Russell T Davies is astonished by the success of 'It's a Sin'.
Russell T Davies
The 58-year-old screenwriter created the TV drama series - which focuses on a group of gay men during the HIV crisis in the UK - and he's admitted to being shocked by the show's success, after he initially struggled to get the project off the ground.
Speaking after 'It's a Sin' won the New Drama gong at the National Television Awards, Russell shared: "It's my job to persist - if something doesn't get made you keep going. I believed in it.
"One television executive referred to it as 'that miserable AIDS drama'. He won't be able to lick my trophy now!"
Despite having faith in the project, Russell is still surprised the show has managed to achieve so much mainstream success.
He told MailOnline: "It's a drama about Aids, about a minority subject, so it's astonishing that it won on a mainstream show."
Russell also feels privileged to have the support of the LGBTQ community.
The screenwriter - who tried to sell the show to ITV and the BBC, before it found a home on Channel 4 - said: "It's nice to say that behind us are so many charities and activists and fundraisers so we're aware of the privilege of being their spokespeople."
Olly Alexander - who played a leading role in the critically-acclaimed show - has described making 'It's a Sin' as "one of the greatest experiences" of his life.
The Years & Years star - who plays Ritchie Tozer in the series - said: "It was one of the greatest experiences of my life. It's created a conversation that I'm amazed to be a part of. A global conversation."
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