Hot Shots 2025: William Mager

It’s easy to wax lyrical about Reunion now that the groundbreaking BBC drama has penetrated the national conversation. But Mark Herbert, chief executive and founder of Warp Films, knew he was onto a winner as soon as he read William Mager’s script about a deaf inmate who rebuilds his life upon release.

“We optioned it within 24 hours of reading it, such was the power and originality of his writing,” Herbert says. “It had everything a Warp project needs: authenticity, great characters and a huge heart.”

Mager spent almost 20 years of his career in various roles at BBC factual and entertainment before making a move into scriptwriting in 2022. Reunion is his opening gambit as a creator and writer.

While Mager describes the 18-month writing process on the drama as “a huge learning curve”, Herbert remains impressed by Mager’s “ability to collaborate with commissioners and exec producers while maintaining his clear vision for the show”.

He adds: “Throughout the shoot, Billy had some extra scenes to write and then pick-ups, which he was able to turn around quickly but with the quality of the first script.”

Reunion’s rare 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes is testament to that – the series was a masterclass in fresh storytelling, with nuanced characters and the novel use of sound and silence to create an emotive connection.

Reunion forged new paths within the industry too: it acted as a welcome showcase for Matthew Gurney, Sophie Stone, Stephen Collins and other deaf actors. Similarly, its crew featured the likes of Sam Arnold, Coco Briden, Brian Duffy and Teresa Garraty, all of whom are deaf and have gone on to work on other productions.

“I’ve persisted in working in an industry that is a difficult place to work as a deaf and disabled person,” Mager reflects.

“I’ve faced discrimination, discouragement and daily reminders that I’m not ‘supposed to be here’. But I kept going, and got to a place where I was able to tell a story on prime-time television that isn’t normally told, and was embraced by audiences, critics and the deaf community. I hope that my story can inspire others who feel marginalised, excluded and downtrodden.”

Mager’s ambition now is to continue writing “accessible, entertaining stories that shine a light on lesser-seen parts of the human experience, across a range of genres: treasure hunters, alternative history spy thrillers, doomed lovers on the run, gothic historical romances, and more”.

He’s certainly going full steam ahead: as well as another project with Warp, Mager is developing work with Pure Fiction, Wild Mercury, It’s All Made Up Productions, Matriarch Productions and Bonafide Films.