War creator George Kay on moving from Hijack and Lupin to Sky's high-stakes divorce drama
A storm brews as rival law firms take on a major divorce case
©Sky/ HBO/ New Pictures
- Gareth McLean
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When I ask writer George Kay what makes a George Kay drama, he says, “I try to find high-end or commercial shows that have a relatability to them. So with Hijack [Apple TV’s Idris Elba thriller], everyone’s been on a plane so they can put themselves in that precinct. I’m also looking for different ways to construct stories, so we did Hijack in real time.” He pauses. “I’m not desperate to tell one story of my lived experience.”
Before he was a writer – whose range is demonstrated by Lupin and Criminal, two wildly different Netflix shows he created, as well as ITV’s The Long Shadow – Kay worked in factual television, co-devising formats like The Choir. It’s to this background that he credits his rigorous approach to making drama. “Non-scripted TV really relies on story construction and getting the architecture right of what you’re selling,” he says. “You’re pitching a lot, which really helps with the clarity of your ideas.”
And so to the Sky Atlantic drama War, the premise of which couldn’t be clearer: rival London law firms – one old-school, one start-up – square up to each other in the divorce case of the century involving a tech billionaire (Dominic West) and his Hollywood actor wife (Sienna Miller). Celia Imrie, Nina Sosanya, James McArdle and Pip Torrens also star.
What’s also clear is that War is one of the best dramas of the year. In fact, Kay imagines it as a returning anthology series, and the second season has already been filmed. Gm
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War starts on 2 October on Sky Atlantic
Authors
Gareth McLean
Gareth McLean has been writing about television for nearly 30 years. As a critic, he's reviewed thousands of programmes. As a feature writer, he's interviewed hundreds of people, from Liza Minnelli to Jimmy Savile. He has also written for TV.
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