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The Vital Spark: The Wedding (1974)
This episode is A Good Man Gone, Series 3 Episode 6. First shown 24th October 1974.
Featuring John Shedden as Postmaster.
This episode is a colour re-make of Series 1, Episode 6, which was in black-and-white.
The Vital Spark: Bad Luck Cargo (1974)
This episode is Bad Luck Cargo, Series 3 Episode 4. First shown 10th October 1974.
Featuring Joseph Brady as Gillespie, John Yule (credited Jon Yule) as PC Fraser.
This episode is a colour re-make of Series 1, Episode 4, which was in black-and-white.
The Vital Spark: A Drop of the Real Stuff (1974)
This episode is A Drop o' the Real Stuff, Series 3 Episode 3. First shown 3rd October 1974.
Featuring Phil McCall as McCutcheon,
John Yule (credited Jon Yule) as PC Fraser,
Dudley Stuart White as Angus.
This episode is a colour re-make of Series 1, Episode 1, which was in black-and-white.
The Vital Spark: The Quarrel (1974)
This episode is The Quarrel, Series 3 Episode 2. First shown 26th September 1974.
Featuring Russell Hunter as McCluskey.
This episode is a colour re-make of Series 1, Episode 3, which was in black-and-white.
The Vital Spark: The Vital Spark: Special (1973)
This episode is The Marriage aka The Wedding. A special 50 min episode. First shown 5th March 1973.
This episode guest stars Fulton MacKay as Rev McGubbin.
A 1988 BBC Video features this episode, and it includes the onscreen title 'The Marriage'. The video case sleeve states the same title.
However, DVD releases have made a slight cut to the episode to remove the title, and on the DVD cover renamed the episode 'The Wedding', presumably someone decided it sounded better.
This special 50 min episode saw the return of The Vital Spark after six years to celebrate 50 years of BBC Scotland. It was shown on 5th March 1973, in colour for the first time.
The following year, 1974, saw a third series, which consisted of remakes from the previous two black and white series (1965-1967).
The new colour remakes in Series Three were:-
19 Sept 1974; The Duel.
26 Sept 1974; The Quarrel.
3 Oct 1974; A Drop O' The Real Stuff.
10 Oct 1974; Bad Luck Cargo.
17 Oct 1974; Macphail's Week.
24 Oct 1974; A Good Man Gone.
Highland Voyage was made in about 1964, and isn't an actual episode of The Vital Spark, though it is often included on video and DVD releases. It features Duncan Macrae, who appeared in the original Para Handy series, which was made in 1959.
The Vital Spark: The Duel (1974)
This episode is The Duel, Series 3 Episode 1. First shown 19th September 1974.
MACPHAIL: Just a minute, Para Handy. You're no' entitled to go picking my fights for me... specially wi' some big fella I've never even met!
Featuring Charles Kearney as PC Macnab,
Paul Kermack as Barman.
This episode is a colour re-make of Series 2, Episode 1, which was in black-and-white.
The Vital Spark: Highland Voyage (1974)
This episode is Macphail's Week, Series 3 Episode 4. First shown 17th October 1974. Highland Voyage was not part of the 1974 series.
MACPHAIL: A week. That's all I want. Seven days away from this stinkin' puffer. A chance to see how the other half lives.
Featuring Una McLean as Mrs MacKenzie.
This episode is a colour re-make of Series 2, Episode 3, which was in black-and-white.