WRITER'S ROOM: How I Met Corky
'Copper' writer Kevin Deiboldt reminisces about his first run-in with Detective Kevin Corcoran, and recounts the show's development journey from script to small screen.
Greetings, Friends of Corcoran,
My name's Kevin and I'm one of the writers on Copper. Corky and I first met about four years ago. I was working for Tom Fontana at the time (as I had been since 2004), and he was in the midst of developing the show with Will Rokos. The two-hour pilot script crossed my desk, I picked it up. My first glimpse of the good Detective was much the same as yours — standing there in a half-burned stable, appearing "lean with a hard look, loading his revolver." I liked the steely bastard immediately.
When Copper finally made it through the long, harrowing gauntlet of development (and into the loving arms of BBC America) I was thrilled. When Tom offered me the opportunity to write for the show, I was euphoric. Fast-forward to twelve months later, and I was surrounded by friends and family, watching as the countdown clock ticked by on the screen, in subtle disbelief that Copper was actually about to be let loose upon the world. It's a strange thing — to start with forty-seven pages of text, to have those pages molded by hundreds of artists and technicians, to ultimately have it appear, fully realized and brimming with life, on a flickering screen.
The response thus far has been quite humbling. From the history buffs who squealed at a glimpse of the Five Points Mission, to the fans channeling their inner Corky on Monday morning — muttering "You can talk, or you can pray..." to anyone who crosses them — we thank you all. Copper has been a downright pleasure to work on, from those first words on paper to the very last moment we filmed (a shot that, coincidentally, appeared in last night's episode). It tickles me to no end that we've created a world that seems to excite you — even after only one episode. And to which I must say...
Tare an'ouns — wait until you see episode two.
Have questions or comments for Kevin? Leave them below! And for more of Kevin's "Copper" musings, check out his personal blog, Ithaca Mafia.
When Copper finally made it through the long, harrowing gauntlet of development (and into the loving arms of BBC America) I was thrilled. When Tom offered me the opportunity to write for the show, I was euphoric. Fast-forward to twelve months later, and I was surrounded by friends and family, watching as the countdown clock ticked by on the screen, in subtle disbelief that Copper was actually about to be let loose upon the world. It's a strange thing — to start with forty-seven pages of text, to have those pages molded by hundreds of artists and technicians, to ultimately have it appear, fully realized and brimming with life, on a flickering screen.
The response thus far has been quite humbling. From the history buffs who squealed at a glimpse of the Five Points Mission, to the fans channeling their inner Corky on Monday morning — muttering "You can talk, or you can pray..." to anyone who crosses them — we thank you all. Copper has been a downright pleasure to work on, from those first words on paper to the very last moment we filmed (a shot that, coincidentally, appeared in last night's episode). It tickles me to no end that we've created a world that seems to excite you — even after only one episode. And to which I must say...
Tare an'ouns — wait until you see episode two.
Have questions or comments for Kevin? Leave them below! And for more of Kevin's "Copper" musings, check out his personal blog, Ithaca Mafia.
