Rab C. Nesbitt

If you seen Rab C. Nesbitt walking towards you on the street, you'd be liable to cross the road just to avoid him. His string vest and filthy headband would be enough to put anyone off. In spite of this, Scotland's most famous scrounger has, over the years, become Glasgow's most iconic television character.

Rab & wife Mary Doll.

The character of Rab C. Nesbitt, played expertly by Gregor Fisher, first appeared in sketch show Naked Video in 1986. Rab strived for an easy life, based on the principles of unemployment and alcohol, and his antics were commissioned for a full series by the BBC, when Naked Video finished in 1990.  Beginning at the tail end of the Thatcher government, the show was often a direct attack on Tory policy, and the antithesis of the yuppie culture which had permeated throughout the 1980's. Despite Rab's shambolic appearance, he remained remarkably switched on about current affairs. Every episode would result in him ranting about one of the prominent social issues of the day, be it sectarianism, drug abuse or immigration.

Relive some of Rab's finest moments, from the beginning.

Actress Elaine C. Smith, who played Mary Doll felt Rab C. Nesbitt helped redefine Scottish caricatures. In a recent interview, she explained that drunks and lay-abouts were almost always played by Scottish actors. But Rab C. Nesbitt was seen as Scotland taking back that stereotype and using it for their own devices. Ever since the show first aired in 1990, Scottish people are far less likely to turn up as the drunk, as it's viewed as being cliched. Plus, it would be professional suicide to challenge Rab to a drinking game, so to speak.

When series 8 finished in 1999, it was thought that Rab, Mary Doll and co. had been consigned to the archives for good. But against all odds, like the character himself, Rab C. Nesbitt made a triumphant return to our screens for a special in 2008. Two further series' have introduced the show to a new generation of fans, as we see Rab getting older, and finding religion. And yet, through the years, Rab's charm, and vest, are the same as they were almost 30 years ago.

BROADCAST: 1990-1999. 2008-present.
STARRING: Gregor Fisher, Elaine C.Smith.
WEEGIE RATING:- Belter.

Greg Hemphill & Ford Kiernan

Okay, confession time. Back in the late 1990's, everyone in Scotland seemed to be obsessed with Chewin' the Fat. Everyone except me. I watched the sketches, I "got" them, but I never felt I was laughing quite as hard as everyone else.

At this point of my life, as a precocious 10 year-old, all I could think about was the shiny sensation from across the pond, Friends. I had absolutely no time for Chewin' the Fat, with its homegrown catchphrases and seemingly mundane settings. It wasn't until I was bit older, and stumbled upon some of the sketches on Youtube, that it finally clicked. It was us.

Greg & Ford as The Neds.

During the early noughties, there was no hotter property in Scottish television, nay, the entire Scottish entertainment industry than comedy duo Ford Kiernan and Greg Hemphill. First teaming up in the largely unseen sketch show Pulp Video back in 1995, the pair entertained that nation with classic characters and sketches, first in Chewin' the Fat - alongside Karen Dunbar - and then in spin-off Still Game.

Characters such a hopeless actor Ronald Villiers and The Ned who interpreted the news quickly gained a mass following. Hemphill himself puts the success of the show down to the fact that it was made for Scots, and insists the more Scottish the sketches became, the funnier they were. Indeed, a number of classic catchphrases permeated Scottish culture. For about 3 years, it was almost impossible for a day to go by without hearing either "Ya couple a fannies!", "You've taken that too far", "We're just hear for the banter" or the acclaimed "Gonnae no dae that".

Indeed the characters who would prove the most enduring were the miserable pensioners Jack and Victor. Their spin-off sitcom, Still Game was broadcast across the UK, and was a hit with critics and the public alike. Spawning 6 series' and a number of specials, the show ranks as one of Scotland's top television exports of recent times.

Sadly, this is where the Greg and Ford love-in ends, for now at least. After a widely reported business disagreement, the duo have split up, with no intention of working together any time soon. Both have been working on separate projects, but neither has achieved the level of success that either Chewin' the Fat or Still Game brought.

RIVER CITY

In many ways, River City is the juggernaut of Glaswegian television shows. Sure, some have been running for longer, others have caused a somewhat sparkier zeitgeist, but River City has been the Scottish television's industry beacon of bright light for the last decade.

Initially River City was viewed, by the public and the media, as a bit of an embarrassment. Scots cringed as they heard their own broad accents being banded about the screen. Looking back, this was no surprise. All major British soaps started badly. When Eastenders began in 1985, there were immediate calls for it to be axed. Within two years it gained the biggest ever audience in British broadcasting history. Now River City doesn't quite have a phoenix rising from the ashes story to rival its London counterpart, but over the last decade, it's gained a steady, and determined following.

In the early years, the show was plagued by constant rumours that the BBC were eager to show it across all their networks. Thus far, that has turned out not to be the case. In hindsight, it's probably lucky that national stardom has never come knocking. The show was built by Scots, for Scots, and amidst the glamour of the network, would have been demands for higher ratings, and necessary changes, to make it palatable for the Home Counties. And at that point it would have lost its little spark of Scottishness that sets it apart, and makes it ours.

Shellsuit Bob, minus the shellsuit.

In its 10 years, it's showcased both established stars - Johnny Beattie and Eileen McCallum to name a few - and nurtured new talent. Characters such as Shellsuit Bob and Scarlett Mullen have become ingrained in the national psyche, and echo the Glaswegian tone - neither character could appear in any other television show, never mind any other soap.

BBC Scotland, in an effort to save money mooted an idea a few years back to only broadcast River City for 40 weeks of the years, but a public outcry ensued. Lead by The Scottish Sun, and supported by the likes of Lorraine Kelly (who was a guest star on the soap in 2007), and Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, the campaign uncovered the high level of support the show had amongst its devotees, and it was saved.

Scarlett. Someone not to be trifled with.

On a personal level, it's the show I hear about most regularly. I've lost count of the amount of Facebook statuses I've seen from people who seem to have found their 15 minutes of fame, moonlighting as an extra, starring as "Girl sitting in cafe", or "Man walking past flats". Apparently extra work pays quite well, and lunch is provided. A definite plus for any cash-strapped students out there!

River City isn't just a hit at home. Scottish expat communities as far away as Canada, Australia and New Zealand manage to keep up with the goings-on in Shieldinch. Interestingly, this differs from the Brits who live abroad and regularly catch-up on Coronation Street. For much of the Scottish diaspora, River City wasn't broadcast until after they left our shores, but somehow they've found it. And like very few other TV shows, it connects them to home.

River City is shown on Tuesday evenings at 8pm on BBC1 Scotland.

BROADCAST:- 2002-present.
WEEGIE RATING:- Brull-yant. Of the pure dead variety.

The Book Group.

Channel 4 love a minority. Whether you're gay, or a Muslim, or a gypsy, they pride themselves on giving us all ample airtime. But somehow, their entire Scottish output seems to be a lone episode of Location, Location, Location set in Giffnock, and a curious and quiet comedy from 2002 called The Book Group

A promo shot of the main cast of the show's first series.

The Book Group follows the grand old tradition of setting a show in one location, and then employing virtually no actors from that place to star in it. We have Dirka, from Sweden. And English Barney. And Fist (yes, Fist) from Holland. And most importantly, the frosty heart of the show, Clare from Cincinnati. 

Clare was new to Glasgow, expected so much from the city, and was consistently disappointed by what she received. She set up a book group to meet like-minded people, but accidentally stumbled upon 3 WAGs, a pretentious student with a cocaine addiction and a gay ned. None of whom were particularly interested in reading the book. In this sense, Clare was an amazing plot device. We got to look, and laugh at ourselves through Clare's eyes, as she struggled to get to grips with Glaswegian culture, and understand Rab's often incomprehensible English.

Clare and Kenny. Eventually.

It's funny though, because the insults that Clare levelled at Glasgow were things I had often thought, and sometimes said myself. But hearing them from a foreigner was jarring, and I immediately felt defensive of our fine city. Clare's suggestion that we were lacking culture was ridiculous! We absolutely do have culture, ya dobber. The Europeans said so in 1990.

The story had a happy ending, as Clare found love with hunky Kenny, proving that even the frostiest of foreigners can find their groove in the city when they accept it for what it is. She fell in love with the city too. Schmaltzy or what?

Sometimes shows make it big, and sometimes shows don't. Luckily, The Book Group is available to watch, in full, here, thanks to 4OD.


BROADCAST:- 2002-2003
STARRING:- Anne Dudek, Michelle Gomez, Derek Riddell.
WEEGIE RATING:- That's no right!

TAGGART

When I was 19 years old, I made the ill-advised decision to move to the city of Hull. Famous for cream phone boxes and having a massive drag community (seriously, I still have the feather boa to prove it), I lasted three whole weeks. When I think back to this time of my life, my overriding memory is of the amount of people, who on finding out I was from Glasgow, asked me to say "THERE'S BEEN A MURDER" in my accent.

Original Inspector Taggart Mark McManus in 1983, outside the city's Mitchell Library.

That phrase has been synonymous with Glasgow ever since it was first heard in crime drama Taggart almost 30 years ago. Initially the show followed veteran DCI Jim Taggart, played by Mark McManus, attempting to solve numerous and puzzling murders around the city. When the show was first broadcast in 1983, Glasgow was under the constrained grip of Thatcher's government. The city was post-industrial, holding connotations of a dangerous, dirty place, ravaged with knife-wielding gangs, to which tourists didn't visit. In many ways, this created the perfect setting for a crime drama.

In 1994 the show suffered the ultimate television tribulation; lead actor Mark McManus died whilst filming. What could have been the grizzly demise of the entire show, actually proved to be the kiss of life, and the maverick cop format which had been growing stale was replaced. As the city of Glasgow modernised throughout the 1990's, the show moved with it, introducing younger characters and more dramatic storylines. In its current format, Taggart showcases Glasgow to be the vibrant, multi-cultural place it is today. Numerous cast members have came, and went. But the only constant has been the city of Glasgow

The shows current murder-solving team - Blythe Duff, Alex Norton, John Michie.

Sadly Taggart's coat seems to be on a shaky hook, with national broadcaster ITV stating it would no longer be showing the drama to viewers in England & Wales. ITV blame falling ratings south of the border, but many see this axing as a retaliation to STV's decision not to broadcast a number of high-profile ITV shows in Scotland. Almost 30 years, and over 100 episodes later, the show has become ingrained in the Scottish psyche; as much a part of Glaswegian culture as Billy Connolly or the Duke of Wellington statue, complete with traffic cone.

RUN:- 1983-present
STARRING:- Blythe Duff, Mark McManus, Colin McCredie
WEEGIE RATING:- *****