Connect with us


Interviews

Buffering: Interview with Iain Stirling

Published

on

Buffering Interview with Iain Stirling

Set to air on ITV2 and ITVX later this month, Buffering follows the lives of kids’ TV presenter Iain (Iain Stirling) and his housemates: Ashley (Rosa Robson – Black Mountain Poets, Inside No. 9, Heavy Entertainment), Rosie (Jessie Cave – Harry Potter, Trollied, Black Mirror), Greg (Paul G Raymond – Plebs, Avenue 5, Starstruck), and Thalia (Janine Harouni – Stand Up with Janine Harouni, The Batman, Modern Horror Stories) as they try to find their way through the turbulent waters of their late twenties, with every bad choice, broken heart, and hungover day compounding the idea that time is running out for them to get their “adult” lives in order.

Creator and star Iain Stirling tells us what we can expect from the new season.

Q: How pleased were you with the reaction to series one?
A: Yeah, delighted. Obviously it’s so hard to get, particular scripted stuff, made these days. So for ITV to want to make another one it’s nice to feel like you’ve done something right. And it was a mad slog, series one, because me and Steve made episodes one and two almost like a pilot. We hadn’t made anything like that before and then we didn’t really have any input from anyone else. So it was just the two of us. We filmed in this house and then COVID hit. So filming was delayed for ages and then we couldn’t get back in the house so we had to build the house as a set. So I feel like episodes one and two are almost series one, then episode 3, 4, 5 and six are series two because there’s almost a year in the middle of them! It’s why, not all of us, but a lot of us in it are pushing our mid 30s now. We were in our late 20s when it was commissioned, then we filmed it, and then it took a year and a half to get series two made plus a year of COVID and all that. Put it this way, we’re all shaving every day, well, the men are anyway! So when we came back for series two, like everyone does, we knew what we’d done wrong and what was right. We got an amazing script editor on board, something we’ve never had before and she really helped us structure these sorts of things and develop the characters. It feels like such a massive leap from series one. So yeah, I’m just excited to get it out there.

Q: Did you feel a pressure coming back the second time around or was it easier in a way because the characters were established?
A: Yeah, I think it wasn’t so much a pressure, I think we’re quite lucky in that it felt part of the furniture quite early on ITV. So we weren’t that smash first album and you worry about the second. It was just a solid thing that everybody liked. So it was more a solid base to build from as opposed to a really hyped up thing. To a lot of people that would sound quite glib, but it actually isn’t. Especially having worked on Love Island where it is this phenomena, it is nice to make something that can slowly build. A lot of my favourite stuff did, not that I’m in any way making a comparison, but if you look at something like Schitt’s Creek, which became absolutely loved as they announced they were making the last series of it, do you know what I mean? It’s quite nice to have that. I think series two could do that, I do genuinely think series two is just so solid and so fun. We’ve gone a lot lighter and a lot sillier and a lot more character based rather than story based. So the only pressure was the pressure that me and Steve put on ourselves to make it work. The effort that goes into a 25 minute scripted show compared to what goes into a 25 minute panel show, from a creative side anyways, it’s unbelievable. It’s a year of my life as opposed to 10 days of my life. So I’m a lot more invested in this just because I’ve poured so much of my time, love and effort into it.

Advertisement

Q: You mentioned you’d made tweaks to this series, what differences do you think you needed to bring into this series?
A: I think we’ve brought it a lot more into the flat. I think it’s a lot more of a flatshare sitcom. My character’s background in kids’ TV, that’s still really heavy in there, but it’s a nice world to break it up and to bring in comedy because that’s basically what the kids’ TV was like. The kids’ TV story came from the fact that every time I tried to talk to my friends and family seriously about my job, it’s just innately funny. If I was talking about how I was nervous because I was working with Dick and Dom next week, they would laugh that I said Dick and Dom. So it’s a lot more about friends in a flat and how they navigate life. The show’s called Buffering and I don’t think it really came across in the first year, but it’s called Buffering because all the characters are trying to load into adult life. That’s the idea. So this series is about all those stages you go through as you’re approaching being a proper adult. Your friends are getting married, your friends are having kids and you’re struggling to pay rent and it just feels like you’re not a grown up yet, but you’re not an adult. It’s that in between no man’s land.

Q: Like the moment you swap house parties for dinner parties and don’t really know how that happened?
A: Yeah, David Carlisle’s in that episode. I’m a massive fan, I saw him at the BAFTAs when he had his nomination. I think he agreed to it because he was just like, “This is so many of my friends.” Which is what you want really when you’re trying to get someone involved in a show and they just read it and go, “yeah this is perfect”. And ironically the house was a walk from his actual house. I’d like to not think that’s the only reason he accepted the job! I think that dinner party episode is the perfect example of what I’m talking about, where you just find yourself airdropping into this world where your friends are grown up.

Q: Is there a moment in your real life when you found yourself buffering between two eras?
A: I just generally get it all the time! I have moments where if I’m making a spaghetti bolognese I will have this almost out of body experience where I’m like, “I can’t believe I’m doing this”. I’m a parent, so pretty much every time I do anything that involves looking after a child, the whole time I’m going, “I can’t believe this”. Every bath time I’m like, “I cannot believe I am washing a kid. This is insane.” I think that dinner party episode is pretty close to life. When I was in my mid 20s and kids’ TV actually moved up to Manchester and people could buy houses instead of flats, I’d go a round a friend’s house and nights out definitely changed overnight from a few drinks in a flat to people bringing out Shiitake mushrooms, like, “What is going on?”.

Q: You take inspiration from your own life when writing the show, is there anything that’s happened in your 20s that’s too naughty to put in this show?
A: Well, the great thing about scripted is there’s nothing I can’t put in there because everyone can remain nameless! I always find it quite stressful back in the day when I was doing interviews or stand-up and I have to talk about other people, like my wife or my parents or anyone, I was always worried that they’ve not signed up for this. I’m getting better at it, but it’s always a niggle in the back of my mind. But the great thing about scripted is there’ll be people that watch the show and go, “He’s a major prick”, but also there’s never one specific character that is one specific person from my life. It’s always an amalgamation. Even me, I play myself and I’m called Iain and there is stuff in there that I actually did do when I was in my 20s. There was definitely a point when I thought I was going to be the next Bill Hicks, but I was actually talking to a puppet dog called Hacker, dressed as Queen Victoria thinking this isn’t what I saw myself doing in my 20s.

Advertisement

Q: You have famous faces that pop up in the show, what’s the thinking behind that?
A: Basically, what we love doing on Buffering and one of the things I’m the most proud of is we get those ITV faces and put them into a scripted comedy. Someone like Melvin Odoom from this series who you wouldn’t expect to see acting or Vicky Patterson who was in series one and was actually amazing. I’m always so happy when I get someone like Vic because people, especially from scripted world, don’t really know her. I knew how brilliant she would be and she was.

Q: How did you come to cast your wife, Laura Whitmore, in the show as the channel controller, Vic?
A: It’s weird, although she is my wife, there’s this no-brainer where you’ve got someone really known by the ITV audience and is currently acting in a West End play. Obviously you’d try and get that person. Do you know what I mean? You’d be mad not to. There was little bits written in for my own personal amusement, I still laugh every time I see it. There’s a bit where she’s physically repulsed by me. I just find it so funny that it’s just her going, “Oh, he’s vile”, and I’m like, “I’ve definitely seen that face before!”

Q: Is Laura’s character based on anyone real from the world of TV?
A: I think anyone that’s watching TV will have met a Vic, just so high up, doesn’t care anymore. I’m quite lucky I’ve got on with everyone but there is one boss from kids’ TV that she is strongly influenced by. Who shall remain nameless! But they’ve also got their endearing quality. The worst thing with bosses like that when you worked in kids’ TV is they would bring their kids in, but their kids grew up in that world. So they were the most unimpressed kids you’ve ever met in your entire life. They did not want to be there and then because it was the boss’ kid, you had to be nice to these little shits!

Q: What was it like having Laura on set and how easy is it working with your wife?
A: Yeah, it was really good. Actually, it’s funny because when we did Love Island together, we were always asked about that quite a lot. But we didn’t work together on Love Island at all. We were very rarely in the same building let alone being on the same show. We’ve started doing a podcast which again is working together but it is just us talking nonsense for a couple of hours a week and someone records it and edits it, so all the work element of it is taken out. So it was really nice actually. And it was long filming days. We got to get in the car together. It was nice getting up in the morning and getting our coffees. It felt like having an office job, you have a 9-5, going into the office together. So it was really nice. This sounds a bit wet, but it is mad watching her, because Laura has got an acting background and for three, four months she’s been in this play. So her acting muscles are so sharp. So it’s quite cool watching your wife be really good at her thing. It’s sexy, do you know what I mean? Watching her being really brilliant at a skill. I just love seeing her do it. So it was nice.

Advertisement

Q: Do you think people might be surprised by the character she plays because Vic is very foul mouthed?
A: She really swears! Laura swears in the play as well. I’ve been to see it seven times and every time I cannot believe it. She uses words that she will not allow in the house! So yeah, it’s great. That was part of the fun of it. We wrote this character as a ballbuster and all that. And then Steve said, “I wonder if Laura would be up for this”. And what’s great is when it comes to work stuff, we always keep it work. So I never asked Laura, we sent the script to her agent, obviously don’t get me wrong, we are married and we are in a house together, she knew it was happening. But it got sent to her agent, her agent replied to the production. So it wasn’t done over cornflakes in the morning, absolutely not! We’ve no time, we’ve got nappies to change and bottles to fill! There’s no time for contract discussions, unfortunately. Once we knew she was doing it we then got to tweak the script and that’s when the little thing of her finding Iain repulsive were added in. Which again I think is quite nice because if you know me and Laura, it adds a little something. But I don’t think you need to know that me and Laura are a couple to find that aspect of her character funny. So yeah, honestly it was such a treat!

Q: What was it like having Emily Atack on the show?
A: I think Emily falls perfectly into the gap of what we’re talking about with Buffering because if you watch the Emily Atack show, or any of her standup, it’s all in that same wheelhouse. People obviously know that she was in The Inbetweeners and she was a massive star from that show. People see her now doing more hosting stuff, performing and you forget what an amazing comic actor she is. In a similar ilk, I remember seeing the play that Laura is in, that came about because me and Laura went to see it and James Buckley was in it. It was mad watching him perform, you’re like, “Oh yeah, you were in the biggest sitcom of your generation”. I hadn’t seen him in stuff for a while, so you sort of forget why and you watch him perform and are like, “Oh my god, you’re like an amazing comic actor.” And it’s the same with Emily. She’s got it all and what’s even more impressive of Emily’s stuff is where we film, I forget the name of the bridge, but it was the bridge that the Just Stop Oil protestors had blocked. So everyone got into work about six hours late. We lost basically the entire day. All Emily’s scenes were filmed at about half the time of anything else. So she had to just show up. We got one take at it, we moved on and she just nailed it every time. So yeah, it was really nice. She’s just such a nice energy to have on set. You can tell everyone was buzzing, same with Laura. I’ve got to put my ego to one side because I can just see all the crew getting so excited. I’m like, “You’re not that excited when I show up. That’s fine!”.

Q: What’s the worst party you’ve ever thrown and have you ever called the police on your own party like Iain does this series?
A: I’ve never called the police on my own house. I don’t think I’ve had the police arrive at my own house party. The police officer that comes to the house was influenced by Nessa from Gavin and Stacey, watch it again, you can’t miss it. It’s so funny! Me and my friend Phil Wang once threw a joint birthday party in an abandoned warehouse, it was a rave number. Unfortunately our birthdays are in January. So we had two industrial heaters that warm the space and they both exploded within about 45 minutes. So until the drinking and music got properly going, I think until about half past midnight, we were just sat in the freezing cold, abandoned warehouse, slowly panicking that the whole thing had gone to nonsense. I think at one point this late night DJ showed up, got there and saw everyone had drank to keep warm and no one was in the best of ways. The DJ was respectful, he was like, “I’m not going to bother with this.” And we just said, “Yeah.” Gave him his money and let him go home. We were all like, “Do you know what? I’m done.” We just ended up going back to someone’s house where it was warm, more of a damp squid than a mad one. I remember that very vividly. I would like to say that subsequently we’ve had five or six, we have one every year, and they’ve been absolutely banging in a scene from Euphoria, we need to make that very clear actually. But that first one could’ve been better.

Q: There’s lots of references to social media throughout the series, what do you make of it?
A: If I’m being honest, at the minute I’m really struggling with it. Our millennial generation, we were brought up by our parents to be told that you are unique and important and you’re special. And then basically social media came along and was like, you can now perform to the world and your important thoughts can be heard all the time for free. Do that. And we all went, “brilliant”. And that was already problematic, I think, because then once you accept that actually your opinion doesn’t really matter and you need to be part of a larger conversation and then echo chambers are created and all that sort of stuff happens and then you’re locked into their opinions. That’s problematic.

Advertisement

But now we live in a world where all those social media companies are publicly floated, they’ve got shareholders and they’ve got goals they need to achieve. So you look at Instagram. Instagram is now an algorithm and that algorithm is purely designed to make the company bigger to satisfy its shareholders. That is what Instagram is as a company. So now you are on an app which is designed to get bigger. That is what it is designed to do. And it gets bigger by using up more of your time. They need more of your time. If you were on Instagram for 13 hours a day last year, they need to get you on Instagram for 16 hours next year or their company goes bust. And that is a really scary thing to me. It’s mad, it’s like we’ve got these things on our phone that are literally in the company’s financial interest to take away our free time. That is literally what they are.

Now what do I do about that? I do very little. I sometimes stop posting but then on Instagram it literally tells me how many people have been on my page in the last 30 days and I watched the number go up and down. And sometimes I do post for a bit and I can see the number go down and I’m like, “F*!k!” And then I have to post something, that doesn’t do too well and I can feel myself going into this hole, I’ve got to get away from it. But then also the counter argument to that is people are making really great stuff.

I watch this stuff that these content creators are making, they make these sketches and stuff that have got better production values than some of the stuff I do on television. And it’s funnier than some of the stuff I do on television. So I feel like what I want to do with social media going forward is I want to spend more time creating stuff to go on there than being on there. That’s my goal. Rather than scrolling for an hour, why not get a camera out, light it properly, write a script and make a good thing to go on there as opposed to sit on there endlessly. Basically there’s so much money involved in social media, I do not trust those apps with our minds anymore. Particularly not young people’s minds. You’ve just got to remember the more they fuck up your day, the more money they make. That is the bottom line, and that’s scary.

Q: You’ve got one of the most recognisable voices, when has that been a help and when has that been a hindrance?
A: Sometimes it’s handy if I’m on the phone to tech support for something and they work out who I am and I get a very mild VIP treatment, that’s quite nice. It’s unhelpful when I’m on tour and I’m working late and the only place open is a 24 hours McDonald’s and I’m trying to order in a Liverpool accent so people don’t recognised me. Basically I’m in a weird position where as long as I don’t speak, I don’t get recognised. Which is probably quite the best of both worlds really. I’m not knocking it at all. It’s very lovely and actually, the voice thing means that it is quite easy to have a normal life, I really can.

Advertisement

Q: So you actually put on other accents to try and fool people?
A: Very occasionally! I’ll either talk in very hush tones or I will do maybe a little bit RP London or a little Liverpool accent. I spent a lot of time at Liverpool for the football, you see. So I mean a Scouser would not agree with my accent being good, but someone in London wouldn’t know the difference!

Q: Winter Love Island is back, what are you hoping for this series?
I think I’d like a lot of fun this year. I’d like everyone to have a laugh. I’d like a Chris and Kem type thing going on. Just the main talking point being people having a laugh and getting along. You need a bit of a bromance. I mean, obviously you can’t have fun and romance without arguments and heartbreak. But I would like the balance to be skewed towards just having a laugh. I want some more Chris and Kems, I want some more Chris Taylors salmoning into the pool. I want some more Demi falling over and managing to keep her drink upright, more Olivia Atwood vibes. I want more of that really. Especially in winter because we’re all skint, we’re all stuck at home. It’s dark all the time. I want to watch people in swim gear having a laugh.

Q: What do you think Maya’s going to bring to the series?
A: I think she’s going to bring loads. I think she’s such a no-brainer for it really. She’s got that relationship with that audience and I just think she embodies what the show’s about. I hope she has a nice time, I just hope she enjoys it is the main thing.

Q: You had your comedy special out on Amazon this year, would you like to do another one?
A: Yeah, I’d love to do another one. I definitely want to talk about the next stage of my life. I’m always quite cagey about talking about becoming a dad and moving into adult life properly. But I feel like standup is a safe place for me to do that because I can put all my points across and then if anyone asks me about it, I can just send them the set and be like, “Look, I’ve dealt with it all there.” It’s a safe place in standup where I’m in control of the narrative, you know what I mean?

Advertisement

Q: Becoming a dad for the first time must have given you so many ideas for content?
A: Oh, of course! There’s really surreal moments. I think there’s more cerebral elements of it about how it feels so unique being a parent that you feel like you must be the only person that’s done it. It’s so mental. And then obviously on a really superficial level, babies shit themselves in annoying places, on public transport and in restaurants and stuff, which you can’t believe! So yeah, I’ll look forward to talking about that when the time is right. I don’t want to just be another comic talking about how my kid said this funny thing or whatever. I want to get the tone right. But I’d love to talk about that.

Buffering Season 2 premieres on ITV2 and ITVX later this month.


Alastair James is the editor in chief for Memorable TV. He has been involved in media since his university days. Alastair is passionate about television, and some of his favourite shows include Line of Duty, Luther and Traitors. He is always on the lookout for hot new shows, and is always keen to share his knowledge with others.

Station 19 Station 19
News3 hours ago

Station 19, March 28, 2024, ABC, “True Colors”

It’s time for exciting new episode of Station 19 on Thursday, March 28 at 10:00 PM on ABC. In “True...

Next Level Chef Next Level Chef
News4 hours ago

Next Level Chef, March 28, 2024, FOX, “It’s All Greek to Me”

In the latest episode of the reality cooking show “Next Level Chef,” airing on Thursday, March 28, 2024 at 8:00...

The Kelly Clarkson Show The Kelly Clarkson Show
News8 hours ago

Ricky Martin, The Kelly Clarkson Show, March 28, 2024

On Thursday, March 28, 2024, get ready for an exciting episode of The Kelly Clarkson Show. The show kicks off...

Late Night With Seth Meyers Late Night With Seth Meyers
News8 hours ago

Liam Neeson, Sheryl Crow, Late Night With Seth Meyers, March 28, 2024

Fans of Late Night With Seth Meyers won’t want to miss the upcoming episode on Thursday, March 28th. Join Seth...

LIVE with Kelly and Mark LIVE with Kelly and Mark
News8 hours ago

Maura Tierney, Ego Nwodim, LIVE with Kelly and Mark, March 28, 2024

On Thursday, March 28, 2024, LIVE with Kelly and Mark will bring you an exciting lineup of guests. Tune in...

The Sherri Shepherd Show The Sherri Shepherd Show
News8 hours ago

Niecy Nash-Betts, Sherri, March 28, 2024

Thursday, March 28 2024, brings another hilarious episode of Sherri. Join Sherri Shepherd as she gives her unique take on...

The Talk The Talk
News8 hours ago

Taylor Tomlinson, Brett Gelman, The Talk, March 28, 2024, CBS

A brand new episode of The Talk is set to air on CBS on Thursday, March 28, 2024. During this...

Tamron Hall Tamron Hall
News8 hours ago

Koryn Hawthorne, Giancarlo Esposito, Tamron Hall, March 28, 2024, ABC

On Thursday March 28th at 10:00 AM., ABC presents an enthralling episode of Tamron Hall. This episode’s lineup includes some...

Bangers & Cash: Restoring Classics Bangers & Cash: Restoring Classics
News10 hours ago

Nissan Figaro & Ferrari 250 GT, Bangers & Cash, March 28, 2024, Yesterday

On Thursday, March 28, 2024 at 8:00 PM., Yesterday presents a brand new episode of Bangers & Cash. This reality...

Big Mood Big Mood
News10 hours ago

Big Mood Episode 2, 28 March 2024, Channel 4, “Down”

Continue the laughter and heartfelt moments with the second episode of Big Mood on Thursday, 28 March 2024 at 10:30...

Rob Beckett's Smart TV Rob Beckett's Smart TV
News10 hours ago

Natasia Demetriou, Anna Maxwell-Martin, Cush Jumbo, Romesh Ranganathan, Rob Beckett’s Smart TV, 28 March 2024, Sky Max,

Rob Beckett’s Smart TV is back with another entertaining episode on Thursday 28 March 2024 at 9:00 PM on Sky...

Trucking Hell Trucking Hell
News10 hours ago

Trucking Hell, 28 March 2024, 5Action

On Thursday 28 March 2024 at 9:00 PM., Trucking Hell returns with an action-packed episode that takes viewers into the...

A&E After Dark A&E After Dark
News10 hours ago

A&E After Dark, 28 March 2024, 5STAR,

Its another intense and gripping night at Tunbridge Wells A&E as A&E After Dark returns with a new episode on...

Big Mood Big Mood
News11 hours ago

Series Premiere, Big Mood, 28 March 2024, Channel 4, “Up”

Gear up for a hilarious and heartfelt comedy as Big Mood makes its debut on Channel 4 on Thursday, 28...

Great British Railway Journeys Great British Railway Journeys
News11 hours ago

Edinburgh to Queensferry, Great British Railway Journeys, March 28, BBC Two,

BBC Two is set to air a brand new episode of Great British Railway Journeys on Thursday, March 28, 2024...

BBC Two Logo BBC Two Logo
News11 hours ago

Bruce Lee: A Life in Ten Pictures, 28 March 2024, BBC Two

On Thursday, 28 March at 9:00 PM., Bruce Lee fans will have the opportunity to take a look at his...

Popular