Unforgotten boss Chris Lang has weighed in on his new show I, Jack Wright, which is coming to our screens later this month.
The series, set to premiere on Alibi on 23 April, follows the aftermath of the apparent death by suicide of wealthy Jack Wright. After an explosive will reading brings some family secrets to light, the police start to suspect foul play and open a murder investigation.
Lang reflected on the impact true crime has had on the show, which each episode opening with interviews to one of the central characters.
“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,” Lang explained (via RadioTimes).
“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?’
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Explaining the decision to focus on one character’s account in each episode, Lang said: “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.
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“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 [Amuka-Bird]’s character, just to tease into the next episode and just throw those little crumbs in that make an audience want to come back.”
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The cast includes Citadel star Amuka-Bird, as well as Harry Lloyd, John Simm, Daniel Rigby, Zoë Tapper and James Fleet.
Trevor Eve, Gemma Jones, Ruby Ashbourne Serkis, Rakhee Thakrar, Sabrina Bartlett and Percelle Ascott also feature in supporting roles.
I, Jack Wright will air on U&Alibi on 23 April.
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Stefania is a freelance writer specialising in TV and movies. After graduating from City University, London, she covered LGBTQ+ news and pursued a career in entertainment journalism, with her work appearing in outlets including Little White Lies, The Skinny, Radio Times and Digital Spy.
Her beats are horror films and period dramas, especially if fronted by queer women. She can argue why Scream is the best slasher in four languages (and a half).