River City Finale Hints at Fiery End
The writer and cast of the long-running Scottish TV drama 'River City' discuss the pressure of crafting a satisfying final episode, which airs Monday and
Writer Johnny McKnight reveals the final episode of 'River City' airs on Monday, ending the Scottish TV drama after 24 years. Images hint at a dramatic fire scene involving the arch-villain Lenny Murdoch, played by Frank Gallagher.
McKnight, who wrote for the show for almost a decade, asked to write the finale. He felt a huge responsibility to give fans a satisfying conclusion, pointing to other cult TV shows with divisive endings like The Sopranos, Dexter, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and Angel.
Frank Gallagher, who plays villain Lenny Murdoch, says he is just part of a massive collective team effort. He hopes the team has done the fans proud to the end.
Balancing Humour and Drama
Gallagher believes the show walked a fine line between comedy and drama. He describes it as a reflection of Scottishness, where punches have punchlines. The show took trauma and made it palatable by telling it in a pub, with humour co-existing alongside the drama.
Actor Grant Stott, who played Sam Spiller, was attracted to the role by the comedy. A broadcaster and pantomime regular with limited TV drama experience, he called the job a dream achieved. He says he would be content if he never worked in TV drama again.
A Factory of Creativity
Jenny Hulse, who plays Amber Murdoch, has a central role in the finale filmed in April. She recalls the show's intensive production schedule on its now-demolished Dumbarton set. Cast and crew sometimes shot 17 pages of fast-paced dialogue a day, compared to four pages on other dramas. She describes joining the production as jumping onto a moving train.
Over its 24-year run, 'River City' became a crucial training ground. It nurtured actors, writers, directors, camera operators, electricians, make-up artists, and wardrobe staff. Many have since graduated to other industry jobs.
Hulse calls it a conveyor belt of talent. She notes that director Ryan Graham started as a camera trainee, while cast members Holly Jack and Sally Reid now direct episodes. Cast members also became writers and camera operators. Hulse describes the show as a factory of creativity and says she feels lucky to have played the same character with regular work for 10 years.
The Final Curtain
For the cast and crew, it is now time to watch their final work. Alongside the final hour-long episode, a one-off documentary titled River City: The Last Decade will air.
For many fans, accepting the end is difficult. Johnny McKnight recently hosted a fan event at Glasgow's Tron Theatre. Fans repeatedly asked if the show would come back. McKnight felt terrible pointing out that the set's demolition makes a return look unlikely.
