'Paradise' lost

This is Us creator Dan Fogelman reteams with star Sterling K Brown for Paradise, a dystopian political conspiracy thriller series in which Brown plays Xavier Collins, secret service agent to the US President Cal Bradford (James Marsden) who, after Bradford is found murdered in the post-apocalypse exclusive community of Paradise, finds himself thrown into a murky world of power-games, back-stabbing and intrigue as he tries to uncover the truth.

What was the inspiration for this show?

Dan Fogelman: It was sparked a decade ago. I was younger, starting out in Hollywood and I'd met with a famous executive/billionaire. It was a big meeting, but as he was talking, I was thinking, “Wow! This is probably the most powerful person I’ve ever been in a room with”. I was intimidated by the reach, wealth and power of this man. While driving home in Los Angeles there was construction and a crane dropped something big which made a bang. I jumped and in that moment thought, “When the shit hits the fan that powerful guy would be in the same position as me, regardless of anyone he has by his side.” I started thinking about a US president who'd encapsulate wealth and power and a secret service agent, whose profession it was to take care of him. This formed the kernel of an idea that took me a decade to write.

What attracted you to the role?

Sterling K Brown: Dan said he wrote the film with my voice in mind. I'd read 106 scripts of his that were exceptional, including this one. It was different to This is Us. It was an opportunity for us to be reintroduced. He's a diverse storyteller.

The premise and the world of this show are different from This is Us. Are there some connections?

DF: The shows are different but they were created by the same person at the same time. I'm drawn to stories that play in time, where flashbacks can inform present day stories. And I like a good monologue. This is a conspiracy laden thriller with thriller elements but there’s lots of heart, humanity and optimism.