“Everyone has an inner Backstrom,” says creator of FOX’s new dark comedy, Hart Hanson. Star Rainn Wilson deadpans for even Hanson, usually known as a “genial Canadian, “There is a Backstrom waiting to burst out of his chest like an alien.” Amid peals of laughter from the assembled media at the Television Critics Association’s (TCA) winter Press tour, Hanson sputters, “I don’t like when Rainn talks about me.”
When he first heard of Hanson’s project, Rainn Wilson was wrapping up the final season of The Office, an was looking forward to a break. Wilson said his agents implored him to read the script for Backstrom. “G#d Damnit, Hart Hanson!” the actor laughed, because once he saw the terrific script, he was immediately on board.
Despite Backstrom’s character flaws, Wilson says he actually likes the man he portrays. “Backstrom wears his heart on his sleeve,” he says. “I would much rather hang out with him than a slick, procedural detective who knows everything.”
Genevieve Angelson, who plays Det. Nicole Gravely, says her character’s constant mindset regarding her partner (Backstrom) is, “How am I going to work with you, you demon?” but the actress says that playing agains tsuch an unlikable character “Makes my character’s life so terrible, but my life so exciting as an actor.”
The series is based on a Swedish book series from Leif GW Person, whom Hard says is remarkably alike like his and socially inept main character. Bringing Persson’s character to Netwokr TV required from noodling from Hanson, like “mushing” together several characters to create the character’s of Det. Nicole Gravely (Genevieve Angelson) and Sgt. John Almond (Dennis Haysbert). Another change from the book was to make Backstrom good at his job by taking his bad qualities and make them tools he uses to solve crimes. They also make the character — who in the books is wholly despicable — more empathetic. Actor Kristoffer Polaha calls Hanson’s writing outstanding, “What happens in the finale is really f@#$ing brilliant,” he teases.
Backstrom has a corrosively, dark world-view and because he lives in the same dark world as criminals, he gets into their souls, “their tissues,” says Wilson, “stabbing at the darkness,” hoping to stumble upon the truth.
Backstrom > FOX > premieres Thursday, Jan. 22, 9pm ET/PT
Images ©2014 Fox Broadcasting Co. Cr: Frank Ockenfels/FOX
