Gangs of London boss slams critics who claim drama’s too violent and defends all 13 torture scenes as ‘integral’ to plot
GANGS of London boss Gareth Evans has slammed critics who claimed the drama was too violent.
The creator also leapt to the defence of all 13 torture scenes which he described as 'integral' to the story.
Gareth, 40, spoke at the Edinburgh Television Festival and bluntly stated that viewers can just change the channel if they don't like what they are seeing.
He explained: "It’s individual tastes, we all have a moral barometer.
"I think if it’s not for them, it’s not for them, but there are lots of buttons on the remote control and you can always change channel. If you’re not into it, you’re not into it, and that has always been my approach."
He continued: "If I tried to make something that would appeal to everyone, it would appeal to no-one. I can’t hedge my bets to make sure it doesn’t bump for someone."
The gruesome drama tells the story of the tussle between international gangs for power and supremacy in the capital.
Gangs of London toppled Game of Thrones to break the record for the most violent show on British television with a whopping 113 deaths to go with the 13 torture scenes.
Cast member Sope Dirisu, 29, who plays Elliot Finch in the series, somewhat agreed with the director and believes viewers are doing themselves no favours if they are unable to look past the show's violence.
He said: "I understand that for some people it might not ring with them but I think if they are going to dismiss the series because they think it’s too violent, or they have heard it’s too violent, then they are doing themselves a disservice because the series offers so much more."
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She continued: "Yes, the violence is integral and intertwined in the fabric of the production but it is not all it’s about and so they would be missing out on a lot more if they decided it was too violent because someone told them that it was."
It's good news for fans of the show as
Executive producer Thomas Benski, who was also at the Edinburgh TV Festival, revealed: "The timing of the show in a way has not been hugely affected by COVID, because we obviously launched during lockdown and we are now in development.
"So assuming the world doesn’t end next year we should be good."