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INTRODUCTION 3
SERIES OVERVIEW 4
CHARACTER GUIDE 5
I N TE RVI E W S
STAN LEE CO-CREATOR 7
NEIL BISWAS CO-CREATOR AND LEAD WRITER 8
BEHIND THE SCENES 9
JAMES NESBITT DI HARRY CLAYTON 10
AMARA KARAN DS SURI CHOHAN 12
SIENNA GUILLORY EVE 13
STEVEN MACKINTOSH DS ALISTAIR WINTER 14
EVE BEST ANNA CLAYTON 15
JING LUSI LILY-ANNE LAU 16
STEPHEN HAGAN RICH CLAYTON 17
EPISODE SYNOPSES 18
C O N T E N T S
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Stan Lee’s Lucky Man comes to Sky 1 this January. It’s fast, thrilling and action packed, and I couldn’t be more proud that our viewers will be able to start the new year
watching this exceptional drama unfold.From the mind of the legendary Stan Lee
– whom we feel hugely honoured to have worked with on his first-ever UK TV drama – and The Take writer Neil Biswas, it’s a fresh, original crime drama based around the intriguing concept that a mysterious bracelet could bring its owner tremendously powerful amounts of luck.
What’s more, it’s created by Carnival Films, the multi-award winning producers that brought us the global sensation that is Downton Abbey. Add to this an incredible cast featuring some of the biggest and brightest TV talent and we really do have a full house: a drama I’m sure is going to be a huge hit with Sky 1 audiences.
As expected, BAFTA® nominated James Nesbitt is simply brilliant as down-on-his-luck London cop Harry, who has lost
his home in a game of cards when he is given a bracelet with the power to change his fortunes. He’s surrounded by a fantastic cast, including his policing partner Amara Karan, Eve Best as his lawyer wife, grudgeful detective superintendent Steven Mackintosh and Sienna Guillory, the mysterious woman who entrusts him with the ultimate lucky charm.
Here at Sky 1, we are committed to showing high-quality drama all year round and I am pleased to say that Stan Lee’s Lucky Man follows on spectacularly from You, Me and the Apocalypse and Fungus the Bogeyman in what promises to be one of the richest runs of drama we have ever had on the channel. It’s exciting, slick and visually striking and I hope that our viewers will love its suspense, mystery and energy. Plus, London looks great in it, too.
So get set for a rollercoaster ride through the capital’s underworld and through the rewards and misfortunes that luck can bring. Great fortune comes with a huge price, it seems, and Harry is about to find out exactly what that is.
Adam MacDonaldDirector of Sky 1
I N T R O D U C T I O N
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What if you could control luck? Would it be the greatest power you could give a person? Or their worst nightmare?
BAFTA® nominated actor James Nesbitt stars in a bold new crime drama co-created by legendary comic book writer Stan Lee and Neil Biswas and produced by the makers of Downton Abbey.
Brilliant but troubled cop Harry Clayton (Nesbitt) is a compulsive gambler in danger of losing the thing he values the most: his family. Then, one night at the casino, just as he is approaching rock bottom, Harry meets the beautiful and enigmatic Eve (Sienna Guillory), who gives him a mysterious bracelet said to endow the wearer with immense luck.
To his great surprise, this lucky charm seems to work and Harry sees his fortunes begin to shift. However, this kind of luck comes with a price and soon Harry finds himself at the heart of a sinister crime wave sweeping through London. With luck on his side he sets himself against the city’s dark forces. But will it be enough to save him and his family?
A thrilling, action-packed crime drama about fate, gambling, superstition and the consequences of our actions, the series also stars Amara Karan (The Darjeeling Limited), Eve Best (Nurse Jackie), Darren Boyd (Spy), Omid Djalili (Moonfleet), Steven Mackintosh (Inside Men), Sendhil Ramamurthy (Heroes), Jing Lusi (Holby City), Stephen Hagan (Against the Dark) and Alex Jennings (The Lady in the Van).
S E R I E S S Y N O P S I S
C H A R A C T E R G U I D E
EVESienna GuilloryEve is an enigma. Beautiful, clever, strong and a highly skilled street fighter, she’s responsible for passing the bracelet to Harry. She hopes that the right wearer will make the world a better place but her decision triggers a series of events that puts both of their lives at risk.
DI HARRY CLAYTONJames NesbittA talented murder detective with London’s Central Murder Investigation Squad (MIS), Harry is an everyday hero who is unafraid to bend the rules to see justice served. However, despite being blessed with bags of humour and charm, his demons have got the upper hand. A compulsive gambler, Harry lost his family home in a poker game. Now, his wife and daughter have left him, he has huge debts, and questions are being asked about his ability to do his job.
DS SURI CHOHAN Amara KaranHarry’s loyal and brilliant partner Suri has an analytical mind and an encyclopaedic general knowledge. Harry recognised Suri’s talent from the moment she came into MIS and helped to fast-track her on to his team. While Harry’s approach is instinctive, hers is very precise and their talents complement each other perfectly. Above all, she respects Harry for his judgement as a detective and as a man.
ANNA CLAYTONEve BestHarry’s wife, from whom he’s recently separated, is a successful criminal defence lawyer and the mother of his 11-year-old daughter, Daisy. Funny, strong willed and sharp witted, she is very good at her job and nobody’s fool. Nevertheless, what she has with Harry is special and he appears to be her one weakness.
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DET SUPT ALISTAIR WINTERSteven MackintoshA driven man guided by faith and moral correctness, Winter is new to his post at the top of MIS. Having worked with Harry years ago on a case that went badly wrong, Winter is now determined to make him pay and is relentless in his quest to prove that the detective is crooked.
C H A R A C T E R G U I D E
LILY-ANNE LAUJing LusiDaughter of murdered casino boss Freddie Lau, Lily-Anne is cunning and ruthless. With her dad dead, she gets her hands on his empire, enjoying her new power and using the dirt she has on Harry to further her own (criminal) ambitions.
DI STEVE ORWELLDarren BoydDI Orwell rose through the ranks by sucking up to the right people. He is resentful of Harry who, despite his best efforts, always seems to be a step ahead of him. Orwell would like nothing more than to see Harry fall from grace and Detective Superintendent Winter is quick to enlist his help in making this happen.
RICH CLAYTONStephen Hagan Rich is Harry’s younger half-brother and deals in jewellery and antiquities in Hatton Garden. Rich is totally legit but operates just on the edge of what is shady. He isn’t dodgy, but he knows people who are. Blessed also with ‘the Clayton charm’, Rich is happy-go-lucky and Harry’s confidante. However, he doesn’t believe in God, magic or anything else that asks for a leap of faith.
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KALEEM ATIFOmid DjaliliPleasure Palace strip club owner Kaleem is a faithful underworld contact of Harry’s and was the first person to tip him off about the new criminal force in town. Devious and street-smart, he has all sorts of fingers in all sorts of pies and is friends with both criminals and cops alike.
DEPUTY MAYOR KARL FRIERSONAlex JenningsDeputy Mayor Karl Frierson is an ex-police officer, who retired due to a life-threatening medical condition. Back in the day, he also worked with Harry. He’s a smooth-talking politician with a hard stance on crime – but something about him doesn’t quite add up.
YURY BECKERJoseph GattBecker is a ruthless killer, whose cunning and cleverness make him more than just a thug for hire. Mysteriously linked to the lucky bracelet and its history, he proves determined to return it to its rightful owner.
GOVERNOR NIKHAL JULIANSendhil RamamurthyHaving transformed London’s notorious Whitecross Prison since being made governor three years previously, Julian is a smooth-talking public figure whose work and outreach programmes are celebrated by the media.
Where did the idea for Stan Lee’s Lucky Man originate?People always ask me what superpower I would have, or what power there is that I haven’t already given to a hero. I have always thought that luck would probably be the greatest power of all, because if you are lucky, everything turns out right. If it were an adventure story the bullet would miss. That led us to working out how that concept could be transferred to a television show, and decided that a man, our modern day hero, receiving a certain type of luck would make an interesting show. Luck is something that affects everybody and everybody can relate to it.
What were your top-three lucky breaks in life? Being born to a mother who insisted I do a lot of reading. She was always buying me books and magazines and loved to see me read. And that is where my passion for reading stemmed from. Another lucky break was when I went to apply for a job at a publishing company and I found out that the opening was as an assistant in their
comic-book department. My third lucky break, well that would be sitting here talking about this new show for Sky 1, which I am enormously excited about!
Do you consider yourself lucky?Well I must be lucky. I am doing the type of work that I like to do and I have been doing it most of my life. A person has to do something in life and so many people have jobs where they do not particularly love what they are doing, but it is a living. They can’t wait to leave their job at the end
of the day, but I can’t wait to go to my job and do what I do.
Why is London the perfect backdrop for the show?I think London is the perfect backdrop for any type of show that has adventure, good characterisation, mystery and colourful backgrounds. London has everything you could want in a city that has to smack of realism and yet have an air of fantasy about it. I’ve loved the city of London from its descriptions in the novels
of Arthur Conan Doyle and having visited London myself, I’ve loved the vibrancy of Soho. I am thrilled that this is where the show is being filmed and set.
What can audiences expect from the show?I think people can expect a thrilling story, a surprise in almost every scene, fine acting and directing and a show that you don’t want to turn off or come to an end. At least that is what I feel when I watch these episodes. n
I N T E R V I E W STAN LEE, CO-CREATOR
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“I HAVE ALWAYS THOUGHT THAT
LUCK WOULD PROBABLY BE
THE GREATEST POWER OF ALL”
I N T E R V I E W NEIL BISWAS, CO-CREATOR AND LEAD WRITER
Can you walk us through the steps of co-creating this series with Stan Lee?What drew me to Stan’s idea is that it is both a high-concept premise as well as a psychological exploration of a flawed character. Luck is something that you either believe in or you don’t, it can’t be seen or proven to exist. If you do believe in such things then Harry received this bracelet that brings him incredible good luck and this is akin to him gaining a special power. But if you don’t believe in it then Harry’s growing dependence on such an object becomes a portrait of a compulsive gambler who has gone too close to the edge. This dual vision provided us as writers with a wonderful emotional and psychological landscape to shape. One of the first things I needed to create was the mythology behind the bracelet. This incredible
object had to have a history as well as a set of rules governing it before it suddenly comes into the life of our main character. This is a history that Harry will slowly start to learn as he progresses through the series.
How did the writers’ room process help with storyline development?The focus of the writers’ room was on the development of compelling characters. We wanted to create individuals who brought vivid colour and tone to the world Harry inhabited. I think working on a Stan Lee concept freed us up and allowed us to explore the kind of characters who had not necessarily been seen on British TV. I think Lily-Anne Lau [played by Jing Lusi] is a terrific example of a new type of complex villain; someone whose cold-blooded mercenary instincts are swaddled by layers of style, panache and barbed wit. Harry’s compulsion as a gambler was particularly important to Stan’s personal vision for the series. What we’ve done with this aspect of Harry’s character sets the series apart from an ordinary cop show. He is ruled by an internal instinct that he can’t control. I wanted to show how Harry’s compulsion is not only manifested when he goes gambling but in so many other things in his life, his work, his family, his relationships. Harry has had an ongoing relationship with luck from way before the bracelet came to him.
What particular factors were key to you when creating and writing this series? What did you want to bring to the screen?First of all I wanted to create a series that grabs the viewer and doesn’t let go. This truly original template from Stan has allowed me to take a London-based detective show and
push it into new ground and stretch the scope of the genre. I wanted each episode to have a completely thrilling storyline in which the crime story was prominent, but for it to also have totally unexpected twists thrown up by Harry’s continued interaction with the bracelet. Central to this was creating a hero whom we believe in and totally root for, but also one that was all the more compelling because of the personal battles and dilemmas he faced. More than anything I wanted to create something that had guts and emotional truth, something that
wasn’t soft-edged in its depiction of the harder aspects of the crime world yet was also really fun to watch, with humour and fantastic set pieces that took your breath away.
How important is London as a character in the story?I wanted to show a London I recognised in terms of its diversity and culture. This is very important to me, as I believe British drama is really far behind the curve when it comes to depicting the incredibly multicultural country we live in. But I wanted to show this with a story in which diversity is an absolute strength, where the different cultures London has absorbed make
it such an interesting quasi-mythical city full of different histories and tales. Harry is very much a London detective. We can see it’s become part of his soul and equally he is a part of it, living and working among the various cultures and sub-cultures spread out across the capital. I wanted to pitch him right into the heart of worlds whose rules he didn’t understand at first but had to work out fast as the stakes grew higher. The set pieces we have created throughout the show are all designed with one eye on showing what a thrilling, beautiful place London is.
Harry Clayton is a multi-layered character. What qualities did you want him to have?I wanted Harry to be the kind of hero I love to watch: a flawed man who wants and tries to do the right thing. A person with a good heart, yet someone who is naturally drawn to the darker elements of life.
What are your personal feelings on luck?It’s one of those great unknowables. That’s why I loved writing this series. Controlling luck would drive you mad, but it is so alluring to believe it’s possible. It’s hard not to look at the life stories of some of the most successful people and attribute them to immense moments of fortune. And then you think about the people left on the side who never had that luck.
What would you like viewers to take away from watching the show?I want them to be thrilled, entertained, and addicted to Harry’s journey. I want them to fall in love with a London that has never looked so good. I want them to question what they believe in. And I want them to be surprised by something truly original. n
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“I WANTED TO CREATE A SERIES THAT GRABS THE VIEWER AND DOESN’T LET GO”
CHRIS CLOUGH, PRODUCER What leapt out at you when reading the scripts?The scripts are amazingly visual, fast paced and ambitious with a unique otherworldliness about them, combined with a heightened sense of reality. Although the basis is a police crime drama, we are able to make it interesting both visually and via the storytelling with the added elements that Stan Lee and Neil Biswas brought to the table. We were also able to shoot with feature film production values, shooting in a modern London and showing the city off at its best in the summer, which was extraordinary. It’s not a noir, dark, high-shadowed black-and-white world, it’s very colourful and engaging.
What were the bigger tasks that you had to overcome?The core challenge was making sure the casting was right. Our leading man, James Nesbitt, is absolutely fantastic. He is a major part of the herculean activity in the show and is absolutely rock solid. We’ve surrounded him with a really fantastic, first-class cast. The scripts are all multi-layered with three or four story strands going through each episode – that’s hard to juggle and hard to keep fresh in the audiences’ minds.
How important was it for this London-centric show to utilise locations around the city?It is vital for the look and feel of the show that we shot central London in central London – at the riverside, in penthouses, the streets of Soho – and get that look that really sells swinging new confident London. n
RICHARD FELL, EXECUTIVE PRODUCERWhere did the idea for the series come from?There is an element of mystery to the series as well as it being a police action-thriller. Harry is a murder cop, who solves crimes on a regular basis. So, throwing all those elements into the pot, we came up with Lucky Man.
There are a lot of set pieces and stunts in the show. Were there any that made the series stand out?We wanted to bring a sense of high-octane action to the show, to do this with the city as the backdrop, and make the set pieces memorable in a way that is rare in British TV. One sequence that stands out is when Harry is speeding though traffic, whizzing past traffic lights and they all turn green for him, rather extraordinarily. We’ve all wanted to have that type of luck!
Stan Lee is known for his cameos. Might we expect him to pop up in Stan Lee’s Lucky Man?Stan is a complete legend in the world of comic books, having come up with some of the most iconic characters in the whole comic-book canon. He is also known for his cameos in their films, so I would keep your eyes peeled for a Stan Lee cameo early on in the series. I won’t tell you any more, you’ll just have to watch it and find out.
What role does the London setting play?London is definitely a character in this drama. Many of us have that love affair with the city. It’s multilayered, multicultural, and vibrant. I think the city is undergoing a huge renaissance at the moment, and we wanted to portray the vibrancy and the colour, the richness and the energy that London has to offer. That was really important to me. n
I N T E R V I E W S
“OUR LEADING MAN IS ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC”
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ANDY BENNETT, STUNT CO-ORDINATOR What were your initial thoughts on reading the scripts?After an initial conversation with Andy De Emmony [director of episode one and two] about the boat sequence on the Thames, ending in a big stunt with members of the cast ending up in the water, I knew this was the show for me. What Andy and the production team wanted to achieve was such a rare stunt. I don’t know any TV show that has undertaken such an ambitious stunt where we have actually put a person in the boat and not a dummy, so I thought that was quite brave. n
What sort of character is Harry Clayton?He has been a detective inspector for a long time. He has a good heart and believes in doing right but has developed a serious gambling addiction, which has resulted in the loss of his home and his marriage. These issues stem from a devastating event in his childhood. Ever since, he has felt a bit guilty about his position in life and his reaction has always been to push things to the limit. Despite the fact he has a strong moral background, his methodology and his weaknesses sometimes get in the way.
What is Harry’s character trajectory as we follow him through the series?The arc of his story is huge, a lot happens to him in the first five minutes, let alone ten hours! When we first meet him, he’s in a casino losing money and his debt is called in. He later meets the mysterious Eve [Sienna Guillory] and after Harry wins big at the roulette table, they spend the night together. The next day he wakes up with an ancient bracelet attached to his wrist, which he can’t get off. Each episode has a different story but there is a serial arc weaved through every instalment. We learn that the crimes Harry and his team are getting further and further involved in may all be linked. He starts to believe the mysterious bracelet may be able to help with his investigations but that there is a price to be paid, a yin and yang effect. That is where the Stan Lee aspect of the show comes in. It’s essentially about a flawed, modern-day hero who gets more and more entangled in this complex story.
How would you describe Harry’s relationship with his colleagues?
Suri is a detective sergeant and Harry’s number two in the Murder Investigation Squad. They have a very strong relationship as Harry has been her mentor. As Harry pushes things to the limit and begins to walk a thin line between what is legitimate and what is questionable, almost illegal, their relationship becomes fractured. I think that’s one of the most interesting things about the show, seeing how the glue between them is weakening and how their relationship reaches quite a bad state later on in the series.
Harry seems to butt heads with Detective Superintendent Winter quite early on.Winter is Harry’s boss and they have history. It’s hard to gauge what he is like at the beginning but you get that he doesn’t trust Harry because of something that happened in the past. There’s also a sense he is out to nail Harry and he believes Harry is on the wrong side of the law. Seeing two policemen with similar causes and objectives, coming from very different places and the friction that causes is so interesting.
What do you think of Harry’s policing methods?Within this genre, it’s not a huge surprise that Harry is a maverick but brings a human element to it. Everything he does has an element of risk to it, but where his story differs most from those of other cops is the gambling aspect, and of course when the story develops and we see the bracelet begin to make more sense to him.
How would you describe Harry’s relationship with Eve?Eve is the only one who can move this bracelet from person to person. She sees something ➜
I N T E R V I E W JAMES NESBITT – DI HARRY CLAYTON
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“HARRY’S STORY IS HUGE. A LOT HAPPENS TO HIM IN
THE FIRST FIVE MINUTES, LET ALONE THE SERIES!”
➜ in Harry. There is an attraction there but it’s much deeper than that. As the relationship develops, Harry begins to question why she’s bestowed the bracelet on him, what it means. They are inextricably linked but it becomes a relationship Harry begins to question a lot.
How does Harry’s ex-wife fit into the story?Harry and Anna [Eve Best] were the sort of couple people aspire to. However, Harry’s compulsive behaviour, his inability to sort out his gambling has pushed Anna to the edge. She has given him one last chance after another but when he loses the house she has no option but to kick him out. Despite this, you can’t help but feel throughout the show the very strong love and connection between them.
What were your first reactions on reading the scripts and joining the show?There are so many things that make this story amazing, it just seemed so different to me. It’s a Stan Lee creation. There’s a great hero, and a massive thriller element to the show. The episodic stories alone are great but the way the serial arc is woven throughout the episodes adds an exciting twist of old-school-style storytelling but in a modern context. The show also has a very strong ensemble cast with wonderful directors, some I’d worked with before and some I had wanted to work with. It just appealed hugely and I’m well aware of how lucky I am to be in this show.
Were there any of the London locations that were a particular highlight?The locations have been incredible. We filmed on the top floor of the Tate Modern
with extraordinary views of St Paul’s and the river. London will be shown in a very modern context, in quite a slick and sexy way. What is so interesting about the city is that it still has the ancient buildings right next to the modern, and that’s most obvious in the shots of St Paul’s, which makes a very striking image. The pace of the show is integral and London really helps with that.
There are a host of stunts throughout the show. Did you have a particular favourite?Driving a speedboat at 4am through the Thames barrier was incredible, we were absolutely flying. At one point, Harry ends up going into the water, and we filmed the scene in an underwater tank/studio. It’s amazing – there are speakers in the water, so the director can watch you and can speak to you. And if you’re having issues with chlorine and your eyes, and mine are incredibly sensitive and you have to have chlorine for health and safety reasons, the way to deal with it is to drop full-fat milk on your eyes. There you go: a secret from the set!
What would you like the audience to take away with them after watching Stan Lee’s Lucky Man?I hope the audience gets involved in all the stories and feel the jeopardy the characters are in and feel the pain they go through. I hope they understand and discuss the notion of luck and the difficulty that it can bring and, of course, that they have and exhilarating time watching it. n
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How did you feel when you landed the part of Suri?It is really exciting when you read a script and visualise the characters, but it is not until you arrive on set and everyone is transformed by hair and make-up and costumes that it becomes a reality. You finally get to meet the person that is going to play that part opposite you and it is the most exciting moment. On the first day I was so impressed with how all the elements of the production had come together so quickly.
How would you describe Suri’s relationship with Harry Clayton?Suri is Harry’s detective partner in the series. Suri is an ambitious character that has learned an enormous amount from watching Harry work. His approach to the work is naturally instinctive, which is a different direction from Suri’s own personal, precise approach but their talents complement each other. Above all, Suri respects Harry for his judgement as a detective.
Describe Suri’s story and how she fits into the wider thriller.She is completely in the dark about what is happening with Harry and the bracelet. He has a lot of people
in his life he is trying to protect who, because of this charm, are now also put in the way of danger. He feels
protective over Suri and he goes out of his way to conceal certain information from her in order to
shield her from any danger. Eventually, though, she develops a growing feeling Harry is keeping things
from her. She finds his behaviour and radical way of working, once endearing, increasingly difficult to accept and she begins to question everything about him.
What were your first thoughts on reading the scripts?Suri is a dream role to play. She is a strong female detective, a real sleuth. She is a
multi-layered character with endless possibilities for the direction you could take her in. The first episode was so action-packed and vivid, it leapt off the page. London is central to this show – the setting is vast with a rich tapestry of characters that I don’t think is really seen on this grand scale that often. It is shot in a very cinematic way and I feel it is really brings the audience into the heart of the action and the world of Stan Lee’s Lucky Man.
What was it like to be a part of the action sequences that play out on the streets of London? I absolutely loved that this is an action-thriller and really enjoyed being a part of all the stunts and action sequences filmed all over the city. Shooting the majority of this production on location has given this show the opportunity to feature some of the most beautiful buildings that London has to offer. We could show London has both light and dark sides to it, that there is a brutal hardness to the city at times but also there are beautiful open spaces and parks dotted all around.
Have you ever played a role that had quite so many stunts involved? No, I’ve never played a character like this or done quite so many stunts before. It was great to be working alongside James as we share a few stunt scenes together, however I had massive stunt envy as James gets to do some fabulous work and he is a real natural at it.
What has set Stan Lee’s Lucky Man apart from previous shows you have worked on and what can the audience expect?Every show is different and it all comes down to the people that you work with and the story that you are telling that set it apart. I think the world and characters of the show will be an interesting and visual thrill for the audience to experience up on the screen. n
I N T E R V I E WAMARA KARAN – DS SURI CHOHAN
I N T E R V I E W SIENNA GUILLORY – EVE
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How are we first introduced to your character?We meet Eve when she decides to pervert the course of the destiny of a lucky bracelet. She chooses Harry Clayton as the recipient because she believes his sense of justice will use the power of the bracelet for good and uncover this shadow that has fallen over London and the crime underworld. But, of course, it’s not as simple as that and Eve’s romantic notions and headstrong attitude get both of them into some tricky situations.
Who is Eve and what sort of person is she?Eve is definitely a romantic character. Passionate, rebellious and brave to the point of being a bit of an idiot. I’m sure she’d love to tell Harry everything but she needs him to discover and bond with the bracelet on his own terms. She believes the bracelet should react to the wearer.
Was there a side of London you got to see that you wouldn’t have otherwise?London is as important to this as the bracelet is; it’s definitely a character in the show. I got to experience so much more than just the London in which I live. We filmed in these underground
dungeons that you wouldn’t know were there, that have been around for hundreds of years – it is quite eye opening. London is so many cities within one.
What were your stunts in the show like to perform? I think the most dangerous stunt I did was walking down those stairs in the casino set with enormous high heels and not breaking my neck! Eve and Harry meeting for the first time was meant to appear preordained. She is meant to exude confidence and strength so she locks eyes with Harry, which in reality meant I couldn’t look at the next step and where I was going. I think that’s the luckiest thing that’s happened to me; to not fall over while walking down those stairs on my first day at work.
What is it about the show that you hope will appeal to the Sky 1 audience?What I really love about Stan Lee is his imagination. His ideas are all encompassing but also completely accessible. With this series, you’re in a London that is recognisable throughout the world but the viewer is taken to a much more grown-up level, where the dilemmas are a little bit more adult. n
I N T E R V I E W
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STEVEN MACKINTOSH – ALISTAIR WINTER
How would you describe the story of Stan Lee’s Lucky Man?I would first and foremost describe it as a London crime thriller but with an unexpected twist. In terms of the overall plot, there is a long-form crime story that runs from episode one to ten and also smaller episodic stories. Harry Clayton is the detective at the heart of the it who is investigating a series of murders that may or may not be linked. Harry is a flawed character in a lot of ways; he is a great detective but there are some chaotic issues within his life.
What were your initial thoughts reading the scripts?When I first read it, I just wanted to keep reading – it was exciting and I wanted to know what happened. I was intrigued by the crime story, I wanted to know where that was going, and the surprising element of the lucky charm was something that I hadn’t seen before. Especially within the context of a crime story it felt very different. It’s not a superhero story as such, but it has an otherworldly, mystical and supernatural element to it and that’s a combination I was intrigued by.
How does your character fit into the story?I play Harry Clayton’s boss, Detective Superintendent Winter, who is the head of the Murder Investigation Squad in London. Harry and Winter have a chequered history having worked together in the past but this is the first time that Winter has been his boss. He is a man of faith and I think that’s part of what drives him and what makes him who he is. It certainly influences his work, keeps him on the straight and narrow and saves him from being too readily influenced by any feelings of revenge he may
hold towards Harry. He’s got an agenda to shape up MIS and bring in a new energy, a new regime and is determined to create a clean, straight police force. Winter always has his eye on Harry, though, keeping him in check.
Your character certainly does seem to have an agenda when it comes to Harry Clayton. Can you tell us a bit more about that?In the past there was a situation in which a direct decision made by Harry resulted in Winter getting injured. This has stayed with Winter for a number of years. He blames Harry for the past choices he made and Winter is carrying it with him at the beginning of the story. He is, however, a fair and balanced man and he’s able to see things with clarity, he’s not approaching this job with the sole purpose of getting his revenge on Harry. But he does feel Harry gets himself into difficult situations and doesn’t play by the rules and Winter doesn’t like that.
How would you like the audience to react to the show? I would like the audience to be surprised and intrigued by it in the same way that I was when I first read it. This has something that sets it apart from most crime dramas and I hope the audience will respond to that. It has excitement, fantastic action sequences and it’s going to make London look like the incredibly exciting, international city that it is.
While filming, how much advance information did you have about your character arc from episode one to ten?I had a good sense of my character from the beginning of the project. Where we’re at in terms of Winter and Harry’s past, what’s brought us to
now and where it may go after the first few episodes. But I didn’t know fully all the ins and outs of the story, especially the last two scripts.
Stan Lee’s Lucky Man deals with the concept of luck. What are your personal feelings on luck?It’s a powerful force. It’s an enigma. It’s something that we can’t control. And that’s what’s interesting about this. What if there could be an object that could somehow harness that power? All of us at some point ponder how a sequence of events could have turned out differently if we could have controlled the outcome. This show and the concepts it throws up for discussion definitely tap into something that we can all relate to. n
I N T E R V I E W EVE BEST – ANNA CLAYTON
Who is Anna Clayton?Anna is Harry’s estranged wife. When the story opens, Harry has lost everything they own and she has thrown him out of the house. Deep down they clearly love each other very much. But until Harry’s gambling problem is resolved she can’t have anything to do with him.
How does Anna and Harry’s relationship evolve as the series continues?Anna is a top lawyer and crosses paths with Harry in a professional setting. Their relationship becomes muddled by the arrival of Governor Julian [played by Sendhil Ramamurthy], though the case Anna and Harry are both working on keeps their private and professional lives very much intertwined. Anna sees Governor Julian as the polar opposite to Harry. He is charming, suave and calming and makes assurances that are attractive to Anna when compared to Harry’s apparent chaotic way of being. On an emotional level, this is something that Anna is craving.
What was your reaction on reading the scripts? What jumped out that made you want to join this cast?
I love the premise of this being a crime drama with a difference. It has a surreal quality to it set against a slightly heightened backdrop of London. What was also appealing is that it questions the notion of luck. It is something that we all wonder about: do we make our own luck and decide our destiny and to what extent do we control what happens to us. These are questions we ask ourselves every day.
How would you like the audience to react to the drama?I think it comes back to this concept of luck and how we can shape what happens to us by having a positive attitude towards whatever comes our way. It feels that having that thought would be a really good thing to come away with, as well as having a great hour of thrilling TV with action, stunts and romance thrown in and everyone really thinking and having conversations about how to be, and how to live.
What three words best describe Stan Lee’s Lucky Man? Sexy, gripping, tantalising. n
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I N T E R V I E W JING LUSI – LILY-ANNE LAU
Tell us about your character…Lily-Anne Lau is the daughter of a casino owner. She’s left to manage her father’s affairs when she inherits his throne. She becomes involved in the underworld crime that is happening around London. She’s a mysterious character. In every script I got through, there was another twist or turn for Lily-Anne.
What did you think of her as a character?I had always thought of myself as a direct, confident woman until I played her. Lily-Anne is fearless and she embodies power and style. She was fantastic to play.
What was it like to film the casino scenes? I had never filmed with a drone camera before and didn’t realise how loud they were. It was like filming with a helicopter in the room. Once we got going, no one could hear a thing. You just had to get on with what you were doing and hope you were getting the shots.
What was it like filming in London?I’ve lived in London for over ten years and it’s so wonderful to see it shown off in such an iconic, heightened and stylistic way. It is not just a postcard of London, it’s showing you all sides of the city that you might not have seen before.
Most of Lily-Anne’s scenes are up against Harry Clayton. What was it like working alongside James Nesbitt?Lily-Anne and Harry are usually trying to get one up on each other. It’s power play and Lily-Anne generally comes out on top. It was quite difficult at first as all I could think of was how much I loved Nesbitt as an actor – yet, out loud as Lily-Anne, I was having to call him names and put his character in his place.
What are your personal feelings on luck?I’ve got to a point now where I don’t think I believe in luck. I think coincidence has perhaps taken the place of luck. Luck is a lovely idea but it takes away a lot of our responsibility to others and ourselves.
This is an intriguing story for fans of Stan Lee and the superhero genre. What do you think they will take away from the show?No one flies, there are no capes and there is no heightened superpower element as such, but what is really clever and unique about Stan Lee’s Lucky Man is that it takes the superpower idea and moves it into an everyday context. I think what it is saying is that you can be a superhero in your own world – you don’t have to wear tights or be otherworldly to control your fate. n
How does your character fit into the story?Rich is Harry’s half-brother who lives in London and deals in antiquities. At first, he appears to just be a go-to guy who Harry asks if he knows or can find out anything about the mysterious bracelet. However, as the series continues Rich ends up jumping in the deep end with Harry.
What do you feel sets this show apart?The audience will get to see the real London, which I think is what is unique about this show. The way it has been shot gives it a sense of reality and the scripts have been crafted to include London as another character.
What three words best describe the show? Exciting, gripping, lucky.
What are your own feelings about the concept of luck?I believe in fate and the notion that what is meant to be will be. I don’t think luck is anything that you can control. I feel that if something bad happens, then something good is just around the corner. What is great about this show is that it makes you question the concept of luck. It puts the discussion out there.
What’s the luckiest thing that has happened to you?I met my wife in a bar where neither of us wanted to be. I was dragged in by my friends and she was there but wanting to leave when we met for the first time. That to me was a big coincidence. I’m very thankful and feel lucky for that chance meeting.
Tell us how your first experience on a film set related to this project…I first met James Nesbitt while I was at drama school. I had my first set visit to Murphy’s Law, where I had a very small walk-on part. Cut to 12 years later and I’m acting alongside him so it has all been a bit of a surreal experience. It was that first set visit, where I got to see all aspects of the production and meet James, which convinced me to be an actor. Perhaps it was all fate.
Are there any moments in the series that you are really looking forward to audiences watching?The opening sequence of episode one. I remember reading it for the first time and saying out loud, “Wow, this is going to be good!” n
I N T E R V I E W STEPHEN HAGAN – RICH CLAYTON
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E P I S O D E S Y N O P S E S
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Down-on-his-luck detective Harry Clayton’s fortunes start to change after a chance encounter with a mysterious woman. When Soho casino boss Freddie Lau is murdered, Harry begins to investigate. But it quickly becomes clear that not everything is as it seems.
E P I S O D E O N E
Following a lucky escape, Harry and his partner Suri are in hot pursuit of the man they suspect is responsible for Lau’s murder. But with time quickly running out before he flees the country, Harry takes a major risk.
E P I S O D E T W O
E P I S O D E S Y N O P S E S
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Harry and Suri investigate the death of a man following a bungled diamond robbery in Hatton Garden. But as they race to find the gang before they strike again, Harry starts to worry that they are missing something.
When a young man dies fleeing for his life, Harry and Suri are forced to tread carefully as they are thrown into a world of wealthy foreign students with dangerous and powerful connections.
There’s a whiff of conspiracy when a woman is mysteriously kidnapped from her office in the City. Harry and Suri must pull out all the stops if they are to track her down before it’s too late.
Harry is distraught when a devastating murder impacts him personally. Suri and Orwell take the case but, convinced that they have it all wrong, Harry takes things into his own hands, invoking the bracelet and breaking the rules.
Just when he is getting close, a shocking turn of events sees Harry thrown right into the dragon’s lair. With his half-brother Rich in mortal danger, Harry realises too late who is really pulling the strings.
There are whispers of ritual sacrifice when a mutilated body is found at City Hall’s newest development site. Convinced that there is more to it than that, Harry puts Suri’s life at risk.
E P I S O D E T H R E E E P I S O D E F O U R
Behaving strangely after mysteriously going AWOL, Harry is called in to investigate the murder of a members’ club owner in Shoreditch. The team have a prime suspect but Harry has his own ideas about who is responsible.
E P I S O D E F I V E E P I S O D E S I X
E P I S O D E S E V E N E P I S O D E E I G H T E P I S O D E N I N E
The thrilling drama concludes with a nail-biting finale.
E P I S O D E T E N
C O N T A C T S
Una Maguire
+ 44 (0) 20 7520 1087
Richard Dobbs
+ 44 (0) 20 7520 1087
Abigail Tye
+44 (0) 20 7032 4713
Philippa Bailey
+44 (0) 20 7032 1491
Stills Department
www.seac.bskyb.com
