaw would make a good Skinner
20 years ago, yes.
What about Alexander skarsgaard?
What about him?
David Tennant does not fit the physical description of Bob Skinner. If you chose someone who did not live up to Bob’s size & stature you would be disappointing a great number of people.
That’s so wrong on a couple of counts. Fist and foremost, I won’t be choosing anyone. Second and foremost, television is a different medium and different rules apply. A long time ago I saw a young Albert Finney give a lunchtime lecture to students. It took place in a debating hall, but at one point he had us convinced that we were all in a kitchen sized room. The actor’s power is more important than his physical appearance.
Re Cruise, monkeys will do a lot for peanuts!
Are you talking about the staff?
Let’s hope it’s not staff!!!
Anyway, it would be in my wildest NIGHTMARES, not dreams!!!
I might be a bit late on this string, but how about Clive Russell. Perhaps like us a bit long in the tooth but great presence and brought up in the right area, even though a Yorkshireman.
Contributions always welcome, but no, I don’t think so. Maybe he can be the next Doctor Who.