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Possession writer on how "guilt" and "cultural inheritance" helped form supernatural thriller

Karla Crome chats exclusively to Radio Times about the significance of her new thriller.

Published: Sunday, 2 August 2026 at 11:35 am

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Sky's upcoming supernatural thriller, Possession, is not only set to make you wary of anything that goes bump in the night but on a deeper level, will also get audiences to think deeper about the "UK's relationship with Jamaica", its writer reveals.

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Whilst on the face of it, Possession may seem to be concerned with inheritance claims and law, it's actually more so wrapped up in colonial legacy, spiritual practices and history. The series is very much grounded by its central character, Claudia (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) who travels to Jamaica in her line of work as a lawyer but is soon confronted by a cultural heritage she's never really known.

When asked why it was important to frame the story through the eyes of a mixed-race protagonist, series writer and creator Karla Crome explained to Radio Times for Pass the Mic: "Truthfully, I think I was thinking about myself and my own heritage, my own cultural inheritance and feeling culturally British.

"But also, moving through the world as a person of colour and feeling probably a sense of guilt about a lack of connection to Jamaica and that heritage."

Gugu Mbatha-Raw as Claudia in Sky Original Posession

Gugu Mbatha-Raw as Claudia in Posession. SKY

She went on: "Feeling that you look different but you don't necessarily feel very different to the people around you – but you also do underneath it. So there's a lot going on there. But also, I think that's a metaphor for the UK's relationship with Jamaica.

"The colonialism, the fact that the King is still head of state in Jamaica, the relationship between the UK and Jamaica is very specific. We've got a huge Caribbean diaspora here, especially from Jamaica. I really wanted to explore that relationship through the personal."

Also directed by Storm Saulter, the five-parter stars the likes of Jonny Lee Miller (Trainspotting), Sheldon Shepherd (Bob Marley: One Love) and Bel Powley (Everything I Know About Love).

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The synopsis reads: "Claudia (Gugu Mbatha-Raw), an ambitious young bi‑racial lawyer, travels to Jamaica to challenge an inheritance claim made by a local man, Cudjoe East (Sheldon Shepherd), against Oliver Connaught (Jonny Lee Miller), a wealthy white aristocrat.

"But the case takes an unsettling turn when Claudia discovers that the disputed estate is the very place that has haunted her nightmares: Hope Hill, the Connaught family’s former plantation.

"As Claudia and Oliver dig deeper, they uncover a disturbing link between the plantation’s brutal past and the injustices still shaping the present."

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Possession is coming to Sky and NOW on Thursday 6th August. You can sign up to NOW from £3.99 a month.

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Authors

Black and white cut-out portrait headshot of Morgan Cormack, smiling against a lime green background

Morgan CormackDrama Writer

Morgan Cormack is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering everything drama-related on TV and streaming. She previously worked at Stylist as an Entertainment Writer. Alongside her past work in content marketing and as a freelancer, she possesses a BA in English Literature.

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