“Crime pays.” That’s what a UK distributor told us at an international TV market a few
years ago. It was a slight reality check. Until then, we’d been developing mainly offbeat comedies. The challenge now was to find our own take on a crime series, one that would stand out in a TV landscape populated with a lot of successful detective and cosy crime series.

So we made After the Party, a psychological drama we co-produced with Lingo Pictures. It wasn’t a typical investigation series with a central detective, and it certainly wasn’t “cosy”. But it was a hit. Pete (director) came at After The Party with a warts-and-all approach. We wanted it to feel messy, real and relatable. Penny (Robyn Malco​lm) pursues justice like a detective in a crime show, but ​she’s not a cop; she could be your neighbour, your teacher or your friend, fighting tooth and nail for something she believes in. It put the audience in the driver’s seat.

Unsurprisingly, at the next TV market, everyone was asking for “another After the Party” and we understand why. The world is in a curious moment and it’s no surprise there’s a desire for consistency and familiarity. It’s why so many of us return to our same “comfort shows”. At the same time, we still crave to be engaged and surprised by the content we consume, to be presented with novel ideas and unexpected twists that get us thinking and discussing with friends and family.

For us, the point of creating isn’t to capitalise on a formula that guarantees success; it’s about creating stories that people care about and feel connected to. Besides, you couldn’t create “another After the Party,” even if you wanted to, because part of its success came from its individuality.