ɪn lˈeɪt tˈuː θˈaʊzənd θɹˈiː, ɛɡzˈɛkjuːtˌɪv pɹədˈuːsɚ hjˈuː hˈæŋkɑːk fˈɜːst bɪɡˈæn tə wˈɜːk ɔnðə pɹˈɑːdʒɛkt ɪn ɹᵻspˈɑːns tʊ ɐ klˈeɪm ðæt hɪz wˈɜːk hæd lˈɔst ɪts "pˈʌŋk ˈɛdʒ".
In late 2003, executive producer Hugh Hancock first began to work on the project in response to a claim that his work had lost its "punk edge".