EXCLUSIVE: Flack writer Oliver Lansley on creating complex female characters and unmasking the modern woman

Lansley spoke to MEA WorldWide about what inspired him to make the show and how he hopes to change the narrative for female characters on television.
UPDATED FEB 27, 2019

Oliver Lansley, the creator of Anna Paquin's show 'Flack,' wanted to create a TV series about women, who could grace the cover of the female version of 'Difficult Men', a book that originally featured the bad boys of American television industry who revolutionised TV shows with interesting narratives and characters.

Brett Martin's book 'Difficult Men: Behind the Scenes of a Creative Revolution' refers not just to the anti-heroes of shows like 'Mad Men', 'The Wire', 'Sopranos' and 'Breaking Bad' but also the creators who revolutionized American television with their innovative narratives.

The show that Oliver has penned has four women - Robyn, Caroline, Eve and Melody - who lead the series which puts a spotlight on the field of celebrity PR management.

The women in the show are unapologetic about their flaws and go about the day helping celebrities fix the scandals that they land themselves in. In an exclusive interview with MEA WorldWide, Lansley spoke about his complex female characters, and what he aims to achieve with the series.

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