Category: IN FOCUS
Stealing the show
Swedish drama The Pirate Bay explores the true story behind the titular file-sharing website, its role in activist culture in the early 2000s and Hollywood’s effort to sink it. Director Jens Sjögren joins stars Helena Bergström and Simon Gregor Carlsson to tell DQ how they have dramatised this global story born in Stockholm.
Four better or worse
Romantic drama Four Years Later travels between Australia and India to tell the story of a married couple facing up to a long-distance relationship. Creator Mithila Gupta and lead director Mohini Herse discuss their partnership on this groundbreaking series.
Split decisions
Two years after The Split concluded, the BBC legal drama is returning for a two-part special set in Spain. Star Nicola Walker, creator Abi Morgan and executive producer Jane Featherstone tell DQ why they wanted to reunite for The Split: Barcelona.
Ray of light
DI Ray star Parminder Nagra joins creator and writer Maya Sondhi to uncover the secrets behind the second season of this ITV crime drama in which personal and professional challenges collide for the titular detective as she investigates a high-profile murder.
Criminally good cuisine
With filming underway on Icelandic series Reykjavik Fusion, creator Hörður Rúnarsson tells DQ about the inspiration behind this culinary creation, in which a former prisoner turns restauranteur, and Michelin star chef Þráinn Freyr Vigfusson discusses his role behind the scenes.
Affairs of the heart
Mr Loverman star Lennie James joins writer Nathaniel Price and director Hong Khaou to take DQ inside this BBC adaptation of Bernardine Evaristo’s novel about a married Antiguan man facing up to his future following a lifelong affair with his best friend.
Noob beginnings
Noob creators Victoria Boult and Rachel Fawcett tell DQ about this coming-of-age comedy’s journey from TikTok to television and explain why social media can become the home for emerging creative talent on and off the (phone) screen.
Not out of the woods yet
Director Clio Barnard joins executive producers Juliette Howell and Harriet Spencer to look back on making the second season of BBC drama Sherwood, building on the themes of season one and finding the delicate balance of character and issues in a state-of-the-nation series.
When Emily met Andrew
A Very Royal Scandal is the second scripted project telling the story of Emily Maitlis’s bombshell interview with Prince Andrew. Stars Ruth Wilson and Michael Sheen – and Maitlis herself – pull back the curtain on the Prime Video three-parter.
Conflict of interest
Conflict co-creators Aku Louhimies and Andrei Alén discuss collaborating on this highly anticipated Finnish political military thriller, stepping away from real-world events and why realism has been at the forefront of the project from the script to the set.
Reimagining Bergman
How do you take on the work of Ingmar Bergman? Director Tomas Alfredson and writer Sara Johnsen tell DQ how they reimagined the influential Swedish filmmaker’s work by adapting his 2000 feature Trolösa (Faithless) into a six-part series.
Trading in rough diamonds
Investing in start-up potential is risky, but Bad Wolf’s Jane Tranter helped Industry duo Mickey Down and Konrad Kay become valuable market assets. They recall their journey together and talk about why TV should be backing new talent.
Right of reply
Kidnapped: The Chloe Ayling Story recounts the true story of the eponymous model’s kidnap ordeal in 2017 and the subsequent media storm when she was accused of faking the whole thing. Writer Georgia Lester, star Nadia Parkes and Ayling herself recount the making of this factual drama.
Now and then
Swedish stars Alexandra Rapaport and Ella Hammasten Liedberg join writer-director Martina Haag to pull back the curtain on the making of Det är något som inte stammer (Little Did I Know), a Viaplay film about a woman looking back on her childhood as she embarks on a journey of self-discovery.
Lost Seul
The cast and creative team behind Seul (Alone at Sea) preview this France Télévisions TV movie about a yachtsman’s incredible voyage of survival during a solo around-the-world race, and reveal the challenges they faced filming at sea.
Heaven or Helgoland
In Helgoland 513, the survivors of a deadly pandemic must live together under barbaric rules that mean the population can never increase. Creators Florian Wentsch and Veronica Priefer and executive producer Oliver Ossege discuss the very modern roots of this dystopian drama.
Pushing the boat out
Three-part miniseries La Ley del Mar (The Law of the Sea) dramatises the true story of a Spanish fishing crew who rescued a group of stranded migrants and sparked a diplomatic crisis. DQ hears about why this universal story can cross borders, and the challenges of filming at sea.
Who’s the Daddy?
Writer Danielle Ward, director Damon Beesley and executive producer Phil Gilbert discuss their partnership on BBC Three series Daddy Issues, the challenge with comedies, and working with “dream” stars Aimee Lou Wood and David Morrissey.
Rising Son
Serbian drama Volja sinovljeva (Son’s Will) is set to break boundaries for broadcaster Telekom Srbija. DQ hears from creators Strahinja Madžarević and Nemanja Ćeranić and producer Miloš Avramović about this fantastical, post-apocalyptic adventure series told in the style of an epic folk poem.
Dark waters
First-time showrunner Alma Har’el joins executive producers Julie Gardner and Nathan Ross to tell the story of adapting Laura Lippman novel Lady in the Lake for Apple TV+.