People love cliches. If you can give people cliches, that's very good TV, then. Michael Hirst clichegivegood Change image and share on social
I'm very bad at delegating writing responsibilities, because I've never been able to do it; I've never had any help or looked for any help. Michael Hirst baddelegatehave Change image and share on social
Of course I had written a film about Elizabeth I, and I loved the Tudor period, and I think at the time Working Title and I had debated on whether to do Elizabeth I or Henry VIII. I'd always wanted to do Henry VIII. Like Elizabeth, I'd had this feeling that it had never properly been addressed. Michael Hirst addressdebateelizabeth share on social
Everything in 'The Tudors' is initially based on my historical research, and the fact is that the most unlikely scenes were the ones which were probably most based on reality. I prefer to be as real as possible, and there is so much of that story that you just can't make up. Michael Hirst basefacthistorical share on social
The Vikings certainly didn't write anything about themselves; it was not a literate, but rather a pagan, culture. So what we get was written later by Christian monks. But there were occasional reportings and recordings of people who had traded usually with the Vikings. Michael Hirst christiancultureliterate share on social
It works better if your lead character is complex and interesting and not perfect. Michael Hirst charactercomplexinterest Change image and share on social
When you're a screenwriter working on a film, you're not really even welcome on set, even if you know... When I wrote 'Elizabeth' and Shekhar Kapur was a friend of mine, but I wasn't really welcome on set, because the director is God and it's a very difficult position for a screenwriter who's put so much passion into that, into the writing. Michael Hirst difficultdirectorelizabeth share on social
Once I engage in something, I really engage in it, and I love the process of reading and researching because I come from an academic background. Michael Hirst academicbackgroundengage Change image and share on social
You have to create characters - certainly in series TV - who people engage with. They don't have to be nice; you don't have to agree with them. But they do have to be compulsively watchable and believable and human, and you want to know what happens to them. Michael Hirst agreebelievablecharacter share on social
People offer me loads of stuff, and some of it I like, but I just can't do it because I can't write it all. So I might get in the position where I have some sort of company and just write maybe the first episode, but these are love projects, in a way. Michael Hirst companyepisodeload share on social