He's landed his dream role in Patrick Melrose, but Benedict Cumberbatch has admitted that he wishes "more time" could've been devoted to the series.

The Sky Atlantic / Showtime adaptation of Edward St Aubyn's novels runs to five parts, with each hour-long episode bringing one of the books to the screen.

"I always feel that I want more, whether it's more takes or more time," Cumberbatch told Digital Spy. "Each book deserves five hours."

Adapted by BAFTA nominee David Nicholls, Patrick Melrose sees Cumberbatch play the aristocratic and outrageously playboy who struggles to overcome the childhood trauma inflicted by an abusive father.

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"The books are extraordinarily detailed views of a world created out of some of the most sublimely accurate and punchy and witty sentences that you will ever read in the English language," the Sherlock actor enthused. "I cannot praise them highly enough. They are extraordinary achievements.

"So, of course, you always want more. The amount of material, the quality of it, the performances, the way it's been shot and the way it's been edited and scored, as well as the primary source material itself… Of course it deserves more time.

"Having said that, I think there's going to be a pacing to it and a vitality to it, so an hour will really hold an audience by the scruff of the neck."

Sky

A long-time fan of the Patrick Melrose books, originally published between 1992 and 2012, Cumberbatch had previously suggested that playing troubled Patrick was – along with Hamlet – one of only two roles on his "bucket list".

"When you have books that are that rich in detail and have that extraordinary depth of character, you've got an amazing blueprint to work off – and you can only ever hope to try to do justice to that kind of work," he said.

"That's the biggest challenge of this project; to bring it to the screen and give something back to readers who have already had the most amazing cinematic experience by just reading the novels.

"I think these books are one of the stand-out achievements of 21st century literature. I really do. As a piece of prose but also as an insight to the human condition. It's a universal tale of parenting, of abuse, of addiction, of recovery, [and] of salvation – in the end."

Patrick Melrose begins tonight at 9/8c on Showtime and on Sunday at 9pm on Sky Atlantic.

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