Benjamin McGrath, Head of Drama for Three River Fiction and Executive Producer of psychological drama, Dead and Buried, explains how the team stitched together both the complex themes of the show along with the “equally colourful tie-dye of partners and financiers” for this UK and Ireland co pro.
In some ways Dead and Buried is a bastard child of the pandemic. Originally conceived as a short story for BBC Radio 4, Bag For Life, aka Dead and Buried, was turned into a one woman stage play for the Derry Playhouse in 2016, and then morphed again into a gripping four part thriller when writer Colin Bateman sent me a short pitch during lockdown. Five lines in and I knew I wanted to develop it with him. It had everything a good story should have – great characters, twists and turns, a volatile ending – all laced with Colin’s signature dark humour.
The conceit is as simple as it is explosive. Can forgiveness overcome the desire for revenge? It tells the story of Cathy McDaid, a young wife and mother, who unwittingly bumps into the man who murdered her brother. In that one seismic moment her whole world is turned on its axis beginning a cycle of revenge, psychosis and obsession. Cathy’s increasingly chaotic, fractured psyche slowly detaches from her own, very normal reality, so that all she can think about is the man who so irrevocably changed her and her family’s life.
The rich tapestry of complex themes is echoed by an equally colourful tie-dye of partners and financiers. Northern Ireland Screen (who have a long history of backing Colin’s work), immediately registered their interest, closely followed by Virgin Media Ireland, who themselves brokered a unique partnership with BBCNI to match-fund their investment. Vico Films, known for their irreverent and brilliant BBC comedy ‘The Young Offenders’, partnered as the local co-producer, which opened the door to valuable tax credits and local funding as well as a wealth of local on and off screen talent. Further support from Screen Ireland, Coimisiún na Meán and All3Media International completed a highly original portfolio. The first co-production of its kind between Virgin Media Ireland and BBCNI encouraged us to strike a strategic regional balance, with cast drawn from Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland and filming taking place in and around County Wicklow predominantly, County Donegal and Derry, allowing the story to seamlessly move back and forth across the border.
First and foremost a thriller, the series is positioned to make you think; tackling big themes and sensitively exploring complex psychological trauma. We learn very quickly that Cathy has serious unresolved childhood trauma and PTSD. The death of her brother shattered her steadfast grip on reality and likely triggered her bi-polar. Now, years later, faced with confronting the man responsible, she’s sent spiralling into a vortex of grief and obsession. Episodes of mania and depression lead to her making poor decisions and she slowly pushes away from her loving husband, disappearing down the proverbial rabbit hole. Sadly there’s no tea party or grinning cat at the bottom of this one…
All of this paints a darkly depressing picture and the story is a dark one but it’s also disarmingly funny and utterly prescient in 21st Century Ireland. It’s a series that forces you to think. The audience should come away thinking how they would deal or cope. Too many series, good as they are, detach the viewer from their own reality and this is not the intention here. It’s quite the opposite. Dead and Buried feels familiar and intimate. It stands apart for its honesty and integrity; exploring how a youthful trauma can reverberate throughout an entire life. It’s a fresh take on a centuries old dilemma. It asks the viewer to appraise the very nature of crime and punishment, asking if it’s ever possible to truly forgive in a world where retribution is depressingly commonplace.
Being EP afforded me the latitude to work with Colin and director, Laura Way, to push the series to punch above its weight, whilst embracing Colin’s unique voice and empowering Laura to follow her stylistic vision. The series has a specific tone being set on the border and to this Laura brought a distinctive style, often indirectly referencing noir films or literature, something also close to Colin’s creative heart. What we’ve ended up with is a darkly comedic noir gem that gybes with honesty and tacks with pathos and I’m extremely proud of everyone who has helped give it a new life on screen.
I’ve been asked if I’d co-produce with Ireland again and the answer is yes, absolutely. The whole experience has been terrific; a testament to collaboration. It shows the strength and power of co-production, creatively and financially. It qualifies the importance of great writing and a ‘killer’ idea, (thanks Colin!), but also of hard work and a positive, problem-solving attitude. It shows the value of taking calculated risks and backing yourself to deliver. If you do all this you might end up with a hit! Ireland as a location offered so much more to the making of this series than just the coastal backdrop of County Wicklow. We were lucky to find the highest level of production skill in our coproduction partner Vico Films. A major highlight from this collaboration, and one that was arguably the most important from our experience, was the close community of producers we were welcomed into (despite me not being able to split the “G” on the Guiness glass!). This made the long hours and pressured schedules far more manageable than a lot of the sets I’ve been on.
To finish I’d like to outline why co-production, especially with our neighbours in Ireland is the future. We need to be frank and not kid ourselves; the current broadcast landscape and its 5 day forecast is looking bleak; rain and thunderstorms, followed by more rain! It’s a serious challenge for all producers big and small. That’s why strategic co-production and sticking together has, in my opinion, never been more important – it means great shows can be made… and you get to make lovely friends along the way.
Dead and Buried will air on BBC iPlayer and BBC One NI on 2nd September.
Dead & Buried is a UK/Ireland coproduction from Three River Studios and Vico Films
Jon Creamer
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