Ever been down in a rut, and wished you could change your luck somehow? For Harry Clayton, the star of Sky’s Lucky Man, penned by writer Neil Biswas from an idea by Marvel comics legend Stan Lee, it’s a prospect that becomes a reality after he finds a mysterious bracelet.
“He’s a homicide detective working in central London, and a compulsive gambler,” says Biswas on the character’s status quo. “Even though he’s an amazing detective, his life is pretty much on the rocks. He lost his family because he lost his house in a poker game. His debt to an underworld casino boss is called in, and that’s one of the worst things that could happen to him, because he can’t pay it. On that night he meets this woman, and he wakes up with something around his wrist that he can’t take off. This bracelet brings him luck, although there seems to be a pretty serious cost whenever he uses it. There’s a price to pay.”
In the lead role is The Hobbit star James Nesbitt, who brings his trademark likeable everyman qualities to the role. It was a casting choice that definitely paid off. “Besides the fact that he’s amazing in it, his own contribution to the show is immense, not just as an actor, but in making decisions about his character. That’s been a revelation to me as a writer: he’s so understated from the start. He plays both sides of his character, he plays the flawed element really well.”
One of the highlights for Biswas was the opportunity to work with Lee. “He’s a really funny guy, and a very smart guy – you don’t get to be Stan Lee if you’re not incredibly smart – it’s just a pure vision of what works and what doesn’t, why the ideas he goes for are appealing.”
With the massive influx of superhero shows and films about, Lucky Man has a lot of competition, but closing off, Biswas is confident that it can stand out. “I think Lucky Man is unique, I really do. You get to the end of it and go, ‘There’s nothing like this on TV’. It isn’t the other superhero shows that are on television at the moment. It’s definitely not generic.
“It’s really seat-of-the-pants – it’s full on, and that’s what I like about. Once we get into it, it’s a full-on story. It’s a thriller, but it’s also funny. There are dark elements, but it’s very balanced by the lighter kind of comedy. But most of all, it’s intriguing and will grab hold of you.”
Lucky Man will air on Sky1 at 9pm on 22 January 2016. For more news about the biggest series, pick up the latest issue of SciFiNow.
