Mark Wingett ('Missing')

Mark Wingett returns to our screens next week in BBC One drama Missing, starring alongside Pauline Quirke, Poojah Shah and Lucy Benjamin. Mark, previously known as The Bill's DC Jim Carver, plays local DJ Danny Hayworth in the five-part daytime drama. We had a chat with the actor to get the lowdown on his new role and find out what it's like to work with Birds Of A Feather star Pauline Quirke.

What's Missing about?
"It's essentially a cop show without any crime. I mean, there are crimes in a couple of episodes, but it's not a heavy feature - it's about missing people. And what I like is that the crimes aren't obvious. The suspense is there straight away, and the viewers form an emotional attachment with the characters within about 15 minutes."

What's your character, Danny, like?
"He's silly! It's quite a serious show, but Danny provides a bit of light relief. He likes to think he's quite hip, but he's not really! His heart is in the right place, and he likes people, but he's just one of those characters. Danny doesn't feature heavily at the start, but comes into the show a bit more towards the end of the series."

He's got quite a close relationship with Pauline Quirke's character, hasn't he?
"Yes, he and MJ are very close. The lovely thing about their relationship is that it's a good, proper friendship. It's quite real that two people like each other and can talk to each other."

So there's no romantic history between them?
"No, there's not. And I think that's refreshing from a TV show. He often upsets her, but they get over it because they're good friends. They have a bit of banter between them, and that's what is great about their friendship."

What was it like working with Pauline Quirke?
"Oh it's great working with Pauline! She did a couple of stints on The Bill but I wasn't in those episodes, so we've never actually acted together before. We have a similar banter off-screen."

Did you learn anything from doing the show?
"It's a shock when you realise just how many people go missing. Tens of thousands of people - from kids right up to pensioners. It was a real eye-opener."

Is it a lot different to working on a show like The Bill?
"It is. It wasn't the daily grind that The Bill is. With The Bill, you could work on up to six different episodes in a day. On Missing, you've only got one a day, so you can concentrate on one episode at a time."

So you don't miss working on The Bill?
"I had a great time on the show, but after 21 years I just got fed up with it. After I left, I missed not working every week and I missed my colleagues, but you get used to a new way of working. When you're one of the main characters in a big show like The Bill, there is no spare time - you're either travelling, on set, or learning lines. Despite all that, it's a fantastic job and if a young actor had a chance to work on the show, I'd tell them to go for it."

What's next for you?
"My next project is a play at The Shaw Theatre. It commemorates 25 years of the miners' strike and it's a controversial piece called 'Maggie's End', which is a political thriller about the state's funeral of Margaret Thatcher - and the repercussions it has for one family in particular."

Missing starts Monday at 2.15pm on BBC One.