Jason Watkins reveals personal reason for making change to The Game script

Jason Watkins revealed the change he made to his character, detective Huw Miller, in 5's new thriller, The Game.

The McDonald & Dodds actor plays a retired cop who becomes convinced that his new neighbour, Patrick (played by Robson Green), is the serial killer in a chilling case he never solved. 

Speaking to HELLO! and other press ahead of the show's release, Jason revealed that his character was originally written as a keen runner, but upon the actor's request, his hobby was changed to cycling.

Explaining how his football-playing days as a teenager have impacted his ability to run, Jason said: "I can't really run anymore because of my attempts at professional football as a teenager, I played too much, so my knees are not what they should be."

© David Herranz & UNAI MATEO / Clapperboard Studios / © 5 Broadcasting Limited

He continued: "So in the script, Huw's hobby is running but I made it clear early on that I wouldn't be running, I'd be cycling. I didn't mind doing that, I like cycling."

Jason also revealed that, unlike characters he's played in other 5 dramas, including Coma and The Catch, he decided to play Huw using his own accent. 

"This is the third Channel 5 thriller that I've done, and they've been very different in many ways but the characters I've played are not dissimilar in that it's a regular guy in extremes trying to work it all out," he said. 

© david herranz & UNAI MATEO / Clapperboard Studios / © 5 Broadcasting Limited

"My parents are from the north, I was born in the Midlands and brought up in London, so doing an accent often is a way for me to place my imagination there. But with this one, I just got the feeling that it's good to use my voice and see how my instincts would be," continued the 62-year-old.

"That's always the thing with acting, there's the character on one end, and you at the other, and you've got to see both. Otherwise, it doesn't have the sort of solidity that you need, a three-dimensional aspect of it.

"So in terms of playing a character, I wanted him to be quite similar to me," he added.

What is The Game about? 

The four-part series follows retired detective Huw Miller, who is still haunted by a case he never solved: a serial killer, The Ripton Stalker, who taunted his town and relentlessly toyed with his victims before murdering them. 

© david herranz & UNAI MATEO / Clapperboard Studios / © 5 Broadcasting Limited

As Huw settles into retirement, his new neighbour, Patrick Harbottle, utters the chilling phrase, 'Catch you later' – the sign-off used by the stalker to taunt Huw during his investigation. Could he be The Ripton Stalker?

The official synopsis continues: "What follows is a high-stakes game of psychological chess between the two neighbours as Huw’s world begins to crumble around him. Unable to bear the guilt of the stalker taking another victim under his nose, Huw risks everything to unearth the truth. But has he set his sights on the right man, or is his obsession pushing him ever closer to the brink?"

The Game continues on Wednesday, 14 May at 9pm on 5.