Interview with Louise Fox – Co-creator and Executive Producer

What is Careless about?

Careless is about a young Scottish traveller called Robbie, who comes to Sydney to work as a live-in carer for a very wealthy couple. He's caring for Mike, who has MS, while his wife Angela has a demanding career. Robbie arrives with what I'd describe as an ulterior motive.

The original idea came from Helen FitzGerald, who's a novelist and was also a social worker in Scotland for many years. Rob and Ian gave me the very early document, and what I responded to was the story, the characters and the thriller elements.

I was also really drawn to the different worlds the series explores, from Scotland and the social work system to Sydney, and the idea of entering someone's family as a professional while living such an intimate life with them. I found that really interesting.

Angela's world also fascinated me, particularly the social and emotional responsibility that comes with her role. There are a lot of carers in this story, whether they're social workers, members of the parole board or live-in carers. They're all people whose jobs involve making life-changing decisions for others.

All of that came together for me. It felt like a story built around really unique, intimate relationships, but with the bones of a thriller. That's what really drew me to it.

When writing the series, did you have any actors in mind?

Certain actors came in and out of my mind because you're always imagining who might play different roles. Not so much the Scottish cast, simply because I didn't know enough Scottish actors, but perhaps some of the Australian characters.

It was less about finding the perfect actor and more about helping the characters come alive in my head. Once I found their voices, they became much more vivid to me.

So no, not really.

How do you hope audiences will react to the series?

Well, I hope they watch it, and I hope they watch it right to the end. Ultimately, you always want people to be entertained, absorbed and gripped by something you've written.

What interested me was taking a fairly familiar thriller set-up, the intruder story, and reaching the end without demonising any of the characters. I wanted the audience to have a level of empathy for everyone in the show.

If that's what people take away from it, I'd be really happy.

Why will Careless appeal to a global audience?

I think domestic thrillers have universal appeal. What I really love about Careless is that there's almost no procedural element. It's not about the police or solving a mystery through an investigation. Instead, the story reveals its own mystery, and I think that makes it feel very fresh.

I also think the worlds we explore feel unique. In Australia, we don't often tell stories about class or people living with that level of privilege. The Garton's home and lifestyle are beautiful, but they also feel truthful. Then you have the contrast with Scotland and Robbie's past, which gives the series another distinct world.

The characters feel honest, there's humour running through the story, which is quite unusual for a thriller, and overall it just feels grounded and authentic.