The Demon Headmaster lead writer Emma Reeves provides her insight into the creation of the first series finale…

In episode 10, it was finally time to circle back to where we started, as the TV series rejoined the narrative of Gillian Cross’s Total Control. Despite all our heroes’ attempts at resistance, the Headmaster’s scheme is proceeding exactly the way he always planned it. The Prime Minister is coming to Hazelbrook, and the Headmaster plans to use his visit to take over every school in Britain. From here on, events play out very much as they do in the book – with a couple of extra twists…

In Gillian’s book, the Prime Minister is a deliberately vague figure whose gender is not specified. For two years of development, Theresa May was the UK Prime Minister. But by the time I wrote the first draft of episode 10, May was out and Boris Johnson’s coronation seemed inevitable (as the only possible alternatives were Jeremy Hunt and Michael Gove). In that initial draft, the Prime Minister was more of a bumbling Old Etonian who fled from danger with an “Out of my way, oiks!” But this clown-like caricature was deemed to undermine the genuine threat that the nation was facing – after all, in the story, a self-interested despot was planning to enslave everyone – so I was persuaded to tone the character down. The clinching argument came from Executive Producer Spencer Campbell, who pointed out that Johnson might no longer be Prime Minister by the time that episode 10 was broadcast…

I write this on Sunday December 15, 2019, three days after Johnson was returned to number 10 with a commanding majority. And I find myself pondering the question, is the Headmaster really such a bad man / person / entity?

Gillian Cross was very generous in allowing us to make all sorts of changes and additions to her work. She had very few non-negotiable rules, and most of those applied to the character of the Headmaster. It was important not to destroy the aura of mystery surrounding him, which adds so much to his power as a character. So we were very careful about how we used backstory and how much we allowed the audience insight into the workings of the Headmaster’s mind (not much, and always deniable). But one important rule (from Gillian) is that the Headmaster doesn’t enjoy causing pain to others. He truly believes that he is doing what is best for everyone. He doesn’t seek the traditional petty personal gratifications of corrupt rulers. He’s all ego and superego, no id. But although he does not intend to be nasty, he is devastatingly cruel by omission – because he doesn’t really understand human beings, and when he attempts to it is only so he can become more efficient at bending them to his will. He may not be sadistic, but he has no compassion, no pity, no understanding of love or friendship – and no true morality.

How do we defeat such a creature? In the final episode, the Headmaster is evenly matched by somebody equally as powerful and callous – his other self. But the true victory belongs to the five young people who fought tirelessly against him – and ultimately, despite everything he’d put them through, chose to save the Headmaster himself. This is a very deliberate moral choice. In lines cut (for time) from the final episode, the gang contemplate leaving the Headmaster/s to die, before Angelika points out that that would make them as bad as the Headmasters. Later, the Headmaster observes that risking five bodies to save one is inefficient. Gratitude isn’t really in the Headmaster’s emotional wheelhouse (but then, what is?)

When faced with beings like the Headmaster, trying to retain any semblances of honour, kindness and humanity may seem futile, but the alternative is to become like them and to play their game. A game which is rigged, anyway, as poor Sophie finds out in episode 10. Things seldom end well for useful idiots.

I’m incredibly grateful to all of our amazing cast and crew, and to our writing team, and to CBBC for allowing us to make and broadcast a show which, in times like these, could be considered somewhat subversive. I applaud all the young people who are fighting for a better future. Thank you. And sorry.

Listen to your children. Look into their eyes.