After opening to huge ratings, it's kind of odd for any showrunner or writer to disown something successful - but that's pretty much what Neil Jordan has done with Sky Atlantic's glitzy new drama, Riviera.
In an interview in today's Sunday Business Post, Jordan stated in no uncertain terms that he wasn't happy with the finished product that he and author John Banville had worked on. According to Jordan, a number of scenes were rewritten without his approval, to which he objected to "the strongest terms possible."
"All I can say is, good luck to them," said Jordan. "I can’t claim it’s mine. If I had been in control of the thing it would have been quite different." Jordan wrote the opening two episodes with John Banville, but claims that the episodes were reworked by unknown writers after he pulled out. "They were changed, to my huge surprise and considerable upset. There were various sexual scenes introduced into the story and a lot of very expository dialogue... It was quite distressing for John and for myself, the way it proceeded."
One of the executive producers on the series is Paul McGuinness, who pitched the idea to Jordan initially. In a statement, McGuinness' representatives said that "a show of the scale of Riviera is inevitably a team effort."
"Neil co-wrote the first two episodes with John Banville. The show is the most successful premiere on Sky Atlantic this year. I couldn’t be more proud of what we have achieved."
The next episode of Riviera hits Sky Atlantic tonight at 9PM.
Via SBP
