Yahoo News Doctor Foster boss says new show Sticks and Stones is challenging for viewers
Doctor Foster showrunner Mike Bartlett has explained why his new thriller series Sticks and Stones is set to make viewers question their own morality.
Described as a psychological drama, the three-parter stars Ken Nwosu (Killing Eve), Susannah Fielding (Black Mirror) and Ben Miller (Paddington 2) as it explores workplace bullying and toxic office culture.
"I felt an interesting contradiction and dynamic between when someone does something at work, whether it's framed as a joke, and it is actually funny, but it's also cruel," Bartlett told Digital Spy. "It puts the audience into a position of having to actually work out what the right thing to feel is."
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During the chat, Bartlett went on to say that it was fascinating having to examine the "animal" side of human mature and how, when we feel pressure in our careers, some of us can "become primal in a professional context".
He continued: "We all try to avoid it, but we see it in other people, and we know we've got that capacity ourselves.
"We all have a sense of morality. If you saw the effects of a dynamic of bullying, people would probably stop. But the thing about workplace bullying is, you don't. You don't see someone at two in the morning, in their bed, crying. You just see their work face. You see their public side. It's a lot easier to call it banter or whatever."
Fielding added that the Julia Ford-directed miniseries is sure to be relatable to many people watching at home and that she hopes it will "give rise to discussion" about what's acceptable – and more importantly, what isn't – in a workplace environment.
"It's almost like, as adults, we're supposed to be able to just handle it," she said. "It's just a laugh, or it's just fun. But I think you instinctively know when it's crossed a line, don't we? It's just that we don't really talk about it very much."
Sticks and Stones airs on ITV on Monday, December 16 at 9pm over three consecutive nights.
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