The Culture Swally

It’s time for The Swally Spooktacular! And this year we are off to Loch Henry to join Davis and Pia making a nice film about an egg man. Not really. Loch Henry is the second episode of the sixth series of Black Mirror and follows a young couple who travel to a sleepy Scottish town to start work on a genteel nature documentary - but find themselves drawn to a juicy local story involving shocking ev...

Break out the drams as we cover the oldest piece of Scottish media we’ve ever looked at on The Culture Swally, it’s time for Whisky Galore! When a Scottish island falls prey to a whisky shortage, the islanders are desolate. But when by chance a ship is sunk with a cargo of 50,000 cases of whisky, they see their salvation. But first they must outwit the English Home Guard commander who is determine...

Neighbours….everybody needs good Neighbours….just not this one. We’re bang up to date in 2025 as we look at the three part Amazon Prime thriller, Fear! Staring Martin Compston, Anjli Mohindra, Solly McLeod and James Cosmo it tells the tale of Martyn and Rebecca, who move to Glasgow with their two young children. However, their neighbour Jan's unsettling remarks hint at a sinister situation unfoldi...

It’s time for some Peter McDougall again on The Culture Swally as we look at his first Play For Today, from 1972, Just Your Luck. Starring David Hayman, Leslie Mackie, Mary Riggans, Gerry Slevin and Eileen McCallum, it tells the tale of Alison and Alec, who due to an unplanned pregnancy, decide to get married. But will the religious differences of their families get in the way of their big day? In...

We’re back in Play for Today territory on this episode of The Swally as we travel back to 1982 and look at the episode titled ‘The Silly Season’. Starring Derek Anders, Mary Riggans, Jake D’Arcy, Tony Roper, Frances Low and Pierce Brosnan, it tells the tale of factory worker Malcolm, who’s unhappy in his work and how life, until four students join the workforce. The Silly Season is available on Yo...

Pack your bucket and spade as The Swally is off on our holidays this episode as we look at the 2014 film starring David Tennant, Rosamund Pike and Billy Connolly, What We Did on Our Holiday. A family head to Granddad's big 75th-birthday party in rural Scotland. The parents are separated and hope their three kids won't mention it to the family. In the news we meet the latest Scottish grappler who’s...

The football season has started! So in honour of this, we have picked the other Scottish football film, 1999’s The Match. In the Scottish village of Inverdoune, teams representing the village's two pubs - Benny’s Bar and Le Bistro - have played an annual football game for 99 consecutive years. Under the terms of the original bet, the loser of the 100th match must forfeit their bar to the winner. I...

We’re back in Maryhill again to visit DCI Jim Taggart as he has a rather interesting case to investigate. When a mother and son are found dead, Taggart hunts after a maniac who's putting rat poison into food products made by a company called “Wonderland". Yes, that’s right, it’s the episode starring Patron Saint of The Culture Swally, James Cosmo and his partner in crime, Matt Costello! In the new...

On this episode, we’re travelling to Glasgow in the 1970’s as we look at the directorial debut from Lynne Ramsay and essential Scottish viewing, Ratcatcher. 12-year-old James Gillespie lives on a Glasgow housing estate during the 1973 refuse collectors’ strike. After James’ friend falls into a canal and drowns, James becomes increasingly withdrawn and racked with guilt. In the news we get our best...

We’re off to Craiglang on this episode of the Swally as we catch up with Jack and Victor, Winston, Tam and Isa as we look at the first series of the classic Scottish comedy, Still Game. Originally aired in 2002, the series follows two Glasgow pensioners, Jack and Victor and the patter merchants may be long in the tooth but they're Still Game for all kinds of carry-on. In the news we have an update...

Today we are talking about the first series of Limmy’s Show! Created by and starring Brian Limmond - Limmy’s Show! is a Scottish surreal comedy sketch show broadcast on BBC Two Scotland. In the news we travel to London to sample some of the finest Scottish food, rent some DVD’s in prison, discuss the latest campaign from Scotland’s favourite lager and potter around a record store, listening to new...

Ah Ken Loach, it’s been a while. 2004’s Ae Fond Kiss is the focus of this episode as we get all romantic about forbidden love. In Glasgow, the parents of Casim Khan have decided that he is going to marry his cousin Jasmine. Unfortunately, Casim has just fallen in love with his younger sister's music teacher Roisin. In the news we ponder how a wheelie bin from North Ayrshire ended up in rural Germa...

Budapest is the destination on this episode of The Swally for a Simple Minds concert as we look at the 1990 Michael Winterbottom film, Forget About Me. Starring Ewen Bremner and Brian McCardie, it tells the story of two Scottish squaddies stationed in Germany who, granted leave for Hogmanay, set off not for home, but for Budapest and a Simple Minds concert. In the news we take the shortest flight...

We’re off to The Highlands on this episode of The Swally, but this isn’t a pleasant trip as we look at the 2016 TV mini-series, One of Us. Starring Swally favourite Joanna Vanderham, Juliet Stevenson, Gary Lewis, Laura Fraser and John Lynch, a horrific murder rocks the lives of two families living side-by-side in isolated rural Scotland. In the news we meet a man who has a strange way of playing w...

Rave to the grave! This week on the Swally, we’re getting our dance on as we look at the 2019 film Beats. Starring Cristian Ortega, Lorn Macdonald, Laura Fraser and Brian Ferguson, the film is set in Summer 1994. Johnno and Spanner are best mates, but Johnno’s family are moving to a new town and a better life, leaving Spanner behind. In pursuit of adventure and escape they head out on one last nig...

We’re getting our Country on in this episode of the Swally, but not our Western as we look at the 2018 film, Wild Rose. Starring Jesse Buckley, Julie Walters and Matt Costello, the film tells the story of a troubled young Glaswegian woman, who dreams of becoming a Nashville country star. In the news we cry about the recent news about the cancellation of River City, meet a Glasgow bouncer, who is m...

It’s time to smile and say ‘sausages’ as we discuss the 1985 film, written and directed by Cary Parker, The Girl In The Picture. A romantic comedy, starring John Gordon Sinclair, Dave McKay, Irina Brook, Gregor Fisher and Paul Young among a host of other Scottish talent. Alan and Mary are pretty miserable together and split up. As an very presentable Glaswegian photographer Alan soon has chances t...

We are getting some Sci-Fi action this week on the podcast as we join Patron Saint of The Culture Swally, James Cosmo, Maurice Roëves, Celia Imrie, Tom Watson and Reg Hollis from The Bill on an isolated Scottish island. The population of the island is gripped by fear following a series of savage murders and the discovery of a strange craft on the local beach. In the news we take a wrong turn when...

It’s a semi serious one this week as we look at the 2002 Danish and Scottish collaborated film, Wilbur Wants to Kill Himself. Starring Jamie Sives, Adrian Rawlins, Shirley Henderson and Mads Mikkelsen, this gentle, romantic drama is a must watch. The chronically suicidal Wilbur, and his good-hearted big brother, Harbour, are in their thirties when, their father dies and leaves them with nothing bu...

We’re off to the park on this episode as we look at the first series of the 2007 comedy Dear Green Place. Written by and starring Paul Riley and featuring Ford Keirnan, Dear Green Place follows the parks department in Glasgow and the hijinks that go with it. In the news we encounter a thief who has stolen some kibble from Tiddles, meet a bunch of kids who stole expensive perfume from Milan airport...

It’s our first proper episode of 2025! Join us as we discuss the 1994 classic, Takin’ Over the Asylum. A six-part BBC Scotland television drama about a radio station in a Glasgow psychiatric hospital. The show follows a double glazing salesman Eddie McKenna (Ken Stott) who re-establishes a radio station at St Jude's, with patients as its presenters and volunteers, notably Campbell (David Tennant)...

It’s our Best of the News 2024 special! Yes, that’s right, Nicky and Greg are being lazy and having an extra week off for the festive season, so have put together a clip show of our favourite news stories from 2024. Join us as we reminisce about Gordon Ramsay’s Scottish Breakfast Burger, attend a Burns Night in prison, get flashed in a chip shop, battle XL Gullies, stick Kinder Eggs up our bottoms...

It’s Hogmanay! (Well, it will be) so what better way to spend the evening than with Ford and Greg as we look at the classic Scottish sketch show, Chewin’ The Fat. We’ll be catching up with Jack and Victor, The Lighthouse Keepers, The Banter Boys, The Big Man and Ronald Villiers among many others. In the news we have a look at some Scottish Hogmanay traditions, hear about a Scottish celebrity who h...

It’s Christmas! So what better way to celebrate than with the man himself, Rab C. Nesbitt. First shown on BBC Scotland in 1988, Rab C. Nesbitt’s Seasonal Greet follows the hard drinking Govan resident in his attempts to boycott Christmas and the festive period. But Mary, Gash, Burnie and then Jamsie deliver the ultimate betrayal. In the news a National Treasure makes a blunder on live television,...

Edinburgh. The 80’s. Heroin. Jimmy Nail. Spot the odd one out! This week on The Swally we are looking the 1986 classic from Peter McDougall, Shoot for the Sun. Starring Jimmy Nail, Brian Cox, Billy McColl and a whole host of Scottish talent. Set in the bleak backdrop of Edinburgh a low level drug dealer strives for making a living and surviving the natural elements of such an environment day to da...