(Image: Getty)
One of Scotland’s leading TV directors is leading the creation of a major new paramedic drama set at the height of Edinburgh’s summer festivals season.
Douglas Mackinnon, who is best known for his work on Good Omens, Line of Duty, Sherlock, Outlander and Doctor Who, has revealed that the show, BurnTime, will be set over six consecutive nights during the annual cultural gathering.
The six-part series, which will explore the impact of burnout on frontline NHS workers, will focus on the experiences of a newly-trained paramedic.
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Mackinnon has suggested that part of the inspiration for the new show is the long-running American medical drama ER, which starred George Clooney.
BurnTime is expected to feature elements of “dark comedy”, and depict a world of “pain and laughter”.
TV director Douglas Mackinnon is best known for his work on Good Omens, Line of Duty, Sherlock, Doctor Who and Outlander. (Image: Roberto Ricciuti/Getty)
Mackinnon has declared that the “weird and wonderful” people drawn to Edinburgh in August will be key to BurnTime, with the festival city acting as “a character, not just a backdrop”.
Plans for the new TV drama have emerged ahead of the 80th anniversary season of Edinburgh's summer festivals in 2027.
Edinburgh's festivals will celebrate their 80th anniversary in 2027. (Image: Tom Duffin)
The Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society, which oversees the city’s biggest cultural event, has predicted the production will “showcase the city and its festivals as leading characters to audiences around the world”.
Mackinnon, who directed The Proclaimers’ video for their song Sunshine on Leith early in his career, has worked extensively in the city in recent years on Good Omens, which brought stars Michael Sheen and David Tennant to the city.
Edinburgh's festivals have been running since 1947. (Image: Supplied)
He was also one of the writers and directors of The Ridge, a new Scottish-New Zealand drama series starring Lauren Lyle, which was broadcast last year.
Mackinnon is developing BurnTime through a new production company he has launched on his native Isle of Skye.
Tony Lankester is chief executive of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society. (Image: Gordon Terris)
Rugged Island Films has already secured £100,000 of Scottish Government funding, via the Screen Scotland agency, to help develop an initial slate of projects.
Mackinnon is promoting BurnTime at Mercato Internazionale Audiovisivo (MIA), an international screen industry marketplace event in Rome.
Mackinnon revealed first plans for the show in an interview in Variety magazine, which said BurnTime would focus on 35-year-old Kylie MacDonald, “a newly trained paramedic working her first shift in the so-called blue-light cavalry, racing to save lives in her ambulance — even as a mystery surrounding a tragic episode from her past threatens to upend the life she’s carefully built”.
Mackinnon said: “The amount of time that paramedics last in the UK on average is 18 months. It’s so stressful and so chaotic and so messy for their lives.”
He added: “What’s exciting going into MIA is that we’re at the beginning. MIA is amazing for seeing people’s eyes light up at a project and going: ‘Oh, we could do something with this.’ I am looking for partners to build the series with me on an international level.”
Speaking about his new company, Mackinnon suggested that 10 different series and five feature films were currently in development.
He added: “The idea is to use my experience with huge shows like Sherlock, Good Omens, Outlander, Line of Duty and Doctor Who to build shows of that scale from Scotland.
“Instead of having them come to us, we’re going to be looking outwards. I know how to make these shows and I want to make some of my own now.
“We’ve had a really fantastic run of series with Dept. Q, Good Omens and Outlander.
“For a small country, that’s punching above our weight. All of us in the industry want to keep it going.
“We want to keep punching above our weight, not just making shows for ourselves. We want to make shows for the world and we’ve got the skillset to do it.”
Confirming its funding for Rugged Island Films, Screen Scotland said the support for the "talent-led scripted company" was aimed at helping it to "grow and develop projects for UK and international markets".
Tony Lankester, chief executive of the Fringe Society, told The Herald: “Thousands of artists have launched their careers from Edinburgh at the Fringe, so we are delighted that this production will showcase the city and its festivals as leading characters to audiences around the world.
“The Fringe is what it is today because it is a festival rooted in the city's unique communities, culture and heritage and is essential to its success. We remain passionate about supporting the telling of bold stories that champion emerging talent, particularly from Edinburgh, on the global stage.
“We are also very grateful to the emergency services, whose efforts help keep the entire Fringe community safe throughout August each year.”