Albert Finney stars in Vibe’s comedy drama My Uncle Silas, the story of 10-year-old Edward and his summer in the country with his loveable, roguish Uncle Silas.� Here, the five-time Academy Award nominee discusses what drew him to the “life-affirming” role of Uncle Silas.

Veteran actor Albert Finney leads the cast in this delightfully gentle series based on the short stories by The Darling Buds Of May creator H.E. Bates.�

Set at the turn of the century, this comic drama follows the adventures of 10-year old Edward (Joe Prospero, Finding Neverland), sent to the country to spend the summer with his loveable, roguish Uncle Silas and his irascible housekeeper Mrs Betts (Sue Johnston, Waking The Dead).�

Throughout the summer, Edward and his uncle encounter a succession of larger than life female characters around and about Silas's village.

Silas has been compared to the role that arguably put Albert Finney on the path to fame, Tom Jones (1963).

“They do share a similarity in as much as they both enjoy life and have the knack of being able to take advantage of what comes their way.”

“I found playing him very life affirming. I can’t imagine there’ll be many roles ahead of me where I get the chance to win the girl, not just once, but every week.� All other television shows I’ve done in the past have been one-offs or maybe a couple of parts.” �

“I didn’t set out for it to be that way – it’s just the way things have turned out.� I’ve never deliberately avoided doing a television series I just haven’t been offered scripts like this to do before.”

Albert puts the success of the first series down to the optimistic nature of the material.

“All the endings are happy and the human foibles forgivable”, he says. “HE Bates’ books contain such a love for a way of life he’d known, such regard for the soil.� Maybe we’ll have the same romanticism in 100 years for computer programmes, who knows?� But this is a way of life we’ve lost touch with, before the cities overgrew, when people knew what a proper tomato smelled like.”�

“It’s simple material and none of us get in the way of it. If you’re doing a film about drug addicts in Kings Cross there are days when you think ‘Oh God’, but this is such a lovely thing to do.”

Attracted by the locations, Albert willingly tackled a second season of Uncle Silas, making it the longest television role he has ever committed to.

“I was transported from home most days to these most beautiful locations,” he says.� “I think we filmed in something like nine counties across the south and our crew found the most fabulous homes and little villages.� So what better way to spend six summer weeks then visiting these rural idylls.� On top of this I got to work with Sue Johnston, who I’m pleased to say has become a friend.”�

Interview and image courtesy of Vibe

My Uncle Silas airs on Vibe from Monday 2 July, 10pm