In an exclusive interview, Arika Lisanne Mittman, a renowned writer and producer who has worked on popular shows like Timeless, Elementary, Dexter, and Tyrant, shared details about her latest project, an brilliant psychological thriller, The Irrational. This new series led by Jesse L. Martin is currently airing on NBC and Peacock.
For our readers who may not know, can you describe the role of a producer?
Most writers, except at the lowest levels, are also producers. What’s great about that is that when we do have a role in production, we are typically there on set with the cast, and we are able to change things on the fly. If I have an actor saying that a line isn’t working for them, we can go and adjust it a little bit. It gives us freedom to do that. We are responsible for an extensive list of things beyond what’s written in the script. Especially in my role as showrunner and executive producer, I am responsible for everything. Everything gets run by me. There’s a prop show-and-tell, where they will show me everything that gets used in an episode for my approval… I approve all the costumes. We approve all the design features of the episode before they are in the episode. Everything you see on the screen is ultimately very much the vision of the writer-producers on the shows that you watch.
As far as casting decisions are concerned, what led to your decision to choose Jesse L. Martin to play the main protagonist?
I have been a fan of Jesse Martin since Rent. I am a Gen X’er who loves musical theater, so I have been a fan of his for a very long time. When it came to casting the role, we were looking at lists and auditions, and I thought of him…We brought the name to our wonderful casting director Kim Coleman and I asked if there was any chance we could get Jesse L. Martin for this. She said, “Well, you never know. Let’s try.” She brought it to him. He read it and really responded to the script. And that was that.
I read that this show is based on the book Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions by Dan Ariely. In what ways did this inspire your work on the show?
One of our other executive producers, Mark Goffman, was talking about Dan Ariely, who is actually a friend of his. He brought me Dan’s book and said I had to read it. He thought there was a show here. Once I read the book, I couldn’t put it down. It’s not a book you would see at first and think this is a television show. It’s a nonfiction book that teaches us about human irrationality and the principles of human behavior. It’s a very fun book to read, but it doesn’t have a plot or a through-line. Reading it, I did think it would be so great to incorporate it into a show. We could tell a story about a guy kind of like Dan Ariely, but different, who solves crimes and puzzles through the lens of human behavior.
The Irrational provides an insightful exploration into the life and work of a behavioral scientist. In what ways are his personal relationships affected by his career?
Great question. When the show begins, Alec Mercer has just gotten divorced. One of the reasons his marriage ended is because he is so keyed into his work and studying human nature that he completely missed what was going on in his own life and marriage. So, he has to then reevaluate his own behavior as a result of losing someone very important to him that he loves very much. We continue to play that relationship throughout the series as the characters continue to learn more about themselves and each other.
As far as Dan Ariely, will the show touch on some of the controversial things that he has experienced in his life?
I think it’s correct to say that the show is loosely inspired by Dan Ariely. He was an awesome inspiration for the show, but Alec Mercer is his own character and has taken on a life of his own. I wouldn’t say that he’s going to go through the exact things that Dan Ariely experienced because he’s not Dan. He’s Alec and he will have his own experiences that he will go through, as well as controversies of his own.
Could you please share some ideas on the potential ways this show can bring about changes in the behavior of others?
I love that question. One of the reasons that I wanted to do this show is that people will learn something from it. I wanted people to watch this show and question what they would do. I want people to feel like they are almost a part of the show when watching it. I want them to feel engaged in it and feel like they are learning something new with each episode. Every episode has these little nuggets about human behavior that we get to learn and think about how they apply to our own lives. I think that’s really fun.
I really appreciate the psychological aspects of the show.
I think that’s one of the most fun things about it. It makes it different and special. I love it, too.
What would you say is the challenging part when it comes to writing such a complex character as Alec?
The most challenging part is that Alec is smarter than me (laughing). I love writing for smart characters. I have done it in the past, particularly when I wrote for the character Sherlock Holmes in the television series Elementary. Writing for Sherlock Holmes, how do you write for a character who is smarter than you? That’s the challenge, but it is an enjoyable challenge because it forces you to learn a lot.
The Irrational features so many legendary actors and producers. Share with us what excited you most about taking on this project.
First, I got to work with Samuel Baum and Mark Goffman, who were my fellow executive producers on this project. I was very excited to work with both of them. When it came to the actors involved, we got to pick them. I definitely got to choose people that I was thrilled to get the chance to work with. That’s one of the fun aspects of doing what we do. I asked if Jesse L. Martin could be on my show, and he is on my show.
Kiara Coleman
