In an exclusive, according to Deadline, the creator of Prime Video’s The Rig, David Macpherson (Wrath, The Bletchley Circle: San Francisco), has shared his approach to balancing engaging drama with tackling existential themes like climate change.

Macpherson expanded the second season beyond the oil rig setting. He drew inspiration from the transition seen in Alien to Aliens in the 1980s, pushing the narrative to a larger scale.

The series, which explores urgent environmental issues, still maintains a focus on entertainment. “Our show is at heart a big piece of entertainment and being entertaining should come first,” Macpherson told Deadline. “It’s not about telling people what to think, it’s about asking questions and opening up debates.”

While acknowledging that creators don’t have a strict “responsibility to educate,” Macpherson emphasized that shows should aim to be more than just characters and plotlines. “If you are not doing that, then what are you doing?” he questioned.

The first season of The Rig, which was one of Amazon UK’s debut commissions, ended with the destruction of the oil rig by a tsunami. Season two takes the story to an Arctic glacier, where the survivors are relocated to a secret facility, the Stac. They must cope with the aftermath of the tsunami while facing new threats and internal conspiracies.

New cast members Jacob Fortune-Lloyd (The Pale Blue Eye, The Defeated) and Alice Krige (Star Trek: The Next Generation, The Romanoffs ) join returning stars such as Emily Hampshire (Schitt’s Creek, 12 Monkeys), Martin Compston (Line of Duty, The Nest) and Iain Glen (Game of Thrones, Jack Taylor).

Creator Macpherson explained his goal for season two: expanding the show’s scope and taking the team to various locations. “Everything in the oil industry is big, and I wanted to show that ambition,” He said. Macpherson drew comparisons to Alien and Aliens, noting that the first season was more contained, while the second is action oriented.

The expansion of the show was supported by Line of Duty director John Strickland (Line of Duty, The Flight Attendant), who joined season two. Strickland’s focus on story and character, combined with his technical expertise, was praised by Derek Wax (The Sixth Commandment), who runs Banijay-backed The Rig producer Wild Mercury Productions.

Macpherson, who is also adapting Geoff Dembicki’s the Petroleum Papers (The Petroleum Papers) for New Pictures, has a strong background in environmental issues. He previously worked as a climate policy advisor to a non-profit and for the Scottish government, and his father was an oil worker.

“So, I see things from all sides,” he said, adding that oil workers often aren’t the anti-environmentalists they are stereotypically portrayed to be. “Often they are just trapped in industries that are the only option for people from a certain part of the world.”

Much like Tony Schumacher (The Responder), who used to be a policeman, or Jed Mercurio (Bodyguard), who was a former doctor and RAF officer, Macpherson came to TV writing later in life. He believes this experience has given him a “wide hinterland of subjects” and encourages others to try a different career before writing.

“I really think having those life experiences helped me a lot,” Macpherson told Deadline

Wax  praised Amazon UK commissioners for taking a chance on Macpherson. “Commissioners are often interested in writers with a very long track record, but picking Macpherson was a bold thing to do,” he said. “They backed a relatively unknown writer and developed a show with us that had no casting attached at all but were greenlighting based on the strength of the script.”

Had the show been pitched this year, Wax believes Amazon might not have taken the same risk due to the contraction of the streaming market.

Wax was “overwhelmed” by the response to season one, which reached the top five on Amazon charts in multiple countries and had a high completion rate.

Since airing, Macpherson has received messages of support from viewers in South Korea, Germany, and Australia.

“We had people from the oil industry get in touch, particularly women, who were so happy at seeing themselves represented on screen,” Macpherson said.

As The Rig continues to resonate with audiences worldwide, the combination of strong storytelling, a talented cast and a relevant message sets the stage for a compelling future for the series. The show’s expansion into new territories and deeper thematic exploration indicate that the journey for Macpherson and his team is just beginning