Throughout the 12 week-studio, Drop the Pilot, I was lucky enough to be in on the action of our prototypical writers’ room. From workshopping beat sheets to an episode of Friends, to fleshing out the world and characters of our very own series Behind Bars (credit to Matt for the name), we’ve come a long way as student screenwriters. I put an unpleasant label on my head as a Twin Peaks fan very early on (should’ve kept it to myself), but with that label came some weird yet useful ideas to contribute to the project.

I feel that a soundtrack can either make or break a TV show, so Jamie and I put together a great playlist compiled of songs that aid in the tone and style of Behind Bars. I kind of just went nuts on his laptop and added Jonathan Richman (for the American Western style), Crowded House (pub rock), Amyl and the Sniffers and L7 (tough girl music, what better way to introduce Boss), Talking Heads and The Swingers (perfect for a road trip), David Bowie’s song ‘Cat People (Putting Out Fire)’ for his lyrics “putting out fire with gasoline,” a great season finale track, etc.

In our pitch deck, we suggested coupling the American Western with daggy Australian pop culture (The Castle 1997) and landmarks of abnormally large objects. The Big Barrel isn’t really something new, as big fruit and animals in statue form in Australia are often signs that you’re well out of the city, and I think that’s great because it’s familiar to our audience. A prison disguised as a pub, however, is not a concept that gets thrown around often in television, so we were successful in creating something that sets us apart from other series.