A crew member on Netflix’s Dept. Q has died at the Edinburgh studio where season 2 had just finished filming
A man working on the Netflix detective drama Dept. Q died after being seriously injured at FirstStage Studios in Leith, Edinburgh, on Thursday afternoon. Police say the death is not being treated as suspicious, and Britain's workplace safety regulator is involved. Filming on the second season had recently finished, and crew were still on the site packing up.
Three things to know
- Police were called to the studio on Bath Road in Leith at about 3pm on Thursday 12 November (2am Friday AEDT). The man was pronounced dead a short time later and has not been named.
- Left Bank Pictures, the company behind The Crown that makes Dept. Q, said it was "deeply shocked and saddened" and is supporting those affected.
- The Health and Safety Executive is working with Police Scotland and Scotland's prosecution service to establish what happened.
The second season of one of Netflix’s breakout British dramas has finished filming under a shadow, after a member of its crew died at the show’s studio in Edinburgh.
Police Scotland said officers were called at about 3pm on Thursday to a report of a man seriously injured at an industrial premises in the Bath Road area of Leith, home to FirstStage Studios. Emergency services attended, but the man was pronounced dead a short time later.
“The death is not being treated as suspicious,” a Police Scotland spokesperson said, adding that inquiries were continuing to establish the full circumstances.
The man has not been publicly named, and no details have been released about his role on the production or how he was injured.
What has the production said?
Left Bank Pictures confirmed the man was a member of the Dept. Q crew. “We are deeply shocked and saddened by the tragic death of a member of our ‘Dept. Q’ crew,” the company said, adding that its thoughts were with his family, friends and colleagues, and that it was offering support to everyone affected.
Netflix and FirstStage Studios have not commented publicly.
Who is investigating?
The Health and Safety Executive, Britain’s workplace safety regulator, said it was aware of the incident and was liaising with Police Scotland and the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, which investigates sudden and unexplained deaths in Scotland. In Scottish law, a death at work can lead to a fatal accident inquiry, a public court hearing that examines what happened and how similar deaths can be prevented. No decision on any inquiry has been announced.
Where was the show up to?
Production on season 2 had recently finished, and the studio was still active as crew wrapped the shoot. There is no word yet on whether the death will affect post-production or the new season’s release, which Netflix has not dated.
What is Dept. Q?
Dept. Q stars Matthew Goode as DCI Carl Morck, a brilliant but abrasive Edinburgh detective sent to run a cold-case unit from a police station basement with a team of misfits. It is adapted from Danish author Jussi Adler-Olsen’s bestselling crime novels, moved from Copenhagen to Scotland, and was created by Scott Frank, the writer-director behind The Queen’s Gambit.
The first season of nine episodes premiered worldwide on Netflix, including in Australia, in May 2025. Netflix renewed it for a second season in August 2025.
What does this mean for viewers?
Deaths on film and television sets are rare, and each one brings scrutiny of safety on productions working to tight schedules. For Australian viewers, Dept. Q remains on Netflix, and the second season’s release date is still to be announced.
How we got here
The key moments that brought this story into focus. Open any moment for detail.
May 2025Dept. Q premieres
Netflix releases the nine-episode first season worldwide, with Matthew Goode as DCI Carl Morck.
August 2025Season 2 confirmed
Netflix renews the series for a second season.
12 November 2026Crew member dies
A man working on the production is seriously injured at FirstStage Studios in Leith and dies shortly afterwards.
13 November 2026Production confirms death
Left Bank Pictures says it is "deeply shocked and saddened"; police say the death is not suspicious.
What happens next
Police Scotland, the Health and Safety Executive and the Crown Office will continue to examine how the man died. The man's name may be released once his family has been told and agrees. Netflix has not announced a release date for season 2.
Sources
- VNN
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