BBC One's new drama The Responder starring Martin Freeman has officially landed.
Written by ex-police officer Tony Schumacher and described as a distinctive new take on crime drama, the series "holds a mirror up to the emotional extremes of life on the front line of British policing".
Filmed in and around Liverpool, Martin takes on the role of urgent response officer Chris Carson and is said to have spent over a year trying to perfect his Liverpool accent.
Read more: The Responder full cast list: Who stars in the BBC drama alongside Martin Freeman?
So when the first episode of the new drama aired, viewers were keen to hear the results of his efforts.
"Martin Freeman's Scouse accent is better than mine in #TheResponder and I'm a bloody Scouser," wrote one impressed viewer.
Some compared him to Stephen Graham, while another added: "Really enjoying The Responder on BBC1. Very gritty so far and Martin Freeman has nailed the Liverpool accent. #TheResponder."
And a third commented: "I mean I'm not from Liverpool but Martin Freeman's accent seems absolutely spot on?!"
"Well Martin Freeman, the accent is good - I'm impressed," wrote one fan.
Following the drama's release Martin opened up about taking on the Liverpool accent and trying his best to honour writer Tony's script.
"I haven't played a character with a Scouse accent before and I was incredibly mindful of that when I was reading the script," he said.
"It read pure Liverpudlian to me and I knew Tony was from Liverpool. He always said to me that the character didn't have to be from Liverpool - that not all coppers in Merseyside are from Merseyside, but I really felt Chris had to be from the city.
"I also knew that if I couldn't do it properly then I wouldn't do the accent, I would just have done my own version of my own voice.
"I was really pleased when I heard that some of the Scouse actors asked if I was from Merseyside - it was like I'd passed some sort of test. I worked really hard at it because there was no way I was prepared to go on telly doing a terrible Scouse accent in Liverpool with a load of Liverpudlian actors.
"There's just no way. I'd get taken to the cleaners and rightly so. Coming from where I come from, you have to earn your stripes no matter where you are and you just can't be doing a bad Liverpool accent."
The Responder continues Tuesday, January 25 at 9pm on BBC One.
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