What was the experience of filming This City is Ours like for you?

It was one of the most enjoyable series I have been involved with, and I know people say that at the end of working on a particular project, but I can genuinely say I personally did not want it to end. I walked away from the set really upset. I remember feeling this genuine sense of loss, but obviously I had a sense of great satisfaction because this was mould-breaking television.

I’m convinced it will become a classic piece of drama. It is very well written and structured, everything you see in episode one resonates in the whole series through to episode eight. All the characters are so well defined it was a joy to work on and be a part of.

Many of the cast had worked together before filming. Was this a major plus factor from day one for you?

There was great camaraderie, individually and collectively. I have been fortunate to work with some of the lads before, and (writer) Stephen Butchard is someone I hugely respect and admire.

I can promise fans of crime dramas that this series takes it to another level. That is what appealed to me when I first read the scripts. By page nine I knew I wanted to be Ronnie. He is someone eyeing up retirement, just as a rival gang organisation are preparing to attack.

This is a story about a family on the verge of being destroyed by ambition, pride and greed. There has not been anything like it before and I’m very pleased that I have been a part of it. I want it to have a long future - everyone involved in it deserves success.

There was another star you want to pay tribute to - an old friend of sorts?

Liverpool, the city itself, is always a joy to visit and work in. It is a special place and has been good to me and it has a special place in my heart. The people welcome you with open arms and that makes things so much easier for any production crew. They are respectful that you have a job to do and let you get on with it.

They are proud to have you in their city, using their home as a location is recognition of its appeal. They are also grateful that the city’s economy benefits from being one of the most used places to film.

The city looks brilliant on film, from the waterfront to Chinatown, and across to the Wirral, where Ronnie lives. This City is Ours is a great title in many ways because it is defiant and triumphant.

Was there a buzz on the first day of filming?

Having a happy cast and crew in place is a sure sign you are all feeling the same thing, and yes, there was a buzz.

Jack McMullen, who plays my son Jamie, is a real talent and I can see great things ahead for him in the future. He is a very thoughtful, hard-working actor who takes his job seriously, as does James Nelson-Joyce, who I have worked with before. James plays my best friend Michael Kavanagh. And then there’s the talented Hannah Onslow as his partner Diana, and Julie Graham as my wife, Elaine.

The producers deserve special praise for assembling a wide-ranging, talented cast that shines in every way.

A drama needs some relief from the tensions. Does humour have a big part to play in the series?

It is set in Liverpool, which is renowned for its sense of humour. It has a lot to do with how people say things. The humour isn’t obvious – a remark here or there or a put down, too. They are naturally funny people who are sharp witted.

With someone like Stephen (Butchard), with his track record, you could see where things were going in episode one and anticipating what would come to fruition.

The language of the gangsters is very much to the point and to make something humorous is where the skill of the writers comes in and the art of the actors to deliver it.

There is an ongoing theme in the series of the need for change. Would you agree the series is about repercussions?

When I first received the script my immediate reaction was I have got to be in this. It is brutal – but it is very real. I knew I could contribute something to the character of Ronnie. I could picture him and this was by only page nine.

In a short space of time, leafing through the first episode, I could see it was profound, funny, shocking and sinister, but very real. I read the rest of the pages and was hooked.

Ronnie contemplates retirement as a drug lord and this is the catalyst for his son to see about his job, while his own friend Michael wants out too. The main motivation for Michael’s change is that he has fallen in love and wants to be a dad above all else.

The title hints at so many things. This City is Ours looks at possession, ownership, control and defiance. All these scenarios mean taking drastic actions and they have repercussions. They are trapped by their own successes of overseeing drug territories and the constant corruption of power that inevitably surround it.

Which do you prefer - good guy or baddie?

I like the crime genre. Series such as Peaky Blinders and Line of Duty. The BBC do them well. I found this to be different, because it is not from the police point of view, but from the villains’ perspective, and we get to know why they do what they do. It is not gratuitous violence, the storylines are better than that.

I’m sure viewers find the villains more interesting than the good guys. They are certainly interesting to play, and I have played my fair share. I do like silences and pauses. Someone once wrote that my many silences, where I said nothing, spoke volumes. They did not realise that those were moments where I was just trying hard to remember my lines!

If you had to sum up this city is ours in three words, what would they be?

Unique. Exciting. New.

Unique - because it stands out in a strong field. Exciting - because you will be on the edge of your seat. New - because the storytelling is so fresh.

At the end of the day, it’s a love story - but not your normal romance, it’s a brand new love story for now. People watching are going to love it, too.