Top Rankin - Ian and Richard join forces for Rebus reboot

John Rebus is as synonymous with crime drama as James Bond is with spy thrillers.

And the much-loved Scottish detective is back on the small screen.

The new TV reboot of the famous Ian Rankin novels reimagines Rebus as a younger man, played this time by namesake Richard Rankin.

A detective sergeant, he is drawn into a violent criminal conflict after he finds out his younger brother Michael, a former soldier, is involved with the underworld.

Outlander star Richard brings Rebus to back to life after a break of more than 15 years.

He follows in the footsteps of actors John Hannah & Ken Stott as he takes up what he describes as a "bucket list" role.

• Ian Rankin's Rebus returns for new BBC TV series

"I could never have imagined playing Rebus," he said.

"It's incredible, amazing. I never, ever, entertained the idea of playing the character.

"But once I got my head around being able to play this role, I realised I am taking on a bit of a mantle in playing this character."

Following in the footsteps of other actors in a role is always hard, but gaining the approval of the bestselling writer of the book series was another hurdle for the Glaswegian.

He said: "One of the things I was very aware of while we were shooting - and I think I asked the question a lot - was 'has Ian seen the first couple of episodes?'.

"They were like 'No, he wants to wait'. I thought I was going to have to wait ages to see what Ian thought of the character, about what I've done. I was very aware that I hadn't had word from the big man yet.

And when it came it was very gracious and pleasant and very positive so I am very happy about that."

The author, who was knighted two years ago for his services to literature and charity, said: "It's proper grown-up drama. It cherry picks some of the plots from the early books.

"We've got Rebus back as being a young man, which means he is visceral, he is macho, he can get in fights without fear of losing."

The story is heavily wound around family - including Rebus' own family.

Sir Ian said: " We are looking at people who are on the breadline, people who have had a certain respect and reputation.

"Rebus' brother has been in the armed forces, where he was loved and respected - and feared to a certain extent - and now finds himself delivering stuff door-to-door.

"And it looks at how far people will go to support their family and the rules they might have to bend or break to support their family."

Gregory Burke has taken on the writing for the BBC TV series.

In his adaptation, a violent encounter with gangster Ger Cafferty leaves John Rebus at a psychological crossroads.

At odds with a job increasingly driven by corporate technocrats, involved in a toxic affair he knows he needs to end, and all but supplanted in his daughter’s life by his ex-wife’s wealthy new husband, Rebus begins to wonder if he still has a role to play – either as a family man or a police officer.

In a time of divisive politics and national discord, Rebus’s ex-soldier brother Michael, who is broke, desperately crosses the line in order to provide for his family.

Rebus starts to question if the law still has meaning, or if everyone is reverting to an older set of rules. And if so, why shouldn’t he do so too?

The six-part crime series was filmed in Edinburgh and Glasgow last year.

The main protagonist is based in the capital - which plays a big part in the look of the show.

"The city of Edinburgh almost steals the show," said Sir Ian. "It's an under-utilised set for great drama and whenever I see an establishing shot of the Edinburgh streets, I get a wee buzz.

"They put Richard in a flat overlooking the castle which makes for a great establishing shot every few minutes."

'Exciting to watch'

The drama is real and gritty. Just the way Richard Rankin likes it.

"It is sort of akin to that Scandi Noir feeling. It does have that darkness to it.

"It just really hits the ground running with a certain sort of energy and drama that lets you know straight away it is going to be something different, something original and something quite exciting to watch."

Rebus ep 1: 22:00, Friday 17 May on BBC Scotland and 21:25, Saturday 18 May on BBC One. All episodes are available on iPlayer from Friday.

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