How 'Severance' Creator Came Up With the Idea for the Show | How I Did It

In a new installment of TheWrap's How I Did It video series, Severance stars Adam Scott and Britt Lower as well as creator Dan Erickson take us behind the scenes of the Apple TV+ series, revealing where the idea for the show came from, why Lower was the perfect choice to play Helly R., and why John Turturro was passionate about casting Christopher Walken as his character's love interest. They also explain how the sci-fi series, despite its dark premise, embraces the humanity of the characters. #Severance #AdamScott #HowIDidIt
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[@RandomShowerThoughts]

This show truly is a masterpiece

[@TheLevitatingFleem]

Nowadays I hate that term, but deadass I’m suuuuuper comfortable calling this a masterpiece. There is just not a single thing I would change about it

[@pradeepramtel2695]

Everyone is so good in this. I personally feel that everyone from the series deserve great love. Also, I loved how the show is inclusive without forcing it. Great Job Guys :)

[@tehamill1]

Adam Scott is amazing in this show

[@TheLevitatingFleem]

It’s funny, I’ve known of him my entire life and have always kinda thought of him as just a “passable” actor as I think I’d just never seen him in a role that really tested his capabilities. But by the end of this show I was convinced this man needs an award for the acting he did in this series with just his eyes alone. Man is INCREDIBLE

[@mr.balloffur]

​@@TheLevitatingFleemyou need to watch The Vicious Kind

[@SarcasticPlotRecaps]

​@LevitatingFleem He was always just the dickhead obnoxious sibling in Step Brothers to me so i had no idea he could do this kind of restrained joe normie type of role too!

[@cbierman17]

Hearing the creator of any show talk about “deep lore” is always great. Means they care a lot.

[@KingEdwardMMVIII]

Absolutely right. Can't wait for season 2. Best and most original show I've seen in awhile.

[@whyitmatterstome]

Love how Severance explores the nature of identity via the metaphysical philosophies concerned with the self and how we conceptualize the nature of our reality. The question this show poses for me is how the 'innie' has no identity or power (at first), because his 'outie' has consensual power and proscribes half of his identity to the corporations whims. Yet, we root for the innie Helly who has been circumscribed servitude to the corporation by her own choice - such a strange dichotomy.

[@olicorrivo3289]

This show is like a very good singer that mastered the bridge between head and chest voice so perfectly that the transition is seamless. Dark humor and tension blends so perfectly and we switch from one to the other so seamlessly.

[@HagarLevy]

Wow yes!!! As a singer this is so spot on😊

[@John_Locke_108]

I like all parts of this show equally.

[@OscarIna0fTimeVODs]

You better do, or else you'll lose 10 points

[@gamlaman]

Those who haven't watched yet: oh that sounds like a good show I guess? Weird way to phrase that Those who have: 💀

[@John_Locke_108]

@@gamlaman 😂😂😂

[@crazymonkey1545]

Damn it, now I have to watch Severance S1 again! … for the 8th time! Because it’s THAT GOOD!!!

[@gourdtube]

Really, one of the best shows ever made. It stands out today with all these shows that are about nothing, this one really explores something about the human condition.

[@leanehammann922]

Am I tripping or we never saw/heard this shot of Mark's introduction video in the show at 0:17 ??

[@gamlaman]

Yeah, it's in the trailer, but never in the actual show. My guess is they cut it out to introduce us more to the whole concept of severance via Helly's perspective, to keep it with a bit more mystery at the start, but it's a good short explanation so they just used the audio for the trailer.

[@WhatSmada]

yeah its better for a trailer, not needed in the show

[@KeyT3ch]

Adam is 50?! 50?! How?! He looks so young

[@Cortesevasive]

@@romulo886 Ones appearance correlates to ones reproductive function. Women look like shit

[@cdbsk76]

He hasn't had a carb since 2004

[@ThePhoenixTail]

I kinda always thought they got the idea from the film Office Space, when Peter asks a hypnotist if he can be hypnotised to think that when he came home from the job he hated, he'd think he'd been out fishing for 8 hours instead. This series has been my fav in the last few years. Top stuff!

[@JosiahL87]

Completely agree Adam S! This is the best role I have seen you in.

[@jstdun]

The views on these videos are disappointing. This series should be far more discussed. One of my favorites of the decade.

[@funkytivi]

Bravo, really. Best show i watched in years! ❤

[@prolific9411]

Amazing beautiful outstanding gorgeous show

[@Tomothy-e3b]

It’s been a very long wait for season 2

[@jum____]

Pls I need season 2 😭

[@marenaartz4816]

Such a good show 🎉

[@mtjoy747]

One time on nightshift, I was tasked with moving a desktop computer from one floor to another, for a new staff member, but the floor is so all over the place, I almost fainted LOL. It didn't help that one single outlet for the PC data connection is NOT right next to the others in sequence, 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 5, that kind of thing. I'm hovering around the 4 and the 6, trying to find [outlet] 5 - in the end, I got someone else to help me, and they found [outlet] 5 in 2 minutes...it would be so much easier this year [2023] with desktop PCs that actually HAVE built-in Wi-Fi.

[@N4N0808]

Not really hard to see how anyone who has ever worked a 9-5 job would've come up with this premise.

[@rickenfatania]

I just saw a trailer for a british horror movie with the same name and it has many of the same plots points although not exactly the same.

[@marishkaspirit]

So what is the title of this british horror movie?

[@WhatSmada]

cool story rick

[@Tyrone-Ward]

Who's Brett Lauer?

[@EamonKelly]

Britt Lower

[@TheLevitatingFleem]

I reeeeally think the creator or someone close to the creator played Control. It’s just too similar for him not to be aware of that game

[@blackmaestros]

It’s not quite the same but I definitely caught myself thinking about Control. Especially during the Board scenes. The Board even sounds similar

[@TheLevitatingFleem]

@@blackmaestros yeah the plot/characters definitely arent the same, but the atmosphere, locations and *especially* The Board are just too similar to be coincidence imo. but I’m not saying that’s even remotely a bad thing, I like seeing good media inspiring other good media.

[@backtoklondike]

Erickson has at least admitted that one of the inspirations was Stanley Parable. And being inspired by Control isn't that farfetched either

[@1D4ever]

Same plot as Paycheck staring Ben Affleck

[@Beunibster]

And "Click" starring Adam S and Christopher Walken

[@mr.balloffur]

Ummm no 😂

[@1D4ever]

Well similar premise anyway.

[@cryptojihadi265]

Not really. I assumed that's what it was about from the description, that severence was necessary because what they did was super top secret work that they couldn't risk being exposed. But it's really about globalist elites wanting to create an absolute prison planet.

[@WhatSmada]

no

[@jackepner9984]

Not really funny.. multiple concussions are no joke.

[@McFlySince86]

he was joking

[@WhatSmada]

no joke is a joke