“Vikings” creator Michael Hirst said at Sundance at the Monte Carlo Television Festival that to create a long-running series, “you have to have some meat on your bones.”
“As Henry James used to say, it has to be a whole world rich enough to meet the demands of the imagination. The subject matter has to be about the real, the important, and when working with historical material, it has to be able to connect the past and the present in a meaningful way.”
You also have to love the characters, whether they’re good or bad.
“In my latest show (‘Bloodaxe’), there’s a character called Egil, who is a pathological murderer, but also the most famous poet Iceland has ever produced. I love him,” he said.
“It’s about reading a lot and thinking about it and spinning everything around in your head. In the case of ‘Vikings,’ there weren’t many Viking stories. There was just one movie with Tony Curtis in a little skirt shouting ‘Odin!’ sometimes. When they start tracking Ragnar (played by Travis Fimmel), they discover that he has attacked Paris, just in case. He was my man! ”
Joining Hearst on a panel titled “From Pitch to Premiere: Inside the Creative Process of Television,” “Un Si Grand Soleil” producer Thomas de Mathis agreed, “The characters have to surprise you. If we don’t, we just push the button, and that’s not what we want. We want the audience to believe in them. It’s a challenge, but it’s fun. As Michael said, we can’t do our job if we don’t love the characters.”
Executive producer Laura Bauer, who has helmed shows such as “Girlfriends” and “Pillars of the Earth,” insisted that people should trust their gut when looking for new projects.
“Either you believe that the people you’re pitching to know their stuff, or they don’t. If you’re not passionate about your story, don’t pursue it. It’s just a waste of time. Follow the stories you want to delve into. Make sure it’s something you want to work 24/7.”
She added, “A lot of people have asked me, ‘What’s the formula?'” There’s nothing, so start with the story and the characters. ”
Hearst doesn’t work in a writer’s room. “I’m a writer, so I know I’m crazy. Do you really want me in a room with other crazy people?” – and prefer to wait until a producer contacts me. “Because that means the producers are already invested.”
“To tell you the truth, the only[series]that was my idea was ‘Billy the Kid.’ I’ve always wanted to write Westerns, and Yorkshire is a long way from New Mexico, but I loved him as a kid. I was running across the fields from school and I was running away from a group of sheriffs on a white horse.”
“I’ve been in this business so long that I know what’s producible. And I like to write what’s producible, because otherwise there’s no point. You get notes early in the process, but you still build good relationships. Everything about this business is a process, and you just have to learn how it works.”
Bauer, who has collaborated with him before, joked, “Michael was always very nice to my notes. He would nod and then do his thing.”
“This is a collaboration, and you have to think about protecting authenticity, too, because your audience is sophisticated. They can choose not to watch your show.”
De Mattis argued that relying on networks to spell out what they want is pointless. “They usually don’t know what they want,” Hurst deadpans. But great producers should always be thinking ahead and wear as many hats as new creators from YouTube or TikTok, Bauer says.
“If a writer is going to pitch, they have to understand their character and be passionate about it. And do a little research. Understand what’s being developed and what’s coming,” she stressed.
Hearst added: “I have a problem with American showrunners who think they’re the bee’s knees and really want power. They often don’t listen, and it’s a ridiculous way to make art. You can’t do that. It stifles talent and upsets everyone on set. It’s ridiculous.”
