Turning the volume down
Seduction and espionage marry in Canadian thriller The Romeo Section. Showrunner Chris Haddock outlines the ‘quieter’ series’ origins and explains why showrunning is like a football match. While spy dramas such as Homeland and 24 are filled with explosions, gunfire and high-speed car chases, The Romeo Section is decidedly more covert. The Canadian drama follows a seasoned spymaster and academic who secretly manages a team of agents, known as Romeo and Juliet spies, who use their powers of seduction to extract secrets from state intelligence targets. And creator and showrunner Chris Haddock, pictured above, says he intentionally decided to walk a different path to other noisier series when developing the show for Canadian pubcaster CBC. “All you hear in Hollywood when pitching is ‘bring me a noisier show,’” Haddock says. “There’s so much of it and there’s so very little difference between one cast and another or the appearance of one show or another. My gut told me counter-intuitively I’m going to make the quieter show that everybody gets drawn to. “We’re in a niche market now. You’re looking for the audience that loves that stuff, and people see the value in that. If you get a strong demographic behind you, a show can really grow and become a long-term success.” The Romeo Section, which launched its 10-episode first season last October, is described as a taut thriller about espionage set in the Pacific Rim. Filmed on location in Vancouver, where the story is set, the show slowly introduces viewers … Continue reading Turning the volume down
