When Mount Pleasant returns to Sky1 for its fifth series on Friday, Lisa wages war on her new neighbours, as Sally Lindsay reveals…
What does your character, Lisa Johnson, make of Mount Pleasant's new family, the Millers?
"She doesn't think they're that great, to be honest. As the new series opens, the Millers and the Johnsons totally get off on the wrong foot. It's a real comedy of errors!"
Why? What happens?
"Lisa is having the day from hell working from home while her new offices are being refurbished. So when Jenna comes round with some leaflets, Lisa says: 'I don’t want what you're selling', and slams the door in her face! That's the first time they meet and things go downhill from there."
Sounds like the situation gets much worse…
"Lisa then discovers that Jenna's got her own hairdressing business. Without giving too much away, Lisa goes to have her hair done and it all goes horribly wrong!”
Do things get really competitive between Lisa and Jenna?
"You bet! Lisa ends up in a state of paranoia over this family which, in turn, makes Jenna paranoid. It's almost like they start trying to score points as neighbours and Lisa's definitely the one driving it.”
Are Lisa’s husband Dan (Daniel Ryan) and Jenna’s husband Cameron (Casualty’s Patrick Robinson) arguing too?
“No! As things get worse and worse between the women, poor old Dan and Cameron are just trying to keep the peace."
Is there any anything else we should know about the Millers?
"Well, we find out that they’ve got a dark secret that they don't really want everyone to know about and Lisa becomes obsessed with ‘it’ and with them. She wants to know who the Millers are, how they work and what they’re about."
Is there another reason why Lisa becomes so obsessed with the Millers?
"Dan and Lisa aren't getting on and it looks like their marriage could be under serious threat. Lisa focuses on this 'competition' with Jenna, so that she doesn't have to deal with what's really going on at home."
Why do you think Mount Pleasant's still so popular with viewers?
"People think they ARE Dan and Lisa and they can relate to them because this show is all about the normality of life, which we break apart and study. It's a world that people want to live in and they want to be friends with the characters in that close. I'd do this job forever - I love it!"
