The Iris Affair writer reveals how Sky changed a crucial element of the series from “lazy” original concept

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The new thriller, The Iris Affair, is created by the writer behind the hit show Luther, Neil Cross. It features a complex and mysterious character named Iris, portrayed by Niamh Algar, at the center of a suspenseful and unpredictable plot.

The series begins with her fleeing across Italy, pursued by Cameron, played by Tom Hollander, a businessman determined to retrieve something she has.

Throughout the first few episodes, flashbacks reveal that Cameron brought Iris on board to activate a very powerful machine. But after realizing the potential consequences for humanity, Iris took a journal with the machine’s activation codes and deliberately shut it down.

In a recent interview for our series, The TopMob Writers’ Room – where we explore the minds of screenwriters – show creator Cross shared that the show’s dual timelines weren’t part of his initial plan.

I didn’t originally plan for the story to unfold this way; the final form emerged during editing,” Cross said. “I first envisioned episode 4 as simply a flashback. But after the show was greenlit, Sky’s editorial team felt that approach might be too simple.

We realized some backstory is important to share early on. I didn’t want characters just sitting around explaining things, though, so we decided to use two timelines – one in the present and one showing events from the past – to reveal information gradually.

Cross said it wasn’t difficult for him because he visualizes every story as a sort of detailed, exploded view in his mind. Similar to how someone might mentally take apart and reassemble an engine, he can easily rearrange and shift different parts of the story. Tracking the story’s internal logic came naturally, but he did sometimes lose sight of details the audience needed to understand about what was happening in the present.

He explained that in the first episode, the story begins in Rome, introducing a group of crooked police officers headed by a character named Bruni. He actually didn’t come up with these characters until much later, while writing episode five. Because of this, they had to retroactively add them into the first episode, making it the very last scene they filmed. He jokingly admitted that he’s not a very organized writer!

Think of it like building with Lego – by the time I got to that scene, I’d already developed the entire story of Bruni and his team. Because I knew the characters so well, when we finally introduced them in the first episode in Rome, they felt completely real and well-developed.

I was really fascinated listening to Cross talk about all his amazing projects! He shared some insights into his work on shows like Spooks, Hard Sun, Doctor Who, and, naturally, Luther – a show I’m a huge fan of. It was great to hear him discuss his experiences on all of them.

Regarding a potential continuation of the series, Cross hinted that a sequel to the 2023 film, *The Fallen Sun*, is a strong possibility, suggesting the character could return.

Is that the biggest clue I can drop without getting into serious trouble with Netflix? Probably. There’s a good chance you’ll see him again.

You can watch the complete interview with Neil Cross from The TopMob Writers’ Room on Thursday, October 16th.

You can start watching The Iris Affair on Sky and NOW beginning Thursday, October 16th. If you’re not already a subscriber, you can find information on how to sign up for Sky TV.

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2025-10-12 08:11