Scotch and Wry

Scotch and Wry
Directed by Gordon Menzies (1978-1989)
Brian Jobson (1989-1990)
Ron Bain (1990-1992)
Starring Rikki Fulton
Gregor Fisher
Tony Roper
Claire Nielson
Juliet Cadzow
John Bett
Barbara Dickson
Country of origin Scotland
Original language(s) English
No. of episodes 24 (2 series & 12 specials)
Production
Executive producer(s) Gordon Menzies (1990-92)
Producer(s) Gordon Menzies (1978-1989)
Philip Differ (1990-1991)
Tony Roper (1992)
Location(s) BBC Broadcasting House, Glasgow, Scotland, UK
Camera setup Multi-camera
Production company(s) BBC Scotland
Release
Original network BBC One Scotland
Original release 30 September 1978 – 31 December 1992
Chronology
Preceded by The Scotched Earth Show
Followed by Only an Excuse?

Scotch and Wry was a Scottish television comedy sketch show produced by BBC Scotland and starring Rikki Fulton and a revolving ensemble cast which over the years included Gregor Fisher, Tony Roper, Claire Nielson, Juliet Cadzow and John Bett.

Initially running for two series from 1978 to 1979, the show went on to become a top-rating annual one-off Hogmanay special for over a decade.[1] The series also gave early exposure to emerging Scottish actors such as Gerard Kelly and Miriam Margolyes. In later years, cast members from sister BBC Scotland comedy show Naked Video would also make sporadic appearances.

History

Scotch and Wry developed from The Scotched Earth Show, a one-off special based on Scottish humorous writing, broadcast on New Year's Day 1977.[2] Fulton starred in the special, having made sporadic television appearances since the end of his Rikki series for STV.

Scotch and Wry first aired on BBC1 Scotland at 10.30pm on Saturday 30 September 1978. Its comedic focus was on predominantly Scottish (and in particular Glaswegian) humour, although the series also included material from London-based writers, including rejected scripts from The Two Ronnies[3] Overall, the viewer had to be familiar with the Glasgow Patter in order to understand many of the jokes. As a result, much of the humour was constructed around distinctly Glaswegian themes; such as the city's suburbs, its football clubs, and even its famous sectarian divide was also played for laughs. The programmes (and some personalities) of rival ITV station STV (most notably Late Call) were frequently parodied on the show. In the later Hogmanay specials, a greater emphasis was placed on major news events that had happened during the previous year as their basis.

Another regular target in many sketches was Lanarkshire singer Sydney Devine, who later became one of the show's many guest stars, appearing in a parody of Phantom of the Opera. In later years, singer Barbara Dickson made regular appearances in musical interludes. It also became customary of Scotch and Wry to include a post-closing credits sketch, which was often a dig at The Hogmanay Show that followed immediately afterwards. The best remembered skit - from the 1985 special - involved Fulton interrupting a party to throw his television out of the window just before the show started.

For several years, Scotch and Wry also aired on BBC1 Northern Ireland but was given only one full networked airing by the BBC - the 1982 Hogmanay special aired outside Scotland on New Year's Day 1983.[4] The last new episode - produced by regular cast member Tony Roper - aired on Thursday 31 December 1992.

Comedy specials have continued to air each Hogmanay on BBC1 Scotland, including Chewin' the Fat, Still Game and Only an Excuse?. Fulton also revived his Reverend I.M. Jolly character for a series of spin-off Hogmanay specials during the 1990s - Tis' the Season to the Jolly (1993), A Man for All Seasons (1994), Jolly: A Life (1995) and It's A Jolly Life, which marked the character's farewell appearance.

Characters

Notable one-offs

Key one-off parodies included Bonnie Prince Charlie, Robert the Bruce, The Beechgrove Garden, The Curries (a send up of The Corries) and Box 2001 1/2 (a parody of STV's public service announcements). Feature guest stars from the series of Hogmanay specials included Barry McGuigan, Jim Watt, Mark McManus, Gavin Hastings, Dougie Donnelly and Archie Macpherson.

Repeats and releases

Several compilation programmes have been broadcast, including a Hogmanay special in 1996 - marking Fulton's 50-year anniversary in show business - and a six-part series, The Very Best of Scotch and Wry, aired in 2004 following the death of Rikki Fulton. The original series was also aired on UK Gold from 1994-95.

Four VHS compilations were released - Scotch & Wry in 1986, Double Scotch & Wry in 1987, Triple Scotch & Wry in 1989 and Scotch & Wry 4: The Prince of Pochlers in 1992. All four compilations were subsequently re-released on DVD in 2002 and again as part of The Ultimate Rikki Fulton Collection DVD box set in 2007. The original two series from 1978 and 1979 are yet to be released on DVD.

References

  1. Jolly good show, Rikki: Reputations Rikki Fulton. The Observer (1901- 2003); 31 Dec 1989;
  2. http://www.retrojunk.com/content/index/4965/scotch-and-wry
  3. http://www.retrojunk.com/content/index/4965/scotch-and-wry
  4. http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/2004/jan/30/guardianobituaries.artsobituaries
  5. Jolly good show, Rikki: Reputations Rikki Fulton. The Observer (1901- 2003); 31 Dec 1989;
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