Stellan Skarsgård has defended the BBC and launched a forthright attack on Rupert Murdoch’s influence on British media.

The actor is starring in River, a dark and complex new police drama from Abi Morgan, which starts on BBC1 on Tuesday.

“Of course it’s under attack, because David Cameron – who put him there? Rupert Murdoch did,” Skarsgård told the Hollywood Reporter. “Rupert Murdoch is in bed with Cameron. Of course they want to kill the BBC …

“If you want to have a civilised country, you cannot let all the information come from somebody who wants to make money out of it, and definitely not from Rupert Murdoch. It’s horrifying, horrifying.”

Skarsgård argued that any attempts to diminish the BBC would work in Murdoch’s favour. “You want to give him more power? Go ahead,” he says. “You’re going to fuck up whatever is left of civilisation!”

• River, 9pm, Tuesday, BBC1.