BBC's The Responder debuted this week to widespread critical acclaim.
The six-part series stars Martin Freeman as Chris Carson, a morally compromised urgent response officer tackling a series of night shifts on the beat in Liverpool.
The show has been written by former Merseyside Police officer Tony Schumacher and is inspired by his experiences working for the force.
READ MORE: BBC The Responder viewers react to Martin Freeman's Scouse accent
Tony told the ECHO he left the police in 2006 after having a nervous breakdown, before experiencing a period of homelessness.
The 55-year-old had always dreamed of becoming a TV writer as a child, but was unsure how to make this a reality.
He said his life changed following a phone-call with the legendary Jimmy McGovern, who offered to mentor him as part of the ScreenSkills scheme.
He added: “It was 2019, I'd just written my first speculative script for television and I was wondering how someone like me, working class, no university education and no television credits, would find my way into the one job I'd always dreamed about doing.
“Jimmy told me about the ScreenSkills mentorship scheme he was involved with, alongside Dancing Ledge Productions, and asked me would I like to nestle in under his wing? I said yes. I mean, who wouldn't?
“Those few months working with Jimmy and ScreenSkills changed my life. The bursary meant that I could focus fully on the script that became The Responder, while the advice and encouragement from Jimmy meant that I could polish a rough idea into a piece of high-end TV.
"That wasn't all though. In addition to all the above, ScreenSkills, Dancing Ledge, and Jimmy, were like a magic key when it came to opening doors at the BBC, where The Responder finally found its home. I'll be forever grateful."
ScreenSkills run a range of programmes for industry professional across the UK - and provided training for local talent to showcase their skills behind the scenes on the hit BBC series.
Barrington Robinson, Charlotte Manifold and Natalie Anderson all hail from the region - and received their break through via support from the TV Skills Fund.
ScreenSkills’ Director of High-end Television shared her pride for how the scheme has helped provide people with an opportunity to get experience in the industry.
Kaye Elliott said: "The Responder is a masterclass in the breadth of opportunities we can support and, in particular, for homegrown talent from Liverpool and the broader North West.
"The fact that we were able to help both first time HETV writer and co- producer on this show is a real testament to the value of the HETV Skills Fund.
“With more filming than ever taking place outside of London and the South East, it is really exciting when we can help build the skills base to support that.”
The Responder continues Monday at 9pm on BBC One.
The full series is available on BBC iPlayer.
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