A jewel role

AT times, David Jason sounds as if he's auditioning for an edition of Grumpy Old Men not promoting his new TV film, Diamond Geezer. He doesn't enjoy interviews at the best of times, always having a senior press person by his side as a minder and to remind journalists that questions should be about the programme and not, by implication, about his personal life.

He even finds awards shows quite stressful. "You're in a goldfish bowl and I don't enjoy that part of the business," he says. "Being under such scrutiny is not very pleasant. I don't enjoy that side of it."

Today he has a bee in his bonnet about the level of violence and swearing on television today. He doesn't approve or think it's necessary.

Diamond Geezer, on the other hand, is something that does meet with his approval. In Caleb Ranson's crime caper, Jason stars as old lag Des, nearing the end of a three-year spell inside, but not the harmless petty thief he appears. He has an ingenious plan for a robbery, one he's forced to share with a new, young inmate Phil.

He was sent the script as an outline and liked the idea of doing a caper film. "It's refreshing to watch a piece of material about a robbery and breaking out of prison with very little violence or swearing, which I kind of carry a flag about," he says.

"The story did show us some violent sequences but they're quickly dealt with and not gratuitous. It shows you can hold the audience and show prison and tough guys, and you don't miss the swearing. I don't think there's any need for it. If you can entertain people and avoid it, you don't miss it. Most things on TV are using hard language. They think you're not realistic or entertaining if they don't." Jason is aware that audiences perceive his work as family-orientated. "That's what I strive for and would let the audience down if I did something with a lot of violence and violent language," he says. "Our job is to entertain people, not to teach them how to swear or beat people up."

He feels the makers of Diamond Geezer haven't gone the other way and made prison too sanitised. He accepts that in some series, like his own detective drama A Touch Of Frost, graphic images are necessary but needn't be over-explicit. He points to the US forensic series CSI "which is great entertainment late at night but gory, like watching an operation every week - I find a bit too graphic for us".

He's started, so he'll finish... and criticises modern TV for concentrating too much on being too streetwise. He recalls watching a James Bond film at four in the afternoon, which showed a man being eaten by a shark with blood spurting everywhere.

That doesn't mean to say all TV is bad or all strong shows are bad. I think we're in danger of going down that road," he adds.

He's more than happy at how Diamond Geezer has turned out. The ending leaves it open for a sequel or a series. "If this works as much as we hope and the enjoyment is reciprocated by the audience, we'd like to continue the storyline. If he's clever enough to write something equally as good as this, I'm interested," says Jason.

Meanwhile, he's been tempted back to the role of detective Jack Frost for a fresh A Touch Of Frost story. He has plans too to continue his association with Yorkshire Television and producer David Reynolds on another project later this year. He can say little about it apart from the fact that it's different to the doctors, nurses, soaps and police series that fill out screens.

"Being in the independent sector, money is getting tighter. If we can save on a few reality shows, we might have a little bit more money to do adventurous and entertaining choices," he says, mounting another hobby horse.

Reality shows are cheap and safe. He feels a responsibility not to dumb down but to help audiences to aspire to better things. Repeats, too, come in for a bashing. Ask if he wants to get away from Del Boy, his memorable Only Fools And Horses character, and he replies that it's impossible to put it behind him because the show is repeated so much.

"It's not of my making or choosing. If I was in charge, I wouldn't allow those programmes to be repeated, or other programmes. It's a cheap and easy option. I was very proud of my years on Fools but the time has come and I must move on," he says. So would he ever play Del Boy again? "That's pretty unlikely, but you never say never."

He's 65 now, although retirement isn't on the agenda. "I've slowed down but decided I still want to continue doing work I enjoy doing and doing well when you can get good scripts," he says.

"Now I'm insisting I have more time between projects, so I have more time at home with the family and do family things. Retirement is not a thing I'm ready for yet, but pacing myself is on the agenda."

* Diamond Geezer is on ITV1 on Sunday at 9pm.

Published: 17/03/2005