MASTERPIECE’s new series Guilt, which hooked viewers and critics in Britain, comes to the U.S. in September, with a “very Scottish, pitch-black sense of humor,” says director Robert McKillop.

The series won 2020 Best Drama at the Scottish BAFTA Awards, the Royal Television Society of Scotland Awards, the Celtic Media Festival and the Broadcast Digital Awards.

Guilt airs on GBH 2 in four parts with back-to-back episodes on September 5 and 12. It tells the tale of Edinburgh brothers Max and Jake who try to hide their guilt after running over an elderly pedestrian during an inebriated drive home from a wedding.

A darkly absorbing tale of rascality and deceit, Guilt lures viewers into a crime that grows in severity as the brothers dig a deeper and deeper pit of evasions and desperate strategies.

“Even with the darkness, there’s a uniquely Scottish playfulness, sense of humor and irreverence,” says McKillop.

“The script by Neil Forsyth is unpredictable and can change from being very funny to shocking, emotive or romantic, all within an individual scene,” he says.

The script has a “Scottish suburban noir” vibe, he says. Capturing the sensibilities of American film noir, Guilt digs into the dark side of human nature through cynical heroes, betrayals and stark lighting.

It was the first drama commissioned for the new BBC Scotland channel, says McKillop.

“When Guilt aired in the U.K., it was a huge hit with audiences and critics,” says MASTERPIECE Executive Producer Susanne Simpson. “It’s quirky, unpredictable and makes you laugh. While different from our period detective mysteries, I think our audience will have fun with this very Scottish mystery.”

It’s very apt that Guilt will debut as a MASTERPIECE Mystery!, says McKillop.

“Guilt never serves up anything to the audience, it keeps the audience on their toes,” he says. “The plot never felt like it was overwhelming the credibility of the characters, it always felt like the characters were leading you down this dark path that ends up in more complex places as a result of their instincts, intuition and behavior.”

Directing the film was the best experience of his career.

“Everybody involved used this opportunity to do something they were really waiting for. For me it was to say, this is who I am as a director, this is my sensibility.”

See the trailer and more here.