Category: THE WRITERS ROOM
Portrayal of a betrayer
In their biopic of Norwegian politician Vidkun Quisling, writers Anna Bache-Wiig and Siv Rajendram Eliassen wondered how they could portray the Nazi collaborator without eliciting sympathy for him. As they tell DQ, they found the answer in the form of a priest.
Main character energy
Writing partners Arnór Pálmi Arnarson and Jóhanna Friðrika Sæmundsdóttir explain how finding the right protagonist unlocked their Icelandic dramedy Húsó (The School of Housewives), about a young mother who attends housekeeping classes in a bid to regain custody of her daughter.
Finding the Missing pieces
The latest collaboration between Netflix and thriller author Harlan Coben, Missing You, is described as the most romantic so far. Series writer Victoria Asare-Archer tells DQ how she blended twists and turns with the story of a woman faced with meeting her ex a decade after his disappearance.
Code of silence
Say Nothing writer and executive producer Patrick Radden Keefe discusses the dramatisation of his own book about the Troubles in Northern Ireland and explains why the Disney+ series serves as a cautionary tale for divided societies threatening to tip into violence.
A twist on true crime
Until I Kill You writer Nick Stevens discusses the making of this ITV drama, his approach to dramatising true crime stories for the screen and why the series breaks the genre mould.
Ell raiser
Channel 5 and Acorn TV drama Ellis stars Sharon D Clarke as a top inspector who is parachuted in to solve failing investigations. Executive producer and lead writer Siân Ejiwunmi-Le Berre opens the file on television’s latest detective.
Crash course
Upcoming German drama Hundertdreizehn explores a single story through connected characters and multiple points of view. Writer Arndt Stüwe outlines the scriptwriting process and discusses his love of non-linear storytelling.
Fish feud
Lilyhammer creators Eilif Skodvin and Anne Bjørnstad return to Netflix with Billionaire Island, a comedy-drama about two families fighting for control of Norway’s salmon farming industry. They tell DQ about blending drama with soap-style humour and being there at the start of the streaming revolution.
New Wives tale
The Wives creator Helen Black recalls the journey to making her first original series, explaining how the drama champions female camaraderie and why writers should “hold their nerve.”
Lay of the Scrublands
Scrublands head writer Felicity Packard previews the return of the Australian mystery series with sequel Scrublands: Silver, explaining how she adapted Chris Hammer’s novels and how she avoids cheating the audience.
No regrets
Friends-turned-TV collaborators Kyla Harris and Lee Getty tell DQ how they drew on their own experiences to create BBC comedy drama We Might Regret This, delving into its themes of friendship and romance and how they hope to lead the charge for disability representation on screen.
Working the room
With credits on series including Fake and Bump, Australian scribe Jessica Tuckwell takes DQ inside a writers’ room and reveals what it’s like for a writer to work on a show they haven’t created themselves.
Turk of the town
From teen drama Skins to new show The Turkish Detective, Ben Schiffer has risen from aspiring screenwriter to head writer. He speaks about building his TV career and blending British drama sensibilities with the hustle and bustle of modern-day Istanbul in his first original series.
Guiding light
While Poppy Cogan was busy adapting Holly Jackson novel A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder for television, the book became a worldwide sensation. She explains how she brought this mystery drama to the screen and reflects on her own journey to creating her first TV series.
Meet the mentors
As six emerging writers join Jed Mercurio’s mentorship programme, the Line of Duty creator joins Wilderness screenwriter Marnie Dickens to share some of the advice they are passing on to aspiring writers.
Fresh Justice
Eight years after Brazilian crime drama Justice aired, writer Manuela Dias is back with a sequel, Justice: Misconduct. She speaks to DQ about turning the Globo drama into an anthology series, rooting the show in real life and moving stories away from princesses and heroes.
Death becomes him
Segunda Muerte (Second Death) creator Agustín Martínez digs up the past in this Spanish thriller about a police investigator pulled into a mysterious case. He tells DQ about the drama’s themes, its unique rural setting and how he sought to emphasise character over plot.
Coming together
Ahead of the launch of The Gathering, writer Helen Walsh speaks to DQ about creating the authentic world seen in her first television series, viewing its characters from multiple perspectives and why this story needs to be told today.
Raising hell
How did the most “gloriously odd” Black Mirror episode ever win a Bafta award? Series creator Charlie Brooker and writing partner Bisha K Ali break down season six episode Demon 79 and talk about upending fan expectations and the dangers of working with AI.
Quick to respond
How do you follow one of the biggest BBC dramas in recent years? That was the question facing writer Tony Schumacher ahead of season two of The Responder. He discusses reuniting with star Martin Freeman and keeping his hometown of Liverpool at the heart of the action.