A crew member working on the Netflix series Dept Q has died after sustaining serious injuries at FirstStage Studios in Edinburgh.
Emergency services rushed to the studio facility in the Leith area of the city at approximately 3pm on Thursday, November 12, 2026, after receiving reports of an injured man, according to STV News. Despite the efforts of medical personnel, the crew member was pronounced dead at the scene.
Police Scotland confirmed that the death is not being treated as suspicious, though officers said that inquiries remain ongoing to establish the full circumstances surrounding the incident, as reported by RTÉ. The Health and Safety Executive said that it is aware of the situation and is actively liaising with Police Scotland and the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service.
The tragedy occurred after production wrapped on the second season of the British crime thriller series Dept. Q, which stars Matthew Goode as DCI Carl Morck. FirstStage Studios, located on Bath Road, has served as a production hub for several major projects for Netflix and Amazon Prime, including the television series The Rig and the BAFTA-nominated feature film The Outrun.
The facility features 115,000 square feet of stage space and parking for hundreds of vehicles, and has previously hosted productions such as Anansi Boys and Avengers: Infinity War.
The first season of Dept. Q premiered on Netflix on May 29, 2025, and became a massive international success for the streaming platform. During a six-week run in the platform’s Global Top 10 list, the series accumulated roughly 222 million hours watched, translating to approximately 27 million views.
Based on the bestselling novels by Danish author Jussi Adler-Olsen, the show was developed by writer-director Scott Frank alongside Chandni Lakhani. Frank executive produces alongside Rob Bullock and Charlotte Moore, while Manda Levin and Jessica Burdett oversee the project for Netflix.
Alongside Matthew Goode, the extensive ensemble cast features Chloe Pirrie, Alexej Manvelov, Leah Byrne, Kelly Macdonald, Mark Bonnar, Kate Dickie, Shirley Henderson, and Jamie Sives.
The plot follows DCI Carl Morck, a brilliant but sarcastic Edinburgh police detective exiled to a newly formed cold-case unit in the basement after a tragic shooting leaves a young police constable dead and his partner paralyzed. Netflix officially renewed the crime drama for a second season following its strong debut, bringing production back to Edinburgh.
“We are deeply shocked and saddened by the tragic death of a member of our Dept Q crew,” said Left Bank Pictures, the production company behind the series.
“Our thoughts are with their family, friends and colleagues at this incredibly difficult time, and we are offering support for those affected,” the production company spokesperson added.
