Pure Dead Brilliant

A nostalgic look back at City Lights, the iconic sitcom that captured the spirit of 1980s Scotland.

City Lights was a pioneering sitcom that ran from 1984 to 1991. Set in the office of a Glasgow bank, it starred Gerard Kelly as Willie Melvin, a frustrated clerk who has notions of being a novelist but is thwarted by his ineptitude and the scepticism of his family, colleagues and friends. It was a cultural sensation in Scotland during the 80s, perfectly capturing the culture, fashion and aspirations of the era.

Pure Dead Brilliant reunites surviving cast members Elaine C Smith, Jonathan Watson, Dave Anderson and the show’s creator, Bob Black, to look back at the magical moments of this evergreen series and provide behind-the-scenes insights.

We also hear from the actors who were inspired by the series, such as Gayle Telfer Stevens, Jordan Young and Sanjeev Kohli, as well as writers Damian Barr and Johnny McKnight, who talk about how they identify with the struggles of an aspiring writer. Kirsty Wark and Paul English tell us about the big events that shook Glasgow in the 80s, and we see how the series took part in the Garden Festival, The City of Culture, and even Italia 90.

City Lights kick-started the careers of its stars, with Elaine C Smith going on to become Mary Doll in Rab C Nesbitt, Jonathan Watson starring in Only an Excuse, and Gerard Kelly playing bad guys in EastEnders and Brookside as well as his memorable role as Bunny in Ricky Gervais’s Extras.

The City Lights stage show - The Haunting of Willie Melvin - marked a changing of the guard for the Scottish panto scene and was a massive hit all across Scotland, running for three weeks at Glasgow's King's Theatre. The theatre managers saw the cast as natural replacements for the old guard of Jimmy Logan, Stanley Baxter and Rikki Fulton. After that, Gerard Kelly, Andy Gray, Elaine C Smith and Jonathan Watson all became the most familiar faces on stage each Christmas.

This programme is a warm and unashamedly nostalgic celebration of a classic Scottish comedy that will appeal to old fans and introduce the show to younger audiences.