Eric creator says "important" historical anecdote was nearly cut from series
The final episode of Eric includes a poignant mention of Seneca Village.
Landing on Netflix today, Eric is full of red herrings, clues and themes that will leave you thinking for days after watching the six-part series.
Penned by The Split's Abi Morgan, one of the more important inclusions of history comes in the final episode of the series, where Benedict Cumberbatch's Vincent and his father Robert (John Doman) have a frank and honest conversation about the history of New York.
Being a successful property developer and proprietor of the city's gentrification, Robert shares a terse reminder of the real-life history of Seneca Village, a settlement of majority African American landowners, Irish and German immigrants that were forced to leave their homes in 1857 for the construction of what is now known as Central Park.
The New York City park is a well-known one, but its history may not be to many. In Eric, it is where Vincent and Robert share this final tense conversation, and where Vincent's own show, Good Day Sunshine, is set.
But it turns out that that pivotal nod to history was nearly almost cut from the series, according to Morgan.
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Chatting exclusively to RadioTimes.com, when asked about the importance of including that reference to Seneca Village, Morgan said: "Well, thank you first for picking up on that, because it was such an important scene, that. We ummed and ahhed about having it, not so much - it was to do with the pace of the episode.
"I think, fortunately, as a creative team, everyone really backed my belief that it had to be there."
She continued: "I guess I’ve always marvelled at the idea that America is built on this idea of theft and that many countries are built off... our own country has had to deal with its very mass theft over the years.
"At the heart, it’s about land and territory, this notion of a city that we should walk safely through its streets. And yet when you’ve based a city, and certainly a park, on theft, then it’s profound and dark, and I guess I wanted to explore that.
"I wanted to explore the sense that cities don’t just happen, they’re rooted in history, politics, deprivation and injustices. I’m really pleased that you picked up on it, because I think you’re the first journalist I’ve met who’s mentioned it - and it’s really so integral to me."
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Morgan went on: "That last idea is that it’s really about a man who, at its heart, has walked blindly through a street unaware of his own entitlement.
"The idea at the end is it’s about him acknowledging and just starting to have this awakening that this city and this wealth that he grew up upon, and which he then personifies in the Good Day Sunshine world, needs to change and evolve and be more reflective.
"That’s why the character of Eric and putting a monster at the heart of Good Day Sunshine is important, because monsters can be both good and bad. The bad being that they stay in the shadows, the good being when we bring them out into the light and go, 'I see you.'
"I guess that’s what, for me, the show is saying at its heart. It’s saying, 'I see you.' I see my own entitlement within it, my own privilege within it, and I guess I wanted to call it out."
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McKinley Belcher III, who plays Ledroit in the series, also said: "I’m so thrilled by the question too. It’s such a great example of what you get from a thing has a lot to do with what you bring to it.
"I think that’s why it’s so important for us, as artists, to reflect the fullness of what life was at that time, so people have an opportunity – even in a small way – to access these important things that you’re asking about."
The series sees Cumberbatch take the leading role as Vincent, a father who is trying to investigate what has happened to his son Edgar after he disappears one day walking to school.
The Sherlock and Doctor Strange star is known for his variety of roles over the years, but here, in Eric, he also takes on the voice acting responsibilities for Eric himself.
Speaking about taking on the role, Cumberbatch said: "It was one of the biggest draws to doing the character, to doing the role, to being part of this drama.
"But also, it still fills me with fear. I don't know how people are going to respond to it. It's nice to roll the dice on something new."
Eric arrived on Netflix on Thursday 30th May 2024. Sign up for Netflix from £4.99 a month. Netflix is also available on Sky Glass and Virgin Media Stream.
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