in early 1958 southern made his first foray into screenwriting, working with canadian director ted kotcheff, who had come to britain to work for the newly established associated television (atv) company. kotcheff directed southern's tv adaptation of eugene o'neill's "the emperor jones", which was broadcast in the uk in march. this coincided with the publication of "flash and filigree", which was well reviewed in the uk but coolly received in the us.