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What do oil rigs and Scotland’s first major film studio have in common? Join David Macpherson, creator of Prime Video hit show The Rig, for a behind-the-scenes look at bringing the high-stakes world of North Sea oil to global TV audiences.

The Rig’s creator David Macpherson and cast members (Emily Hampshire, Martin Compston, Iain Glen, Rochenda Sandall, Ross Anderson and Mark Addy) tell us what to expect in the latest season.

In conversation with the Edinburgh TV Festival's Gemma Bradshaw, David shares clips from his work and insights into adapting industrial heritage for the screen: from his BAFTA-winning collaborators to the launch of First Stage Studios in Leith. The session will delve into questions of class, place, and representation in television. and how authentic working-class voices can shape stories that resonate across the UK and beyond.

This event ties directly to LandxSea’s Montrose roots, exploring the energy legacies that have shaped our coastlines and communities, and the power of screen storytelling to reimagine them.

💬 This event will be live captioned (CART). Learn more about access at the festival →

About the speakers:

David Macpherson is a screenwriter originally from the Highlands and now living in Edinburgh. Drawing partly from his father's experiences as an offshore oil worker, David's hit debut series The Rig launched in January 2023 in over 200 territories world-wide on Prime Video. The show topped the Prime Video chart for four consecutive weeks, both in the UK and in many other countries.

Series 2 of The Rig, this time set in the Arctic and covering the emerging technology of deep sea mining, debuted in January 2025. Prior to writing professionally, David had a number of short careers, first in politics working for Charles Kennedy MP, then working with the police in the area of youth justice in Grampian and Aberdeen, and finally working on environmental policy development alongside the Scottish Government. He was named a Screen International Rising Star in 2022 and he currently has further projects in development with a number of leading indies and broadcasters.

Gemma Bradshaw is Impact Director at the TV Foundation, the charitable arm of the Edinburgh TV Festival. Prior to that, Gemma was the director of One World Media and focused on growing their support for new talent covering global stories. She is passionate about making the creative industries more accessible and the power of stories to open minds and create space for conversation and change, with a particular focus on the climate crisis. Gemma started her career in public policy before a move to the US led to her working in the documentary industry as Director of Programs for the Social Impact Media Awards (SIMA), and prior to that as COO of San Francisco Green Film Festival.

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