Scottish Comedy Veterans Tackle Generational Themes in New Sitcom

More than three decades after actor Gregor Fisher first brought the alcoholic Glaswegian street philosopher Rab C Nesbitt to television screens, he is now contending with a common modern-day frustration: passwords. The 70-year-old expressed his annoyance, stating, “You’ve got to have a password and it’s got to be 12 letters and it’s got to have an exclamation mark,” adding, “It drives you nuts doesn’t it!” Seated next to him, Greg McHugh – widely recognized as Gary: Tank Commander – inquired, “What’s your password?” Fisher responded, “I have no idea,” further lamenting, “And you need so many of them – and then you dream up a password and it tells you, this is not good enough.” This familiar intergenerational exchange serves as a central theme in Only Child, a new six-part sitcom that unites two of Scotland’s most prominent comedy talents. In the series, McHugh portrays Richard, a bit-part actor who makes a long-overdue visit to his recently widowed father, Ken, played by Fisher. Richard discovers his father is struggling with daily life and quickly realizes Ken requires full-time assistance in his Highlands home. “So I go back and try and help him – but of course my presence triggers some reactions,” McHugh explained in an interview with BBC Scotland’s David Farrell. The older actor interjected, stating, “There you are – sounds miserable. You hear yourself say ‘Why on earth in the name of all creations would I tune in for that,'”, appearing to remain in character. McHugh, however, countered, “But it’s funny,” adding, “It’s really funny but also touching. It’s got everything.” The character of Ken, an ageing technophobe, bears such a strong resemblance to Gregor Fisher that one might question the extent of acting required for the role. Fisher recounted his own real-life struggles with technology, including his objections to his daughter’s suggestion that he watch the Six O’Clock News on catch-up. He declared, “I know this man inside out.” McHugh also identified parallels between his own experiences and the “struggling actor” character he embodies in the new show. His sitcom, Gary: Tank Commander, which depicted the lives of an Army corporal and his three comrades after returning from deployments abroad, was a significant success. Nevertheless, he still relates to the inherent vulnerability of the acting profession. “We’re never safe in this game. You go through periods when you do feel vulnerable.” He added, “I live down south and I’m not terribly well known down there. I have people stop me saying things like ‘you fitted my cupboards, didn’t you’.” Fisher recalled a similarly humbling moment recently in a Glasgow taxi, where the driver remarked, “The taxi driver said ‘I thought you were deid’.” The two men are real-life friends, and their obvious chemistry is apparent. In the new show, they are joined on screen by a wealth of Scottish and Irish acting talent, including Amy Lennox, Stuart Bowman, and Forbes Masson, among others. McHugh expressed optimism that Only Child will join a growing list of Scotland-based comedies, such as Two Doors Down, that have successfully garnered wider appeal. He commented, “Scottish humour has been kept in Scotland sometimes where it should have been shown to the whole of the country,” adding, “Now it’s being shown to the whole of the country so that’s the most exciting bit.” Fisher offered a more pragmatic perspective on the matter. He stated, “I think it’s good if a sitcom’s on the telly and it’s funny – I couldn’t give a stuff about if it comes from north, south, east or west. “If it makes me laugh, if it amuses me, if I care about the characters, it it’s well-written then that’s fine – the genesis of it is immaterial to me.” When asked about the quality of Only Child, Fisher responded, “I haven’t a clue,” a statement characteristic of his reserved praise. However, his subsequent evaluation of scriptwriter Bryce Hart’s work, coming from an individual with over 45 years in comedy, was notable. He concluded, “I think this is one of best written pieces of work I’ve ever been involved with.” The inaugural episode of Only Child is scheduled to air on the BBC Scotland channel on Thursday, November 21, and on BBC One on Friday, November 22. All episodes will be accessible on the BBC iPlayer starting Thursday. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Information regarding the BBC’s approach to external linking is available.