SPARE a thought for the trials our TV stars have gone through to entertain us this Christmas.
Former Spooks leading man Rupert Penry-Jones plays Richard Hannay in a new adaptation of classic novel The 39 Steps.
And he risked life and limb for some of the action scenes.
“I used to get injured all the time in Spooks from diving over cars and pulling muscles and running down streets and all that kind of thing,” Rupert told us at a recent press launch.
“I’ve just finished The 39 Steps, which was even worse than Spooks.
“It’s basically one long chase movie.
“I was running every day on that and hurt myself quite a lot.

“There was one particular sequence where I was being chased by an aeroplane over the moors.
“And I leap over a wall and don’t realise it’s pretty much a sheer drop to the bottom.
“So then I have to roll down a hill and then fall on a road and nearly get hit by a car.

“And then roll down another hill and fall on a road and nearly get hit by another car.
“I actually didn’t have to do the really difficult bits.
“I just had to fall from the hill on to the road.
“But it was wet and I kept slipping and I kept cutting all my hands up.
“I also pulled a muscle in my bottom and strained my knee.
“It’s a really good romp and I hope people enjoy it. I think they will.”
The 39 Steps (BBC1, 8pm, Sunday Dec 28) certainly rattles along.
It also co-stars Lydia Leonard as Victoria Sinclair.
Who you may recognise from several previous roles.
Including Sara Templeton, leader of The Revolutionary Workers Front in episode four of Ashes To Ashes series one.

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