The latest hit Netflix miniseries, Eric, has enjoyed significant acclaim recently, with many drawn to the series’ writing and performances in particular.
The Abi Morgan-helmed show follows Vincent, played by Benedict Cumberbatch, as he attempts to use a puppet based on his missing son’s drawings to lure him out in a desperate effort to find him.
Set in 1980s New York, the series captures the essence of a handful of real historic events and cultural moments, including societal prejudice like homelessness, institutional racism, and the AIDS epidemic, leading many to believe it is actually based on a true story.
However, according to various sources and the creator himself, Vincent’s story is not based on any singular event, but is inspired by a series of missing persons cases that haunted him when he was younger.
In an interview with Radio Times, Morgan said that “growing up in the UK in the ’80s” meant constantly hearing about “stories of children who had gone missing”. Then, when he moved to New York, he “saw the milk carton kids and the missing persons. So that has always been very haunting.”
While the intricate details incorporated into the series might seem like various threads were based on real events, Morgan confirmed that the show wasn’t “ever based on one specific case” but was instead an honest portrait of “that very vivid period in history”.
By focusing on the heart of such troubling times, he delivered a heavily powerful message about the importance of fostering a culture where children can go outside and return home safely.
“I guess that’s what’s at the heart of Eric,” the creator said. Adding, “this quest for a father to find his son, but also a man who’s then having to explore the monsters in himself and the city he’s grown up in.”
