Joe Barton (TV creator: Black Doves / Giri/Haji / The Lazarus Project)

Today I'm joined by British screenwriter JOE BARTON – creator of TV series such as “Giri/Haji”, “The Lazarus Project”, and, most recently, Netflix’s smash hit “Black Doves” starring Keira Knightley, Ben Whishaw, and Sarah Lancashire. We’re going to dissect why I love his work so much – revealing creative DNA from Steven Spielberg to “The West Wing”.

A bonus episode, exclusive to 5AM StoryTalk’s amazing paid subscribers, is also available via Apple Podcasts or ⁠here⁠. If you’re not yet a paid subscriber, you’ll get more of Joe and I discussing a seminal piece of art from his life – Curtis Hanson’s 2000 film Wonder Boys, an adaptation of Michael Chabon’s novel of the same name.

Subscribe to the 5AM StoryTalk newsletter ⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠ to get access to this podcast episode, the bonus episode, and hundreds of other arts and culture articles, essays, and educational resources.

5AM StoryTalk would like to acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the land on which this podcast is recorded, the Djarra people of the Kulin Nation and pay respects to Elders past and present.

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Show notes. Joe and I discuss the following and much more:

• The creative and cultural influences on his work, examining how Steven Spielberg and the British approach to storytelling synthetized in his own creative process
• How he crafts stories that sit between reality and fantasy with a light-hearted yet serious tone – even embracing camp
• The unique genesis of "Black Doves" and its serendipitous, almost unbelievably quick route to a green light from Netflix
• How he developed the central relationship of “Black Doves” by subverting our expectations of the “buddy dynamic” of action-thriller stories
• The difficulty of prioritizing “small pleasures” as a freelance artist
• The evolution of TV storytelling and the possibility of a shift away from bleak, unlikable – albeit compelling characters – toward characters and worlds you look forward to spending time with/in
• Jaws, “The West Wing”, Wes Anderson, and much more

Links:

• Become a paid subscriber to the ⁠5AM StoryTalk newsletter⁠⁠ to gain access to both the 5AM StoryTalk newsletter and all episodes of this podcast – including paywalled bonus episodes
• Listen to my bonus episode with Joe ⁠here⁠
• Learn more about Joe at Wikipedia here
• Watch the “Black Doves” trailer
• Watch “The Lazarus Project” trailer
• Watch the “Giri/Haji” trailer
• Follow Joe on Bluesky