Writer Chris Lunt talks new ITV drama Prey

Writer and creator of ITV’s new thriller drama Prey has spoken about his rise from lathe turner to penning his first major TV credit.

John Simm takes centre stage in Prey, a new three-part thriller which begins tonight on ITV. The story focuses Marcus Farrow, a well-liked detective sergeant who is arrested and charged with murder after all evidence points towards him.

Trailers running on ITV for a number of weeks has seen Simm’s character running from a police van which has crashed. The ex-cop goes on the run in Manchester, through the same estates that Farrow knows inside out. As his colleagues try and capture him, Farrow is determined to remain one step ahead and to compile his own evidence to prove his innocence.

John Simm as Marcus Farrow in ITV drama Prey

John Simm as Marcus Farrow in ITV drama Prey

Writer and creator Chirs Lunt left school at 16 and became a lathe turner, which he states he was the “world’s worst lathe turner.” Working during the day left little time to write up story ideas, something which Chris says he’s always wanted to do as being creative is the one key skill he’d had through his school years.

Quitting his job, he called ABC Television based in Chester and began work as a salesman. When he got a call asking if he knew any cameraman, Chris said he was one, even though he has no experience whatsoever. “Three days later i was in Prague holding a television camera with Tim Grundy. And we did Two’s Country series for years. So that was my first taste of what i considered real television.”

Chris says that he put himself in the shoes of Marcus Farrow when creating the character. “To be able to write Farrow i had to put myself in his shoes. The real emotional heart of t he story is that Marcus is trying to get back to his family.”

When BAFTA nominated John Simm agreed to play the main character in Prey, Chris says that for him, it was a “dream casting.” Production was stopped for a number of weeks after Simm was injured filming. Chris says that John came back “fighting fit” and had thrown himself into the role, pulling out a “powerful scene” which Chris claims is the most powerful he’s ever seen.

Prey begins tonight at 9.00pm on ITV