Pitch first, read later

Producer Andy Harries revealed how he pitched his adaptation of Chris Ryan's Strike Back to Sky1 — without actually having read it. Harries, whose credits include Wallander, Cold Feet and The Queen, spotted the book at an airport and took it on holiday with him, but never got round to reading it before meeting with Sky's drama commissioner, Elaine Pyke. "I read the back of the book just to remind myself," confessed Harries. "I remember Elaine saying 'what's the story' and I said 'Don't worry about that, it's really the thrust of the piece.'" It all turned out all right in the end – the six-part first series has just been recommissioned for a 10-part second run. "What attracted me to the book was a Sky reporter gets kidnapped by Muslim hoodlums so I thought it was a good pitch for Sky," added Harries. "It was one of those days when Elaine had some money and I pitched quite well." He's not kidding.