'I wrote ITV's chilling new thriller because it wasn't about women being massacred'

In a remote corner of the Scottish Highlands, a young man's lifeless body is discovered, eerily staged in the wilderness. The scene is hauntingly familiar, a nod to the eerie landscapes of True Detective, but this time, the victim is a young man on the cusp of adulthood. This distinction made adapting GR Halliday's novel From the Shadows into a TV series, The Dark, a no-brainer for show writer Matt Hartley. As he puts it, "It wasn't young women getting massacred in woods. It did feel like it was a different prism in which victimhood was going to be explored."

For Hartley, the idea of exploring a male victim was personal. He recalls his own adolescence, spent in the middle of nowhere, grappling with the frustrations of growing up. This sense of disconnection and isolation is a core theme in The Dark, where a serial killer targets young men in their teens and early twenties. Hartley's goal was to shift the focus from the often-glamorized female victims of crime dramas to the often-overlooked male victims. "How does the community react differently to that?" he asks, highlighting the show's exploration of a lesser-told narrative.

The Dark, which premieres this weekend on ITV, follows the hunt for a serial killer, with Laura Donnelly starring as the detective, Monica Kennedy. The show's tone and atmosphere are reminiscent of True Detective, but with a distinctly British twist. Hartley draws inspiration from the haunting use of landscape and atmosphere in the HBO series, but he also nods to the cat-and-mouse chase of BBC's The Fall. The show's masked figure, a creepy presence that haunts both the detectives and the viewers, is a masterclass in building tension.

Hartley's approach to writing The Dark was deliberate. He wanted to create a thriller that didn't rely on the tired tropes of female victimhood. Instead, he opted for a more nuanced exploration of male vulnerability. "It was a great chance to explore what it's like when we think that young men are not as vulnerable as their female counterparts, and just start to disappear," he says. This focus on male victimhood adds a layer of complexity to the show, making it a more thought-provoking watch.

The show's use of atmosphere and tone is also noteworthy. Hartley speaks of funnelling the eerie landscapes of True Detective into a distinctly British drama, which steps out of a police precinct and into the great beyond. The result is a show that feels both familiar and fresh, with a unique blend of British and American influences.

Hartley promises that the Agatha Christie disciples tuning in might be able to piece together exactly who the culprit is before the big reveal. But he isn't keen on traversing the message boards, even if the prospect of fan theories is tantalizing. The show's mystery is expertly crafted, with clues and red herrings scattered throughout the six episodes. Will you be able to solve the mystery before the big reveal?## A Thriller that Matters

As a writer, I'm drawn to shows that tackle complex themes and challenge societal norms. The Dark is a thriller that does just that, offering a fresh perspective on a familiar genre. By exploring male victimhood and vulnerability, the show adds a layer of depth to the crime drama genre. It's a reminder that there's more to a thriller than just the gory details, and that sometimes, it's the lesser-told stories that are the most compelling.

The Dark premieres on ITV this weekend, and I, for one, can't wait to see how it unfolds. Will you be tuning in?