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Back in February 2023, ´óÏó´«Ã½ Writers and ´óÏó´«Ã½ Drama partnered with the independent production company, , to launch a paid shadow script opportunity for the new ´óÏó´«Ã½ Drama Series, Virdee, based on the best-selling Harry Virdee books by AA Dhand. Shadow Schemes can vary, but they aim to give you the experience of writing on a TV show without the responsibility of an episode that will be broadcast.

Voices and Scripted alum, Mandip Singh Dhesi was one of the writers selected to take part in the scheme and he shares his account of the experience below.

I passed by the red carpet and made my way towards the queue when a voice shouted ‘Mandip!’ It was , the series Story Editor and Co-Producer. We shared a warm smile and a handshake. We were at the series premiere of Virdee, so it was only fitting that the event should also be in Bradford, home of the show, and the creator and author, and also the city of my birth. 

Rewind back to February 2023, I was invited by ´óÏó´«Ã½ Writers to attend a workshop with AA Dhand and Callum Dodgson, along with several other Yorkshire-based writers. The day workshop in Bradford consisted of initially discussing the recently commissioned ´óÏó´«Ã½ crime thriller Virdee before we were placed in small groups to break down an episode and present it to the room.

At the end of the day we were given the all-important submission details for the opportunity which consisted of writing a scene of three pages. When the team announced we could choose our own, my eyes lit up. The shackles were off. I could explore the characters and the material with total freedom, which allowed me to produce work which was ultimately successful in gaining me a place on the Virdee shadow script scheme and a paid commission. 

I had the first of many, lengthy zoom meetings with Callum where we discussed the plot points of the episode and the character arcs. My first task was to write a short treatment which I broke down into five pages, one page equal to one act. This was then expanded into a scene by scene and then fleshed out, which gave me the blueprint from which to start writing the first draft.

Writing a screenplay is something which comes very easily to me. My mind clicks into gear and races away with itself. I go into a zone and when I pause for breath I often find I’ve written several pages before realising that that two hours have passed and I should probably eat. It was the same with my first draft of Virdee, which became an over eighty page mass of character and dialogue. I knew it was too long. But like a sculptor, my plan was to shave off the parts I didn’t need after receiving the notes.

The greatest learning curve in my experience are notes on your script. The first time’s the worst time. It’s personal and it hurts. Then a few days pass and you can start to look at the notes, not with emotion, but critically. Always act on the notes, they make you grow as a writer, and fast.

Twenty-four hours after receiving Callum’s notes, I had whittled the draft down to fifty-nine pages. It felt super tight. Callum read my second draft before producing some excellent notes and we had another zoom chat.  These were creative story conversations which I found stimulating for my writing and from which I could tackle the final draft with confidence. 

Callum asked me more questions. I had to find more answers. The draft was good but Callum challenged to make it even better, and with Virdee now in the bag, he had a bit more time to work with me on producing the best third and final draft that I could possibly muster. This time I went even deeper into the characters and the conflicts in the world of Virdee.

Being able to inhabit another writer’s world and experience it with my own eyes and offer my own insights was something I found creatively stimulating and has given me the confidence that I can adapt my style and tone to the show’s requirements while keeping my own voice intact.

When Virdee was released, I watched the whole series over one week, an episode a night, on ´óÏó´«Ã½ iPlayer. The whole experience of working on the show as a shadow writer was incredibly exciting and creatively fulfilling. My confidence in my own ability as a writer has grown as a result.

As we headed into the auditorium for the premiere, there was a buzz of anticipation as the lights dropped. It was finally here. All the hard work that had been put in by the entire production team was about to be revealed and I was about to finally see the characters that I have been carrying in my head for over two years, magically come to life.