The creators of a new TV series about 'Waco' say the media didn't tell the full story of the infamous siege- The creators of "Waco," a miniseries on the Paramount Network, said they learned that the media coverage in 1993 was very one-sided.
- In their research, John Erick and Drew Dowdle learned more about the people living in the cult.
- The idea for a show based on the 51-day siege came while they were researching a character for a completely different project.
- The show stars Michael Shannon, Taylor Kitsch, and Rory Culkin.
The creators of new TV miniseries "Waco" always meant for it to show the whole truth of the 1993 Waco siege, by telling the story from multiple perspectives: especially those that weren't told by the media. But they didn't expect it to have such cultural relevance to our current political landscape.
"Waco," a miniseries on the Paramount Network (formerly Spike TV), stars Michael Shannon, Taylor Kitsch, John Leguiziamo, and Melissa Benoist. Business Insider recently spoke to the creators of the show, brothers John Erick and Drew Dowdle. In writing the show, they said they discovered the media only told one side of the story in 1993.
With "Waco," the Dowdles hoped to emphasize the power of communication, and that there's more to this story, and every person involved.
"We really tried to see what makes people tick on all sides of this, that was really important to us," co-creator Drew Dowdle said.
The Siege The Waco siege, which lasted from February 28 to April 19, 1993, was a 51-day standoff at a compound belonging to a religious group called the Branch Davidians, led by David Koresh.
Koresh convinced his followers that he was Christ. They lived together on the compound — which they called Mount Carmel — to prepare for the end of the world. The Mount Carmel compound had no electricity, heat, or running water.
The standoff, between the Branch Davidians and the FBI along with the ATF (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms), began when the ATF attempted to raid the compound to find illegal weapons. There were also rumors of abuse against women and children on the compound.
Eventually, the FBI initiated a tear gas attack in an attempt to force the Branch Davidians out, resulting in a fire. 76 people died, including Koresh.
The Waco siege is cited as one of the motivations behind the 1996 Oklahoma City bombing. During the standoff, crowds gathered on a hill a few miles away from Mount Carmel to see what was happening. Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh, then 24, visited that site, where he distributed pro-gun literature and bumper stickers.
"The power of talk" "Waco" was in development before topics like gun control and white supremacy saw high-profile coverage leading up to the 2016 presidential election.
"Waco" co-creator John Erick Dowdle said he felt like the country was "already going down that path," even though they started working on the series four years ago. "We've lost some ability to talk," he said of America. "And this show is an exploration of the power of talk."
In "Waco," Michael Shannon's FBI agent Gary Noesner (who the Dowdles spoke to personally) makes multiple attempts to communicate with Koresh and the Branch Davidians.
He tries to convince other agents — both his colleagues at the FBI and ATF agents — to prioritize peaceful communication over violent tactics. Unfortunately, not many others seem to see things the way Noesner does.
Firsthand accounts The Dowdles said they stumbled upon the idea for a show about the Waco siege "kind of randomly."
In reading firsthand accounts of the Waco siege, meant as research for a character in a completely different story they were writing, the Dowdles realized this was the show they should write.
The Dowdles spoke to people on all sides of the siege: FBI agents, ATF agents, and David Thibodeau, a Branch Davidian who survived the fire (played by Rory Culkin in the series). Through Thibodeau, whom they spoke to extensively, the audience gets to see how someone could believably get roped in by Koresh, who is manipulative but charming, and a very convincing leader.
cont..
Reply With Quote
Originally Posted by Zippyjuan
Connect With Us