The Control Room is a thrilling new mini-series following an emergency call handler in Glasgow – and it was inspired by a traumatic and scary true story.
Gabe’s life is blown apart by one phone call on one fateful night.
At work, doing an already tense and stressful job, he receives a call from someone who seems to know him.
She admits to murdering someone, but refuses to give Gabe her name.
The only clue she gives about her identity is that she knows who Gabe – or ‘Gabo’ – is.
Under pressure to work out who the mystery woman is, Gabe makes a decision that could lead to very devastating consequences…
So what is the true story that inspired the TV thriller The Control Room?
Here’s everything you need to know…
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Is The Control Room based on a true story?
The Control Room was inspired by a traumatic real life incident.
Writer Nick Leather appeared on BBC Breakfast [on Monday July 11 2022) to discuss the drama.
Appearing on the morning show alongside lead actor Iain De Caestecker, Nick revealed the drama was inspired by a phone call HE once had to make to emergency services.
Nick admitted that he had to call an emergency operator when his youngest daughter wouldn’t wake up.
He told Sally Nugent and Nina Warhurst that the scare left him and his partner terrified before they eventually got help.
Sally introduced Nick by saying: “Five years ago, screenwriter Nick Leather was plunged into real life drama when he woke to find his baby daughter cold and struggling to wake.
Nina added: “Terrifying. But thankfully, the panic was short-lived and she was okay.
“But the 999 call Nick made that day has inspired the new thriller The Control Room.”
What happened to writer Nick Leather’s daughter?
Nick told the BBC Breakfast hosts: “One morning, I went to wake my youngest daughter up, and we couldn’t wake her up.
“She was floppy, and her hands and feet were cool.
“I called an ambulance and I was a bit of a wreck.
“There were asking lots of questions, and I was pleaded for them to send an ambulance.
“In the end, she was fine. She was absolutely fine by lunchtime that day.”
He added: “Sometime later, when I sat down to write a story, I remembered the intensity of that conversation, and how the person on the other end of the line was an everyday hero.
“Also, the anonymity of it, because you know nothing about that person. And, yet, I was so thankful at the time.”
Nick went on to explain that he thought the “intensity of that conversation” and the relationship between the caller and person in need would make a good drama.
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Who is The Control Room writer Nick Leather?
Nick Leather is an award-winning writer, whose TV credits go back to 2011.
As well as writing for TV and theatre, he’s also worked as a producer.
Nick was Playwright-in-Residence at Manchester’s Royal exchange Theatre in 2005, having won a Pearson Playwright Bursary for his play Drinks with Sammy Baloo.
He is also an associate Writer of the Liverpool everyman and Playhouse.
The writer had previously won a New Playwrights award at the Royal exchange and a Development award from the BBC.
He is a graduate of the Royal Court’s Young Writers Programme and the BBC’s Sparks Writers Scheme.
His debut stage play All the Ordinary Angels won the Pearson award for Best New Play 2004.
The Control Room true story: What else has Nick Leather written before?
As well as his theatre work, Nick is perhaps best known for writing Hollyoaks between November 2011 and April 2013.
He also worked on the spin-off A Little Film About Love by Jason Costello, writing 13 episodes in total.
Nick wrote the moving TV film Murdered for Being Different for BBC Three in 2017.
He’s also written episodes of Justice, Secrets and Words, Stepping Up, The Dumping Ground, and Moving On.
Nick created the children’s drama series Rocket’s Island, which ran for three seasons from 2012 to 2015.
He wrote and produced the series.
Nick also penned one episode of the Sean Bean drama Broken, several episodes of The Worst Witch, and recent Uma Thurman thriller Suspicion.
Nick also wrote the TV film Mother’s Day, starring Anna Maxwell Martin, Daniel Mays, and Vicky McClure.
It’s currently available to watch on BritBox to subscribers.
The Control Room starts on Sunday July 17 2022, and continues on Monday July 18 and Tuesday July 19 at 9pm on BBC One.
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