Inbetweeners Star Henry Lloyd-Hughes Wants To Make Mark Donovan Spin-Off

It doesn't get much bigger than playing Sherlock Holmes in a Netflix series - but that doesn't mean Henry Lloyd-Hughes wouldn't jump at the chance to reprise the role of Mark Donovan. Watch a trailer for Sherlock series The Irregulars here:

The iconic detective is a far cry from the bullish school bully we got to know more than 10 years ago in The Inbetweeners (yes, it was that long ago), but Lloyd-Hughes would return to playing the playground persecutor in a heartbeat.

Clearly, the playground would now be a thing of the past for Donovan, but Lloyd-Hughes reckons this wouldn't be a problem and suggests he could play him as a middle aged man - as he manages to play Holmes with a 15-year time leap in The Irregulars.

"You've seen me do the time jump in The Irregulars, and now we're ready," the 35-year-old tells LADbible.

"I'll do Mark Donovan as middle aged and then we'll take him into his 60s... If you write Mark Donovan: The Movie, I will definitely read it."

Channel 4

It comes as no surprise that he's 'absolutely' keen to play Donovan again, given that he regrets that his character didn't feature more prominently in the original series.

He says: "The thing about the guys that made that show and the thing about the people that acted on the show is they're all really deeply funny, smart people.

"So, you know, I was always desperate to be in the show more than I was because I wanted to hang out with everyone not when the cameras are rolling, and just talk about, you know, football or whatever. It was always like hanging out with a completely hilarious bunch of mates.

"So I had a terrific, terrific time. And, yeah, the only sad thing is I probably wish I was in it a bit more."

Whether we'll ever get to see Lloyd-Hughes bring a middle aged Donovan to life remains to be seen, but you can catch his distinctive portrayal of Holmes on Netflix from 26 March.

A synopsis of the series reads: "Set in Victorian London, the series follows a gang of troubled street teens who are manipulated into solving crimes for the sinister Doctor Watson and his mysterious business partner, the elusive Sherlock Holmes.

"As the crimes take on a horrifying supernatural edge and a dark power emerges, it'll be up to the Irregulars to come together to save not only London but the entire world."

Netflix

Lloyd-Hughes says he's 'so excited' to see how the show goes down with viewers, describing it as a 'big new leap into the unknown'.

He says: "I could not predict what that reaction is going to be like, and nor can I predict who is going to really embrace this show - whether it's going to be more of a kind of horror sci-fi fan, or more of a kind of Stranger Things, you know that kind of drama, or Sherlock purists.

"It's going to be a real blend of those elements and I just hope people are going to embrace that we've taken our titular character into a completely new realm.

"I suppose it's darker and more emotional than people will have seen and that's either going to shock people in a good way or upset them in a bad way. And we'll soon see after March 26."

Topics: TV and Film, UK Entertainment, the inbetweeners

Jake Massey

Jake Massey is a journalist at LADbible. He graduated from Newcastle University, where he learnt a bit about media and a lot about living without heating. After spending a few years in Australia and New Zealand, Jake secured a role at an obscure radio station in Norwich, inadvertently becoming a real-life Alan Partridge in the process. From there, Jake became a reporter at the Eastern Daily Press. Jake enjoys playing football, listening to music and writing about himself in the third person.

@jakesmassey