Sky’s excellent Save Me is Lennie James' first TV writing project for almost two decades.
Written by and starring Lennie James, its an abduction thriller with a difference.
He has good reason to try though.
Despite not being part of her life until now, Nelly is Jodys dad.
Funny that, says James.
All ofStorm Damagestarted with that speech, James tells me.
We did lose a kid.
Its a message James revisited years later when called upon to writea 2008 piece for The Observerabout knife crime.
Whats really unfortunate, he continues, is that theyre still relevant.
Ten years after James letter was published, knife crime is still making headlines.
MakingStorm Damagewasnt the experience James had hoped it would be.
You have to find a way of explaining it that doesnt alienate and its a huge amount of effort.
I wish that it wasnt necessary, but it is.
Its a skill that Ive had to learn.
Storm Damagewas critically lauded, despite its lack of fanfare.
Executives hadnt identified with its mostly black working class characters, so assumed that the audience wouldnt either.
They couldnt have been more wrong.
One member of that generation is Anne Mensah, now head of drama at Sky.
I think Anne is of an age whereStorm Damagespoke to her generation.
Shes from London and knows the neighbourhoods in which I was telling the story.
She just asked and the question came at the right time, says James.Save Meis the result.
Lennie James American adventure is currently splashed over billboards and filling convention halls.
In a high-profile crossover, hes just left the parent show to take Morgan to spin-offFear The Walking Dead.
Acting, hes said, proved a fantastic distraction from writing.
I want to be ready for that double-headed beast.
But that is one of the by-products of it.
Thirty years ago, James first real taste of screenwriting was soured by more ignorance.
The Bills half-hour format had given it a reputation as a good training ground for young writers.
That was far from James experience.
In all honesty, it wasnt pleasant at all, he says.
They overly focused on me as being a black writer as opposed to a writer.
They were clumsy, they were awkward, they were ignorant and they made big mistakes.
James was the first black writer inThe Bills then six-year history to have an episode made.
I said, really?
They should really be ashamed of themselves, considering how many black actors theyd used.
Hes incredulous recollecting the story.
They messed up on a number of levels.
James didnt write any further episodes for the show.
I very firmly told them to shove it.
Runwas one of my favourite jobs of all time, he says.
Marlon and Daniel were my first choices and they will also be writing on the second series as well.
James found his own nurturing as a writer and actor from individuals, not institutions.
One of the major influences on my career and life, its Horace, says James.
Hes very much one of the giants on whose shoulders Ive been lucky enough to stand upon.
When James wroteStorm Damage, Ove sat with him and gave sage and good advice, he remembers.
I asked him what I needed to do and how to handle it.
Its one of the things that matters most, says James, what does Horace think of it?
What did Horace think ofSave Me, I ask.
First cast inCivvies, La Plante next sought James out for a part in her two-part crime dramaComics.
I count that as one of the major stepping stones in my career.
When I went in the room afterComics, there was a different vibe than when I went in beforeComics.
No!, he laughs.
Would I send it toJed?
Hed give me his opinion!
So, did he like it?
Among all the praise James has received forSave Me, that was one of the most gratifying verdicts.
I think hes probably the guy at the top of his game.
For him to be genuinely impressed by the job I did onSave Memeant the world.
Mercurio wasnt the only one impressed by the job James did.
The castSave Meattracted speaks for itself.
His approach was to write parts that werent just cyphers for telling the story.
The modern TV audience, he says, is really informed and expectant.
Theyve become au fait with the patterns of storytelling.
Without revealing anything aboutSave Mes plot, James wanted to subvert those patterns and swerve in unexpected directions.
The other thing that goes on there is people raise their families.
People dance and there isbeautythere and there are lives of worth there.
Thats what I wanted to write about.
Save Me season 1arrives on DVD on Monday the 7thof May 2018 and is available to pre-order now.
