Category: IN FOCUS
Style and Substance
Channel 4 series A Woman of Substance is an epic drama following the rise of Emma Harte from maid to mogul. Creator Katherine Jakeways and executive producer Beth Willis discuss adapting Barbara Taylor Bradford’s century-spanning novel and why the protagonist is an iconic character.
Drugs and doppelgangers
DQ hears from the creative teams behind two forthcoming German dramas: Westend Girl, which tells the real-life story of a young girl who discovers her parents are drug traffickers, and Die Düsteren (The Dark Ones), a supernatural mystery series set on a remote island.
Cooking up crime
A Taste for Murder star Warren Brown and writer Matt Baker tell DQ about dishing up this crime show in which a grieving British detective relocates to Capri and is confronted by a series of murder mysteries that can only be solved with the help of culinary clues.
Wild about Anna
Director Lea Thompson and showrunner Morwyn Brebner discuss making their upcoming wilderness crime series Anna Pigeon, finding the perfect star for the title role and why there aren’t enough characters like her on television.
Something fishy
A summer vacation meets murder mystery and extraordinary creatures in Swedish coming-of-age story Summer of 1985. DQ speaks to producer Anna-Klara Carlsten, director Björn Stein and writers Amy Deasismont and Melina Maraki about this adaptation of John Ajvide Lindqvist’s novel Sommaren 1985.
Eyes to the West
After the surprise cancellation of PI drama Private Eyes, star Jason Priestley and executive producer Lloyd Segan tell DQ about reuniting for sequel Private Eyes West Coast and the changing relationship at the heart of the series.
Escape plan
Norwegian drama Flukten fra Bolivia (Escaping Bolivia) tells the story of three friends caught up in drug-smuggling charges in the South American country. Creator Emilie Beck and producer Marte Hansen detail how the series was inspired by true events and discuss the production’s real-world impact.
Hit squad
Writer Howard Overman and director David Caffrey tell DQ how they drew on influences including Out of Sight, Starsky & Hutch and Jackie Brown to create Hit Point, an “ambitious” crime drama about two detectives battling an increasing attraction to each other.
Seed of the crime
Sogn Murders blends cosy crime with stunning scenery – and apple farming – to bring Norwegian literary detective Ole Vik to the screen. Writer Kathrine Valen Zeiner and producer Sigurd Mikal Karoliussen tell DQ how they did it.
Creating a buzz
Director Mark Munden, writer Jack Thorne and executive producer Joel Wilson take DQ inside the BBC’s new Lord of the Flies miniseries, revealing the origins of the first TV adaptation of William Golding’s novel and how they wrangled a large cast of young boys on location in Malaysia.
New threads
Danish drama Uniformen (The Uniform) explores the ethical and moral dilemmas facing police officers from the perspective of the students and staff at Copenhagen’s police academy. Writers Oscar Giese and Anders August join director Jonas Alexander Arnby to reveal more.
Fuelling more Industry
Industry star Myha’la joins showrunners Mickey Down and Konrad Kay to reflect on four seasons of the financial drama, how S4 marks a new beginning, and how cast and crew have grown up together on the set of the HBO and BBC series.
Back to work
As The Night Manager returns for its long-anticipated second season, writer David Farr, director Georgi Banks-Davies and cinematographer Tim Sidell pull back the curtain on how they made this thrilling spy drama.
Inside out
Writer Dennis Kelly joins director Jeanette Nordahl and executive producer Katie Carpenter to take DQ inside the making of Waiting for the Out, the BBC’s adaptation of Andy West’s memoir about life behind bars – from the perspective of a prison philosophy teacher.
Notes on a symphony
Sky’s lavish reimagining of Amadeus pitches Mozart and Salieri into a claustrophobic world of genius, jealousy and court intrigue. Writer Joe Barton, star Gabrielle Creevy and production designer Morgan Kennedy pull back the curtain on making the five-part drama.
Gods and monsters
As Percy Jackson & the Olympians returns to Disney+ for a second season, DQ speaks to author Rick Riordan, execs Dan Shotz, Jonathan E Steinberg and Craig Silverstein, and stars Leah Sava Jeffries, Aryan Simhadri and Daniel Diemer about making this epic adventure series.
Bad ideas
Bad Influencer creator Kudi Maradzika and director Keitumetse Qhali talk about their partnership on this South African crime drama, tapping into influencer culture and the importance of language and music in the series.
Second thoughts
Ghosts continue to haunt Swedish police officer Veronika Gren in season two of SkyShowtime’s psychological thriller Veronika. Star Alexandra Rapaport and director Mikael Håfström discuss seeing spirits, the introvert title character and recreating the 1960s.
Crossing the line
Channel 4 drama Trespasses tells a forbidden love story set against the backdrop of the Troubles in 1970s Northern Ireland. Star Tom Cullen and producer Amanda Posey discuss making the series, why Cullen was the perfect casting choice and how the actor perfected his Belfast accent.
Giving it their Best shot
A Finnish crime drama investigates the mystery behind a teenage girl’s disappearance, set against the backdrop of a Helsinki suburb in the late 1980s. Director Saara Saarela and executive producer Minna Haapkylä introduce All the Best Girls.