Category: THE WRITERS ROOM
I, Chris Lang
Unforgotten creator Chris Lang’s new show, I, Jack Wright, focuses on the shockwaves sent through a family by its deceased patriarch’s will. The writer and exec producer lays out his wishes for the series and explains why he wanted to tell this story.
Script secrets
How are writers currently navigating the troubled British drama industry, and what were the unique storytelling methods used in making Baby Reindeer, One Day and Industry? The BAFTA-nominated writers of these shows take DQ inside their acclaimed works and explain why it’s still worth taking risks.
Keeping up appearances
Just Act Normal creator and writer Janice Okoh joins executive producer George Ormond to discuss adapting for television her award-winning play about three siblings fighting to stay together after their mother’s disappearance, and the challenges of production on a limited budget.
Next in line
Generationer (Generations), the latest flagship drama from Danish broadcaster DR, takes viewers into the mystery behind a shocking discovery that leads one family to reconsider the past. Creator Anna Emma Haudal dissects the themes behind the show and reveals her writing process.
Behind the headlines
Ruth Ellis was the last woman to be hanged in Britain, but was she judged for more than her crime? Writer Kelly Jones tells DQ how she wanted to present the “real woman” caught up in tragic events in ITV miniseries A Cruel Love: The Ruth Ellis Story.
All write now
Writers Victoria Asare-Archer, Daf James, Georgia Lee, Sydney Sybilia and Danielle Ward reflect on making their breakout series – including shows like Daddy Issues and Missing You – and reveal how they balance their own ideas with audience tastes.
Feeling the heat
Based on true events, Swedish drama Smärtpunkten (Pressure Point) tells the story of a writer and producer who partner with some dangerous prisoners to create a new play – with tragic consequences. Series writer Pelle Rådström explains how he brought this story to the screen.
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.