The Responder writer tells of show's 'crazy journey'

Tony Schumacher said he was "incredibly surprised" by the success of the series

The writer of hit TV drama The Responder has told how he is "constantly pinching myself" and feels like "the luckiest man alive" as the series is set to return.

The BBC One show's main character PC Chris Carson, played by Martin Freeman, is based on Tony Schumacher's experiences as a Merseyside Police officer and his struggles with mental health.

After quitting the force he became a taxi driver and even spent a period being homeless before turning to writing.

"I'm incredibly lucky," the 56-year-old said. "It's crazy this journey but it is such an adventure."

Tony Schumacher was a police officer for a decade

The Responder's first series was nominated for six BAFTA awards after being initially commissioned for BBC Two and then moving to BBC One.

Schumacher said he was "incredibly surprised".

"I felt I'm going to be the luckiest man alive and then it very quickly moved on to BBC One and from that moment it just kept getting bigger and bigger."

Schumacher, from Huyton, said the second series, which is set six months on, continued to be inspired by his experiences and is about male mental health, love and family.

"Things that on the surface sound a bit bleak and a bit heavy but then in real life I am trying to make it funny and a bit light," he said.

The writer, who is now the father of a two-year-old, said being a dad was a large part of series two.

"I'm learning about being a dad in the way that PC Carson's character is. Hopefully, I'm doing better than him," he said.

He said PC Carson was "working flat out to be the best dad he can be and unfortunately the best that he can be, isn't all that great".

Bernard Hill plays the father of PC Chris Carson

The series also looks at PC Carson's relationship with his real father, played by Bernard Hill.

Hill, who has starred in the likes of Titanic and Lord of the Rings, rose to fame playing Yosser Hughes in Alan Bleasdale's Boys From the Blackstuff, set in Liverpool in the 80s.

Schumacher said bringing the "incredible" actor back to the city was one of the highlights of his career.

"When we got in touch he said 'I'd love to come back to Liverpool'," he said.

'Living proof'

Schumacher said he got his big break in writing when the editor of Liverpool Confidential magazine got in his cab and he told her he was a writer.

The pair connected and shortly afterwards he ended up writing a column for the publication before penning several books and turning to TV scriptwriting.

"When I look back on certain periods I'm just lucky to be here," Schumacher said.

He said he was "living proof" of how things can turn around and feels "incredibly lucky".

With the series now safely in the can, Schumacher joked that he was finally looking forward to catching up on some sleep after balancing filming with being a father to a toddler.

However, his rest could be short-lived as he hinted he would soon be announcing a new project.

Watch The Responder on BBC One and on the BBC iPlayer from 5 May.