Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ

Steve John Shepherd made his name in the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ's seminal Nineties law series This Life, in which he played legal clerk Jo. Now, having been to law school, he has risen to the dizzy heights of personal injury specialist Charlie Brierson in this new comedy series, Lunch Monkeys.

Stephen says: "I really like Charlie, he is incredibly fun to play. I think he sees himself as slightly misunderstood.

"He is a man who likes to seize the moment, he is a now man and he is also very... concupiscent. That means he has heighted sexual desires towards women, he literally wants to have it with every attractive woman he finds.

"He has no intimate and social skills, they are just not that well developed and when people do show feelings he is slightly confused by that and worried.

"In a way Charlie is not much different to the post room lot as he is in a job that is probably below him. He hasn't achieved as much as he probably should even though he is in the upper echelons of the firm.

"That's part of his troubled side as well. He has a very troubled relationship with his father who is a High Court judge. It transpires that his father is very disappointed that Charlie hasn't achieved something higher than a lowly 'No Win, No Fee' solicitor."

In the series Charlie has what he thinks will be a quick fling with Tania. But she has different ideas, so what does Stephen think Charlie's real feelings for Tania are?

"That's a very difficult question. I think that he certainly harbours what could be called affection for her. He's certainly very fond of her and if he had the requisite personal skills, which he doesn't, I think he would make an alright partner. But she is very sweet and he likes her, that's why he kind of tries to do the right thing even though it's so not the right thing to do."

So has Stephen ever had a mundane office job that he wanted to escape from?

"I had many jobs before I went to university and the place where you work becomes so familiar, doesn't it? A little world that you live in, you know it so well that your mind just wanders.

"I remember, in particular, having a Saturday job on Oxford Street, when I was 16, and there were lots of people getting together. I wasn't one of them because I was so young but I just observed it. It was interesting to watch, a ready-made soap opera!"