Jed Mercurio’s new drama had “brilliant, ferocious arguments” behind the scenes
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
Breathtaking writers Jed Mercurio, Rachel Clarke and Prasanna Puwanarajah have revealed that there were “brilliant and ferocious arguments” on the set of the show.
The three-part ITV series, which is based on Clarke’s memoir, follows Dr Abby Henderson (Joanne Froggatt) as she leads her medical team on the frontline of the NHS as the coronavirus begins to overwhelm the ward.
In an interview with Digital Spy and other media, the aforementioned writers spoke about the creative process for the drama, with Clarke revealing that the group often had passionate arguments about "particular moments in the script".
Related: First look at Liar's Joanne Froggatt in Jed Mercurio's new drama
“We sometimes had the most brilliant, ferocious arguments about particular moments in the script,” she recalled. “The three of us were at it hammer and tongs because we all cared so much about it.
“I always found those the best moments because we were usually arguing because something wasn’t working. Very often, infuriatingly, it was something that Prasanna and I had written and Jed was able to see the problem.
“We were furious because we had to recognise that there was a problem – we had to work out how to fix it. So we had these brilliant, passionate discussions – as a result of those the script would go up another level and we’d get to a new state.”
“There was a conversation about whether the presence of the scene added value at the end of the series,” added Puwanarajah. “This was a production where time was so precious and the decision to shoot something was an important one.”
Related: Line of Duty star among cast announced for Netflix crime series
Mercurio, who is best known for his work on Line of Duty, also spoke about the series, explaining: “We agreed pretty much upfront that it would be an equal collaboration, so we would get equal credit and we would work together with a completely flat hierarchy.
“We just worked as a team, we discussed how the series would break down into episodes, what the arc of those episodes would be. We wrote outlines, took turns drafting and there was just constant communication.
“Personally I’m so used to writing on my own that I really found it a rewarding experience. Working with Rachel and Prasanna is one of my career highlights. It was just fabulous to be a part of such a great team.”
Breathtaking airs on ITV1 from February 19 to February 21.
You Might Also Like
