Category: THE WRITERS ROOM
Head case
Christina Lee and Alissa Nutting tell DQ about writing Made for Love, an HBO Max original series based on Nutting’s darkly comic sci-fi novel about a woman on the run from her controlling tech billionaire husband – who has implanted a monitoring chip in her head.
Frank discussion
The Queen’s Gambit writer, director and executive producer Scott Frank remarks on how the story of a young female chess prodigy in 1950s America became one of Netflix’s biggest series of 2020.
Saints and synners
As Kay Mellor’s lottery drama The Syndicate returns after a six-year break, the writer and director tells DQ how the BBC series overcame the odds to film in Yorkshire and Monaco during the Covid-19 pandemic.
True to life
In Los Espabilados (Alive & Kicking), the latest series from Albert Espinosa, four teenagers are pursued by a detective after they escape from a psychiatric institution. DQ chats to the prolific Spanish writer about why he continues to mine his own experiences for television.
Family comes first
Canadian writer Anne Boyer discusses her 30-year writing partnership with Michel d’Astous and how their explorations of family led them to write Mon Fils (My Son), a series about a teenager’s struggle with schizophrenia.
Chris versus Goliath
Chris Brandon discusses the journey towards writing his first television series, BBC thriller Bloodlands, and partnering with Line of Duty’s Jed Mercurio on this story of a Northern Irish police officer investigating a cold case with huge personal significance.
Special Kay
Doctor-turned-comedian Adam Kay is adapting his best-selling memoir about life on the wards for the BBC and AMC. He tells DQ about translating his diaries for television.
Cracking up
Polish screenwriter and author Igor Brejdygant tells DQ about writing Rysa (The Crack), which is based on his own novel about a top police officer who finds herself linked to the murders she is investigating.
Hello, Clarice
Clarice co-creators Jenny Lumet and Alex Kurtzman reveal all about this follow-up to The Silence of the Lambs, discussing how they got into the mind of the titular FBI agent and why the character has influenced a generation of screen heroines.
Wild north
Kim Fupz Aakeson, the writer of Norwegian comedy-drama Velkommen til Utmark (Welcome to Utmark), speaks to DQ about the film origins of his quirky series and the open landscapes that make it a Nordic western.
Loading Cargo
Matti Kinnunen, the writer and director of Finnish drama Rahti (Cargo), looks back on the years-long journey to making the human-trafficking drama and discusses the universal themes that link his screen work.
Crossing the Line
Writer Cilla Jackert reveals how Twitter inspired Swedish drama Tunna blå linjen (Thin Blue Line), which follows the personal and professional lives of police officers as they grapple with the emotional labour of the job.
Guilty conscience
In Icelandic drama Systrabönd (Sisterhood), three women face up to a decades-old crime in this story of how people respond differently to guilt. Writer Jóhann Ævar Grímsson tells DQ about his aim to offer a fresh take on a familiar genre.
On the Run
Daniel Ortiz, the writer behind Brazilian telenovela Salve-se Quem Puder (Run for your Lives), reveals the origins of this romantic comedy about three women who have to change their identities after witnessing a crime.
Vanishing act
Tea Lindeburg, the creator of Danish podcast-turned-Netflix series Equinox, discusses adapting the supernatural mystery drama, which centres on a young woman investigating her sister’s disappearance.
Keep dreaming
Paulo Halm and Rosane Svartman, the creators of Brazilian telenovela Totalmente Demais (Total Dreamer), discuss making the 130-hour series about a young girl who looks to escape her simple life by entering a modelling competition.
Crime wave
Screenwriter José Junior reveals how he created two hard-hitting crime dramas for Brazilian streamer Globoplay: Anti-Kidnapping Unit and Dissident Archangel.
Secrets and lies
Swedish crime writer Camilla Läckberg tells DQ about writing her first television series, Lyckoviken, in which a police officer is drawn into a murder investigation after returning to her home town.
Alfa male
Two brothers begin a journey of self-discovery in Alfa, a multi-stranded Danish series that blends thriller and character drama. DQ speaks to writer and director Milad Avaz about his first television project.
Proper Charlie
Charlie Covell, whose career has spanned acting and writing, speaks about creating The End of the F***ing World and teases her upcoming Netflix series Kaos.