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Ben Cartwright has been one of the mainstays of CBBC’s SF series Eve, playing scientist Nick Clarke, Will’s father. On one of the last days of filming series 3, Paul Simpson visited the set in Glasgow and chatted with Cartwright about his time with the robot girl…

How did you get caught up with Eve in the first place?

I think it all happened fairly late for the rest of the support cast; I know Poppy [Lee Friar, who plays Eve] was involved for a long stretch in the preamble of it all but for myself and Rhona [Croker, who plays Katherine], the casting was two weeks before we started.

What were you told about Nick?

It’s quite interesting because from what I can remember, what I was interested about was the fact the son ends up living with the father. There wasn’t any mention of the mum, so we didn’t know whether or not she was dead or they were divorced or estranged. There wasn’t any mention of it whatsoever. I thought the father/son dynamic was interesting, and it was sold to me a little bit like they were almost more like flatmates than your traditional father and son vibe.

I didn’t quite necessarily pick up on that myself, but what I found interesting was that Nick was obviously a bit of a genius in his field in terms of the science side of things, and the development and building of the robot. I got the vibe he was quite techy, so I was interested that he was someone who was obviously a genius in that field but then a bit socially awkward. Exploring the dynamic of how he would be with his son: he was potentially a little… not standoffish… but he’s not a hugger, not naturally affectionate, but they were really super close.

Obviously then they end up with this enormous secret bombarding their world and the subsequent struggle to keep it a secret and to muddle through it together.

The dad is never written or played as an idiot – even in farcical situations, it’s been played straight, and written as an adult would respond…

I think you’re right. Obviously you have to bear in mind that it’s a kids’ programme so the kids [watching] aren’t necessarily always interested in Dad resolving everything, fixing everything, coming up with the answer to everything.

What I liked about series 1 was I saw in the writing a real potential for comedy. The almost Basil Fawlty bumbling around was more a bluff for Katherine so there’s a real swing of the pendulum on who’s in control of those two – him allowing her to think that she’s an idiot but through his bumbling around and faffing he makes sure the secret is kept. He’s a deflector.

Yet Katherine has built her version of Calimov around Nick’s genius – in the first two series we never really see what Katherine herself brings scientifically…

From a performance point of view, Rhona and I also saw in Nick and Katherine that there was something between them. Even if that doesn’t get explored in the series as much as we maybe like, it’s very helpful for us as performers to feel like they had a past, especially when Jenny [Bede]’s character [Nick’s ex-wife, Rebecca] came in. She was established as Calimov’s receptionist. Nick and Katherine were probably equal, students at the same time, came on at the same time, were involved at the same level and then went off in different directions – she became interested in the power and the money side of it while Nick was very much the pure science, the hands on side of things,.

Do you think Nick and Katherine had a fling?

Whether or not they were romantically involved once upon a time, there’s always been a chemistry between them.

There’s the scene with the kiss in series 1 – the Halloween episode – that doesn’t feel like it came out of nowhere… And Rhona plays it that it’s harking back to something…

Both of us came to the table with the idea that there was definitely something between them, otherwise it’s too one-dimensional: she’s always someone who bullies him and he can’t really cope with her authority and is a bit kowtowed to it. But it does ebb and flow. Nick does stand his ground, and if you were to think of it in the larger spectrum, he has been pretty successful in keeping the secret a secret even though he’s been dashing around trying to cover his tracks.

The kiss, interestingly enough, the kids all responded to – they stop Rhona and ask her about it. We did do a few bits afterwards where they’re bumping into one another and they’re awkward…

And the Christmas episode too…

With the passing of the mistletoe, the glances. And the fact she’s invited for Christmas Day for goodness’ sake…

That did surprise me at the time…

There’s a scene in Lily’s bedroom [in episode 7 this year] where Katherine admits that the one person who visited her the whole time in hospital was Nick.

How much does Nick change in this season? Is he still the central support?

You have to bear in mind it is a children’s programme and it’s only natural and right that as the kids – as we call them – develop and get older and have lived with this for a longer period of time, they’re more capable of resolving things themselves. There’s a fair bit of taking phone calls in Calimov, leaving answerphone messages and rushing around, which can be a bit frustrating because you want to be more hands on, but I understand the reasons why, as well. It’s of no dramatic interest to the kids watching if Dad always comes up trumps at the end and saves the day.

I guess thinking about it, Nick is one of the constants and it would be weird if the kids were all in the house and there wasn’t an adult present. It’s that reassuring presence that remains pretty much the same throughout. Not much has changed…

Saying that, of course, he becomes CEO of Calimov in this series. There is a dynamic shift between him and Katherine which was quite nice and we explored in costume as well. Nick is now in Katherine’s office wearing a lot more ties and Katherine is sitting at my old desk wearing a lab coat, which is initially uncomfortable for both of them.

We did a nice scene where Nick’s on the phone to Alpha Team. You know how often Katherine’s been on the phone barking orders at Alpha Team; I have a similar sort of role to do but he does it in a very Nick way. He starts apologetically giving orders and then says he appreciates it’s very inconvenient, “of course I’ll pay you overtime, I’m very sorry you’re going to miss the film”, that kind of humanitarian side which has been nice to explore.

Are you still getting the chance to do the science? I’d’ve thought he’d be a fish out of water in that…

A little bit. Talking to some of the guys, I think they were interested in having it a be it more chaotic and boxes everywhere – Nick stuff – but they haven’t quite gone through with that. That was something I did discuss character-wise with Adrian McDowall who sees us off on every block that Nick’s now wearing ties and stuff. We decided on this little thing that when things got pretty hot in the kitchen Nick would have this little uncomfortable gurn to the side where the tie becomes a little tighter than it was, just because of the pressure.

Nick’s interested in the hands on stuff – he doesn’t want this role.

Is the romance rekindled with Rebecca?

There’s a scene [later in the season] which might suggest that she’s coming back into [Nick and Will’s] lives. It’s certainly not on the page. She dips in and out of this series.

Generally, when a script comes through what do you look for?

I guess what makes the show the show – a little bit of comedy, a little bit of drama, an opportunity for some emotional stuff. I look for moments, comedy moments, I always love doing the emotional stuff with Ollie and with Poppy. It’s ironic that this series there’ve just been two scenes where it’s just been myself and Poppy – Nick and Eve. That’s what I like

From my point of view as an actor, it’s been ironic that it’s taken a Children’s BBC show to cast me as something that is quite far out of what is probably my typecast role, which is usually villains or bent coppers. To play a guy who’s a genius in his field and also a dad and caring.

Eve continues at 4.30 on Wednesdays on CBBC.