Industry has been one of the most successful TV dramas of the past three years, with audiences flocking to the high-octane depiction of young recruits to Pierpont investment bank wrestling with their consciences as they try to further their financial careers.
Season 3 of the HBO/BBC drama is currently airing in the UK, with a fourth season already commissioned. Creators Mickey Down and Konrad Kay, who worked in the financial sector before turning to screenwriting, focus on three recruits: Harper (Myha’la), Yasmin (Marisa Abela) and Robert (Harry Lawtey).
The BBC reports that Down and Kay have revealed they deliberately write about characters within that world who have the least amount of power, and particularly for Harper, a young American black woman working in London, with sympathy.
Down says there are “different ceilings for everyone” – and that your background, race and gender can “have a huge bearing on how successful you can be.” Hence why they portray Harper’s character, sometimes kind, sometimes, ruthless, “with love.”
Down “says: People obviously throw a lot of words at these characters, insults sometimes, especially at Harper, saying she’s awful, she’s heinous, she’s selfish, all that stuff. We write her from a place of understanding.
“We write her as a young black woman who has come from a disadvantaged background, who is ridiculously ambitious and will do everything to achieve her goals – and that is thrilling.”