The creator of cult Dundee character Bob Servant says he hopes his first TV drama series can inspire more people from Tayside and Fife to break into the industry.
Writer Neil Forsyth’s new show Guilt, described as a “pitch-black, contemporary thriller”, sees two brothers seemingly get away with running over and killing an old man in Edinburgh.
Forsyth, who attended Dundee High School, wrote the script for the show, which features a strong vein of black humour, while fellow Dundonian Robbie McKillop directed.
Forsyth says he hopes two locals playing such a big part in its creation can inspire others.
He said: “I very much hope the show encourages locals looking to break into the industry.
“I wrote for a Dundee United fanzine when I was thirteen. Robbie bought a camera as a teenager and started making little films in Broughty Ferry.
“If you have a creative passion and are willing to work hard and make sacrifices, then you never know where it can lead. ​
“It was really good fun having Robbie direct the series, as well as the fact that he did such a good job.”
The four-part series sees the brothers’ repeated attempts to cover up the crime cause both their lives to spiral out-of-control and into a dark world previously alien to them.
It stars Mark Bonnar (Catastrophe, Line Of Duty) and Jamie Sives (Chernobyl, Game Of Thrones).
It will air on Thursday on the BBC Scotland channel before being broadcast UK-wide on BBC Two on Wednesday October 30.
Forsyth added: “Robbie was in my wee sister Carol’s year at school, we played football together in London for the South London Tangerines, a Dundee United supporters’ team I set up with friends, and my mum told me recently that our grannies were best pals.
“I knew he was building a really good reputation as a director and when we met him to discuss Guilt he blew us away with his vision of the show. I think he’s more than delivered.
“He and his team did a great job, it looks amazing and unique, and is very much a visual nod to the shows that Robbie and I discussed as references such as Fargo and Better Call Saul.
“It’s really exciting. My first drama, Eric, Ernie and Me, was a one off, so to have a series and be able to tell a story over the duration of a series was thrilling. And then to work with so many talented people to make the show felt like a real privilege.”
To watch the trailer, visit the BBC’s website here.
Forsyth wrote four popular books featuring Bob Servant, a bumbling Broughty Ferry cheeseburger tycoon.
The character was eventually turned into a hit BBC sitcom in 2010.
It starred world-famous Dundee actor Brian Cox, now the main character in hugely popular HBO series Succession.
Bob Servant lives on through a dedicated Twitter account featuring typically bizarre but comedic daily musings. It is followed by over 50,000 people.
