Watching Scotland (working title)

Seven part documentary series for BBC Scotland

To coincide with the sixtieth anniversary of broadcasting in Scotland in 2012, this smart, informative, amusing series will examine the best moments in the rich history of Scottish programme-making. But this is no list show. We will join the dots to build up a comprehensive picture of Scottish television and Scottish society over the last sixty years. We will explore how drama and comedy genres develop over time, how representations of Scotland alter through documentary and how sport has helped shape our culture.

The first Television broadcast in Scotland was made on the fourteenth of March 1952 from the Kirk O’ Shotts transmitter in Lanarkshire. Those who were able to tune in were treated to “Television comes to Scotland,” a formal ceremony complete with speeches the BBC’s controller in London described as dreadful, a television dullness and most depressing. Television in Scotland has come on leaps and bounds since those first tentative steps: Scottish producers and broadcasters have amassed international awards and this seven-part series aims to celebrate and examine those successes and  the creative ways in which Scotland has been portrayed on the small screen.

Presented by Greg Hemphill

Directors: John Archer, Clara Glynn, Brian Ross

Producer: John Archer