'Mutual Friends' chief promises originality

The producer of the BBC's new drama series Mutual Friends has admitted that he is keen to avoid comparisons to Cold Feet.

Rob Bullock has insisted that he is confident about the originality of his six-part programme, which features Hustle's Marc Warren and Spooks actress Keeley Hawes as troubled characters approaching the age of 40. Alexander Armstrong, Coupling's Sarah Alexander and Cranford actor Alistair Petrie also star.

"Cold Feet is about a different period of life," Bullock told The Independent. "It's about people in their early thirties. Mutual Friends moves things on - what's happening to our characters as they approach 40 is very different.

"Why do so many lives fall apart at 40? Because things haven't worked out how we hoped and we've had to turn to Plan B. The drama is all about the crisis caused by things not turning out as the characters planned."

He added: "This is very much not the world of the American series thirtysomething, where everyone is a smug, high-achieving yuppie with a perfect life."

Mutual Friends begins next Tuesday at 9pm on BBC One.