Idris Elba wants 'In The Long Run' to gives viewers an escape from "dreary 2018".

Idris Elba

Idris Elba

The 'Luther' actor has penned the comedy - based loosly around his late real-life father Winston - for Sky 1, and has suggested people will be able to laugh at the way it presents a moment in time when political correctness wasn't seen in the same way.

He explained to RadioTimes.com: "The heart of this show is that it's going to appeal to people who want to step outside of dreary 2018 - where everything is very sensitive - and just laugh with a community of people that you can relate to. One way or another."

Idris, 45, wanted to tackle the casual racism he experienced after moving from Hackney to London's white-working class area of Canning Town in the 80s as a teenager.

He added: "It's good that that's come across, because in early, early talks that was something I wanted to be upfront about.

"I wanted people to be reminded that, as PC as we all are now - which is fine, it's good - we were thicker-skinned back then. Not that it makes casual racism right, but actually in the long run we all got along with it."

He previously revealed he had never experienced "racial tension" growing up until his family moved to Canning Town.

Idris said: "I'd been shielded from racial tension, but when we moved I felt it full whack.

"It was a National Front area and there were no black people. I remember walking down the street and being called a black ****. No one talked like that in Hackney."


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