The first series of 'Scotch & Wry' ended in October 1978 after four episodes. I felt overall it was nothing overly special. It had its moments but was marred by some limp material. In November the following year, the show was recommissioned for a longer run of seven episodes and some noticeable improvements were made. More scriptwriters were employed ( such as Colin Bostock Smith, Andy Hamilton, Barry Bowes and Colin Hudson ) and some cast changes were made. Gregor Fisher, Tony Roper and Finlay Welsh were brought in to replace David Hayman, John Bett ( although he would later return for the 1989-1992 specials ) and Margo Cunningham. The changes benefited the show a great deal and BBC Scotland soon found themselves with a huge hit on their hands.
In the opening sketch, Supercop pulls over a speeding motorist who he soon recognises as an old school friend. The friend hopes that Supercop will let him off with the fine for old time's sake but Supercop refuses. Annoyed, the friend then coldly tells Supercop that he was never really one of the gang due to being too much of a coward. Incensed, Supercop counter attacks by informing his friend of all the misdemeanors he himself got up to as a youngster such as shoplifting and vandalism. However, realising just how much he has incriminated himself, Supercop is left with no choice but to let his friend off the hook.
A young newlywed couple arrive at a hotel honeymoon suite intent on the pleasures of the flesh. However, the bride teases her new husband by undressing behind a screen. He gets a shock when he sees her hanging things over the screen such as a wig, a false leg and a padded bra, as well as seeing her silhouette behind the screen placing false teeth in a glass of water. He is elated however when she reveals it was all just a prank which she was put up to by the best man. She is shocked and disgusted however when the groom reveals that he in fact not only wears a wig and a corset but he also has a glass eye!
A postman delivers a large envelope to the house of a near blind man. The man opens the envelope to reveal a large letter on which is written in foot high letters ''Your glasses are ready!''.
A man in a crowded pub tries to tell an ethnic joke however each patron of the particular persuasion ( such as Irish, Aberdonian, West Indian or Jewish ) he tries to use as the basis of the joke angrily chide him. When he eventually reaches the punchline, no one laughs as it turns out someone told the joke to them all in the pub the day previous: ''Only the way he told it, it was two Peruvian unicorns!'' says the barman!
An upper class Englishman checks in at a hotel where the xenophobic Scottish owner refuses to allow the man a room on the grounds of his nationality. ''What do your guests think of your attitude?'' asks the man to which the owner reveals there are no guests in the hotel. ''If business doesn't pick up soon, I'll have to move back up to Scotland!'' says the owner, prompting a bemused look from the man to the camera!
A television chef with questionable hygiene appropriately named 'Dirty Dickie Dandruff' shows viewers how to make a meat pie, however his culinary skills and personal habits such as picking his nose whilst handling the ingredients and flicking cigarette ash into the contents of the dish before he cooks it would put Albert Steptoe to shame! Although labelled as a recurring character, Dicky Dandruff only made one further appearance when he appeared in the 1985 special.
Rikki's soon to be famous alter ego, the lugubrious Reverend I. M. Jolly reappears from the first edition to regale us with a tale of how he failed to stop a suicide attempt: "She stood on a chair with the rope around her neck, shouting and swearing at me, refusing to listen to me, so I just kicked the chair away!". Barbara Dickson sings in the show's musical interlude 'Fallen Angel'.
A great start to the second series, helped greatly by the new cast and more consistent material. A new script editor was brought in too - Colin Gilbert- who later went on to have a long and fruitful partnership with Gregor Fisher and Tony Roper when he went on to work with them as producer on 'Naked Video' and its sitcom spin-off 'Rab C. Nesbitt'. Claire Nielson continued to appear in roles too from sexy glamour girls to old battle axes.
The 'Laugh An Ethnic Minute' sketch was scripted by Andy Hamilton ( who later would co-write with Guy Jenkin 'Drop The Dead Donkey' ) and featured appearances from Bill Dennistoun ( who appeared with Fulton alongside Iain Cutbertson in STV's underrated 'Charles Endell Esquire', itself a spin off of London Weekend Television's hugely popular drama series 'Budgie' starring Adam Faith ) and Tony Osoba ( who at this time was well known to viewers as McLaren from 'Porridge' ). Though undeniably still amusing, the sketch would probably not make it to television screens today due to the inclusion of some racist language.
Funniest sketch - the Supercop sketch. Supercop was my favourite character from the show and even here you can see the seeds sewn for a successful partnership between Rikki Fulton and Gregor Fisher.
In the opening sketch, Supercop pulls over a speeding motorist who he soon recognises as an old school friend. The friend hopes that Supercop will let him off with the fine for old time's sake but Supercop refuses. Annoyed, the friend then coldly tells Supercop that he was never really one of the gang due to being too much of a coward. Incensed, Supercop counter attacks by informing his friend of all the misdemeanors he himself got up to as a youngster such as shoplifting and vandalism. However, realising just how much he has incriminated himself, Supercop is left with no choice but to let his friend off the hook.
A young newlywed couple arrive at a hotel honeymoon suite intent on the pleasures of the flesh. However, the bride teases her new husband by undressing behind a screen. He gets a shock when he sees her hanging things over the screen such as a wig, a false leg and a padded bra, as well as seeing her silhouette behind the screen placing false teeth in a glass of water. He is elated however when she reveals it was all just a prank which she was put up to by the best man. She is shocked and disgusted however when the groom reveals that he in fact not only wears a wig and a corset but he also has a glass eye!
A postman delivers a large envelope to the house of a near blind man. The man opens the envelope to reveal a large letter on which is written in foot high letters ''Your glasses are ready!''.
A man in a crowded pub tries to tell an ethnic joke however each patron of the particular persuasion ( such as Irish, Aberdonian, West Indian or Jewish ) he tries to use as the basis of the joke angrily chide him. When he eventually reaches the punchline, no one laughs as it turns out someone told the joke to them all in the pub the day previous: ''Only the way he told it, it was two Peruvian unicorns!'' says the barman!
An upper class Englishman checks in at a hotel where the xenophobic Scottish owner refuses to allow the man a room on the grounds of his nationality. ''What do your guests think of your attitude?'' asks the man to which the owner reveals there are no guests in the hotel. ''If business doesn't pick up soon, I'll have to move back up to Scotland!'' says the owner, prompting a bemused look from the man to the camera!
A television chef with questionable hygiene appropriately named 'Dirty Dickie Dandruff' shows viewers how to make a meat pie, however his culinary skills and personal habits such as picking his nose whilst handling the ingredients and flicking cigarette ash into the contents of the dish before he cooks it would put Albert Steptoe to shame! Although labelled as a recurring character, Dicky Dandruff only made one further appearance when he appeared in the 1985 special.
Rikki's soon to be famous alter ego, the lugubrious Reverend I. M. Jolly reappears from the first edition to regale us with a tale of how he failed to stop a suicide attempt: "She stood on a chair with the rope around her neck, shouting and swearing at me, refusing to listen to me, so I just kicked the chair away!". Barbara Dickson sings in the show's musical interlude 'Fallen Angel'.
A great start to the second series, helped greatly by the new cast and more consistent material. A new script editor was brought in too - Colin Gilbert- who later went on to have a long and fruitful partnership with Gregor Fisher and Tony Roper when he went on to work with them as producer on 'Naked Video' and its sitcom spin-off 'Rab C. Nesbitt'. Claire Nielson continued to appear in roles too from sexy glamour girls to old battle axes.
The 'Laugh An Ethnic Minute' sketch was scripted by Andy Hamilton ( who later would co-write with Guy Jenkin 'Drop The Dead Donkey' ) and featured appearances from Bill Dennistoun ( who appeared with Fulton alongside Iain Cutbertson in STV's underrated 'Charles Endell Esquire', itself a spin off of London Weekend Television's hugely popular drama series 'Budgie' starring Adam Faith ) and Tony Osoba ( who at this time was well known to viewers as McLaren from 'Porridge' ). Though undeniably still amusing, the sketch would probably not make it to television screens today due to the inclusion of some racist language.
Funniest sketch - the Supercop sketch. Supercop was my favourite character from the show and even here you can see the seeds sewn for a successful partnership between Rikki Fulton and Gregor Fisher.