Chris Lang, the creator of Unforgotten, has a brand new genre-bending drama series coming to Alibi this month, called I, Jack Wright.
Ad
The new series, which features a stacked cast including the likes of Nikki Amuka-Bird, Harry Lloyd, John Simm, Daniel Rigby, Zoë Tapper and James Fleet, follows the aftermath of the death of the hugely wealth Jack Wright, from a supposed suicide.
The police soon start to suspect murder, and after an explosive will reading leaves family tensions sky high, everyone is under the spotlight.
Each episode starts and ends with interviews with each of the central characters - and now, at a screening and Q&A for the series, Lang explained why he chose to use that dramatic device.
I, Jack Wright. UKTV
"We watch so many true crime shows on the TV, and the line between a true crime documentary and a true crime drama is increasingly blurred," he explained.
"I've done both. And I thought it would be really interesting to give it that extra dynamic, that makes the audience think, 'Hang on a minute, is this a real story?'
"It just bookends it beautifully. It gives you a totally different perspective on what's happened as well. It allows you to go forward and say, 'This is where they all are now. How the hell did they get there? How did she end up in prison? How did he end up in a homeless shelter?' You know, all of those questions."
Lang continued: "And it also offered me the opportunity to write a little kind of coda, a little homily at the end of each episode from Nikki’s character, just to tease into the next episode and just throw those little crumbs in that make an audience want to come back."
James Hibbs is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering programmes across both streaming platforms and linear channels. He previously worked in PR, first for a B2B agency and subsequently for international TV production company Fremantle. He possesses a BA in English and Theatre Studies and an NCTJ Level 5 Diploma in Journalism.
