T
o some men, the situation played
out in sharp new sitcom Bliss
might be viewed as euphoric.
However, this dark comedy is
anything but – especially for the series’
leading man, Andrew.
For 16 years, Andrew (Stephen Mangan,
Episodes) has led a double life that even
Superman would find challenging: he has
two loving wives, Kim (Heather Graham) and
Denise (Jo Hartley). Each has a teenage child
by him and each wife is also unaware of the
other. Juggling these lives and tearing back
and forth between two homes in Bristol has
driven Andrew to the edge of insanity.
As Mangan explains, “Years ago, Andrew
took the easy route rather than ’fessing up.
He told a series of white lies. Now, 16 years
down the line, he has two wives, two children
and a hellishly stressful existence. I’m not
condoning it, but it must be exhausting!”
Mangan and Graham tell Foxtel magazine
why the program’s creator, writer and director
David Cross – who played Tobias Fünke in
Arrested Development – produced a show
that will make you laugh and cry, much like
Andrew when he thinks of his predicament!
What drew you to Bliss?
Stephen Mangan: I’m a big fan of David’s.
I love Arrested Development and his
stand-up. As an actor, you’re
always looking for an original
voice. A lot of the most successful
things I’ve been involved with
have a unique voice – whether
it’s Armando Iannucci (Veep)
or Victoria Pile (Green Wing) or
Jefrey Klarik (Episodes) and
David Crane (Friends). They all
have a specific viewpoint and
strong direction. I also love scripts
that combine drama and comedy
- this does that perfectly.
Heather Graham: I wasn’t
immediately won over when
I first heard the premise. I thought it might be
about this guy boasting about getting all the
girls. But then I read it and I instantly loved
it. I loved the perspective and the way David
makes fun of Andrew rather than saying
he’s cool. David is actually laughing at men.
The women in Bliss are sympathetic. You
feel more for them than you do for Andrew.
What’s behind Andrew’s choices?
Graham: He’s driven by fear of disappointing
people. He doesn’t want to hurt anyone or
to cop to his mistakes and reveal himself as
a liar. But now he’s gone too far. He’s trying
to be a good dad, but he’s not doing a great
job. Andrew is clearly not a cool guy. His
decisions have turned him into a basket
case on the verge of a nervous breakdown.
Mangan: He’s made a lot of small decisions
which are motivated by a desire not to upset
people. It’s a kind of cowardly niceness – we
are all guilty of that from time to time. He feels
that confessing now would hurt them. But the
problem is simply getting bigger and bigger.
Did you enjoy working with each other?
Mangan: Absolutely. Heather is great. She’s
a fabulous comedic actress. It’s been like
having two separate jobs. Heather and Jo
never met. I’d say goodbye to Heather, have
a cry and then do my scenes with Jo.
Graham: Stephen is such fun to be around;
he finds humour in everything. In every
scene he’s looking for comedy. If you’re an
American, he has that classic British charm.
He knows how to say the wittiest things.
WORDS: JAMES RAMPTON. PHOTOS: SKY UK LIMITEDMUST WATCH
How do you think audiences will react?
Graham: I hope people find it really funny.
It’s also an interesting psychological study
of someone leading a double life. I can relate
to being a people-pleaser. It can make you
crazy, and you keep convincing yourself
that it’s a good thing. I’ve loved doing this.
It’s so original.
Mangan: I want viewers to be able to relate
to Andrew’s dilemma. We all make choices
in life and, however much we love someone,
we all still sometimes wonder, ‘What if? What
if I’d married a diferent person? What other
life could I be living?’ That’s a very human
thought – the idea of another life is enticing.
What Andrew does is just an extreme version
of the cheating we all do. We say we are on
a diet and then when we’re on our own we
have a sneaky chocolate éclair. We think it’s
okay because no-one has seen us eat it and
then we feel like we’ve got away with it. But,
of course, we haven’t. It’s like the fact that
we all walk around knowing we’re going
to die and yet we don’t scream about it. It’s
denial – and it’s blissful. That’s why Bliss
is such a great title.
Kim (Graham) doesn’tknow her husband
has another familyIF YOU LOVE THIS, WATCH...
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Denise (Hartley)Foxtel APRIL 29