I like shows that are surprising and not predictable. That have deep, rich characters that are fully formed.

So much of television is incredibly predictable. You watch the first five minutes and you know where it's going to go. If you can just create an element of surprise in both the storytelling and tone of a show, you're going to be way ahead of the pack.

In all my shows, I'm not interested in the iconic shots of the Capitol and the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial. I'm always interested in trying to get the culture of the place - trying to get it right.

They don't arrive at the Commons fully formed. But they're more formed than they used to be. They don't just sit there for 10 years. They're all immediately scheming and positioning.

For me, novels coalesce into being, rather than arrive fully formed.

I love being a producer, and I think I essentially still operate as a producer even though I now have control of marketing and the ability to green-light shows - something every producer wants but that they don't get!