#Strathblair

[consanguinitatum]

DT talk throwback: my interview w/David Blair, director of Takin' Over The Asylum

Over half a decade ago now I was a writer for David Tennant News/DT Forum, one of the bigger unofficial fan sites of DT's at the time (now sadly defunct). During my time there, I got the chance in Jan 2016 to interview David Blair - most notably the director of Takin' Over The Asylum, though he worked with DT in three other shows - about those projects, and what he remembered about David. I didn't want this interview to sink into the depths of the Wayback Machine and I thought y'all might enjoy reading it, so here is that interview in its entirety:

David Blair, Director / Front Cover of BBC DVD for Takin' Over The Asylum (UK)

Hello Mr. Blair! From 1992-1996 you worked with David Tennant on four separate television shows:  Strathblair in 1992, The Brown Man in 1993, Takin' Over The Asylum in 1994 and A Mug's Game in 1996.   Were you at all involved in the casting process for Strathblair, the first project you worked with David on... If so what did you see in the young actor that won him the role?  And how did that translate into choosing him as Campbell Bain?

I was a Producer at the BBC before I started directing. David was a student at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music & Drama in Glasgow. He asked if he could meet me just to talk through procedure for TV, interviews, etc., as the college appeared more interested in theatre than camera. Indeed, frowned on the latter! He’d be about 18 then. I certainly knew from the outset that he ‘had something,’ and I gave him a few minor opportunities as soon as I embarked on my directing career. To be clear, I only work with actors I want and believe in – still do. Some might say my own career has been stifled by this obduracy but I don’t care. My need of working with great actors is paramount and David’s a shining example of what makes it all worthwhile. I commissioned Takin’ Over The Asylum for the BBC and worked closely with the writer throughout the creative process. I knew as soon as I read the screenplay, David was going to be perfect for Campbell. But I’m not a fascist about this kind of decision-making, so I mentioned to the writer and Casting Director I had a boy ‘in mind’ for the role. I didn’t oversell; I knew he would make it work for himself. There may have been some minor scepticism at first, but when he did his audition, he blew them away.

David's audition tape for Takin' Over The Asylum

Many of David's fans have seen Takin' Over The Asylum and are well-versed with it. Can you talk more about Strathblair, The Brown Man and A Mug's Game, and David's roles in each?  Little is known about the roles he played in those productions. Can you give us any insight into the stories behind all three of the projects themselves, and what was it about David in those years that made you want to cast him in all of them?

In truth, Strathblair and The Brown Man were merely cogs in my directing wheel. They weren’t aesthetically of great merit but gave me a few credits to kick-start my career. What I needed was a ‘signature piece’ and that came along with Takin’ Over The Asylum. In many ways, I regard that as the start of my directing career. In those days, without a high-profile production on your CV, you would more than likely be destined for a treadmill of soaps and ‘continuing drama’. Before Asylum I was picking up scraps; after it, I was being asked what I wanted to do. Thus A Mug’s Game became my second collaboration with Donna Franceschild, who’d written Asylum. Ken Stott, Katy Murphy and others from Asylum were already on board - and really? We just wanted David to ‘be in it’. It wasn’t a huge role but he kindly agreed to come in and do it for us. Played a music student (at the Scottish Academy, as it happens), as I recall but, again, hugely professional and accomplished. In one scene, he had to throw up over the railway tracks at Partick train station in Glasgow.... ah, an enduring memory.....

Did David do anything on set of any of the productions he worked on with you that totally took you by surprise or that was unexpected?  What did he do?

I think in those days, more than anything, it was important to keep in mind just how young he was. This boy of 21, was commanding the space, displaying an extraordinary ability to create laughter and tears; sometimes both at the same time! He had natural charm and wit and that, combined with this wonderfully spontaneous joie de vivre, made him a joy to be around both on the set and off.

What do you feel David's most unique/valuable attributes as an actor are?  What do you think separates him from his peers as he has matured into the career he has today?

When I look at him now I still largely see the same lad I met all those years ago. Still bursting with enthusiasm and an absolute desire to come out on top – which he’s done consistently. He’s retained his appetite, clearly, and devoured a huge range of roles – never seeking a ‘comfort zone’ in the process. It’s also struck me that he’s never attempted to be somebody he’s not and that truth, integrity, diligence – some might say, ‘Scottishness’ (!) – defines the man we see today.

David has said he considers Takin' Over The Asylum a career-defining project for him. What is your reaction so many years down the line to that comment?

I’ve always been rather humbled by David’s regard for myself and Takin’ Over The Asylum. I genuinely never felt I did anything out of the ordinary. I picked the best man for the job which, God knows, he underlined in spades once he played the role. He gave me as much as I gave him. Of course, there are occasions in my own career where I look back at defining moments and say “if it hadn’t been for so-and-so”.... but, I guess, the reason why we can reflect in that way, is because we didn’t let anybody down. David didn’t – and I hope I didn’t.   Looking back at Takin' Over The Asylum all these years later, do you feel it still holds up as well as it did?  In retrospect do you feel it helped shed as much needed light on the mental health industry as you'd hoped?

Funnily enough, somebody called me the other day to say he’d sat down and watched all six episodes and couldn’t believe how well it’s stood the test of time. I think I agree. I suppose because it’s a subject matter nobody would touch with a bargepole these days – that’s keeps it fresh somehow. All the scripts were vetted by the Association For Mental Health before we signed off on them. The writer had had mental health issues and wanted it to be authentic and in no way derisory. In fact, I remember many of the extras I cast all had had mental issues – one in particular having been institutionalised for 37 years!

I'd like to explore your decision to cast institutionalized patients as extras in Takin' Over The Asylum in a bit more detail. Was this related to filming the series at Gartloch Hospital, and if not, how was the idea first presented and eventually implemented?  Was this something you and Donna discussed as part of your intention to make the show as sensitive to the subject matter and as authentic as you could?  And did you run into any problems with compensating the extras, or any other issues relating to their Sectioned status?

It was simply an idea I had not just to add authenticity, but to have these guys make a worthwhile contribution to the film – and also make them feel good about it, if you like. I wanted to dispel the notion that all mentally ill people were screaming banshees – the story alludes to this anyway – by whose definition are we mad? I also thought it would help the non-mad actors (if there is such a thing!!!) to be surrounded by the ‘real’ rather than the ‘made up’ and thereby enrich their own performances.

Speaking of Gartloch Hospital, how did you choose that particular hospital for the filming location?

Gartloch was one of several mental hospitals around Glasgow being run down at the time, as part of the government’s controversial ‘care in the community’ programme. In other words, ‘we don’t want to pay to look after them any more, so you do it’. Of all the ones I looked at, Gartloch – not least with its huge tower – seemed to provide the best ambience; most suitable for the story and visually rewarding also.

Exploratory views of the interior and exterior of (now abandoned) Gartloch Hospital

As you mentioned, you do certainly seem to gravitate towards actors and writers that inspire you. Years ago you spotted a certain something in David -- so if given an opportunity, would you be willing to work with David again and if you could choose your own ideal role for him, what would that role entail?

Nothing would give me more pleasure than finding a project that both David and I could work on. David, creatively, is a bit of chameleon, so I don’t think there’s an ‘ideal role’ for him as such. A brilliant piece of writing and a character that takes him a place he hasn’t been before would be the simple remit.

Over the years many fans of Takin' Over The Asylum have expressed their desire to know what happened to Campbell and Eddie after we left them. If you were to continue their story, where do you think Campbell and Eddie would be today?

My hunch is that Campbell would have gone on to be a success in the music industry and Eddie would have tumbled into an even darker place, fueled by alcohol and self-doubt. I’ve often imagined Campbell inadvertently bumping into Eddie while he was sleeping in a cardboard box and Campbell doing for Eddie what Eddie had done for Nana in the very first episode.

Lore is - from Donna amongst others -- that you asked her to take a minor character from a play she'd written and make a drama around him. Of course that character is Ready Eddie McKenna. Could you tell us what the name of that play was?  And what was there about Eddie in the framework of that play that made you see him as the kind of character that could carry an entire series - and that Donna was the woman to write it?

With regard to the question below, it’s strange how little fateful moments define what we are and what we do. In my early days as a Producer, I commissioned Donna to write one of four monologues I was overseeing – I didn’t direct it, as it happens, but it was a sterling piece performed by Katy Murphy. The BBC – not myself – then commissioned Donna to adapt a stage play she’d written called And The Cow Jumped Over The Moon to fit a play strand we were doing at the time.

On the day of the studio, the Producer overseeing the project, was taken ill and they asked me to fill in for her ‘in the gallery’. (This was an old TV play where you worked in a rehearsal room for, say, three weeks then shot the whole thing – multi-camera – in a matter of days). Of course, as a result, I became familiar with the material and was indeed taken by this minor character – Eddie – who was a hospital radio DJ. After that, I asked Donna if she felt there might be mileage in creating a serial based around this character. I’d love to go into great and meaningful depth about why I thought that but, in truth, it was just a hunch – although it was one relative to how Donna was writing at that time; I believed she could deliver something unique with wide appeal. She hadn’t done any original TV work at that time (apart from the monologue) and had worries.

It took her some time to finally come up with a first draft – the breakthrough, she told me, came when she switched from just a hospital to a mental hospital. After that, we worked the episodes one at a time getting precisely where we wanted to be on one, before moving on to the next. Not an option that’s often available these days. During this process both Donna and I were supported hugely by the then Head of The Department, Bill Bryden. And that support manifested most clearly in simply leaving us to our own devices. No script executives, story editors or any other distractions. The work we ended up with had the footprint of nobody but ourselves.

And that's that! I hope you all enjoyed this unique insight into Takin' Over The Asylum and DT's work with David Blair.

[that-one-annoying-fox]

David Tennant in Strathblair

So, I watched David Tennant in Strathblair as a part of my list . I was...ok with it. There were 4 scenes with Tennant in them, and it was difficult to watch honestly, due to the quality, but that's I guess my fault seeing as I'm the person who decided to watch it. His performance is good, as always, but also there's just not enough to really warrant anything other than a 3/10. He didn't feature prominently, there were maybe 2 lines he spoke, and, after dramarama, which he had a way more prominent role, I expect more...although maybe that's me judging him by standards he just could not achieve. And maybe also the directors...but hey, he did great with what he could, and I made a fic to match it. It's based on him and his 'friend' who hike together (and I made them gay because of course they are). If you do want to watch strathblair with Tennant, it is here, although do bear in mind he appears 4 times, and after that, it's a little iffy on plot (to me at least as I don't really understand the premise of the show).

I also did a fanfiction for this section, and it is called Milk, it is more of a Drabble (although not under 100 words so...) and is a little snapshot of Archie and his boyfriend's long hikes together. It's short, and hopefully sweet! I hope you enjoy.

[literatemisfit]

Tracking my DT watch history for future reference

(In-depth list under the cut)

Dramarama ✅

The Play on One

Strathblair

Bunch of Five

The Brown Man

Rab C. Nesbitt

Spaces

Takin Over the Asylum ✅

The Tales of Para Handy

The Bill ✅

A Mug's Game

Jude

Holding the Baby

Bite

Duck Patrol

L.A. Without a Map ✅

The Last September ✅

Love in the 21st Century ✅

The Mrs Bradley Mysteries

Being Considered

Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased)

High Stakes

People Like Us

Sweetnightgoodheart

Foyle's War

Nine 1/2 Minutes

Trust

Posh Nosh

Bright Young Things

Spine Chillers

Terri McIntyre

Old Street

The Deputy

He Knew He Was Right

Traffic Warden

Blackpool ✅

Casanova ✅

The Quatermass Experiment

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire ✅

Secret Smile ✅

The Romantics

The Chatterly Affair

Recovery

Learners

Extras ✅

Einstein and Eddington

Glorious 39 ✅

The Sarah Jane Adventures

St Trinians 2

The Catherine Tate Show ✅

Hamlet ✅

How to Train Your Dragon ✅

Single Father

United

The Decoy Bride ✅

Fright Night ✅

This is Jinsy ✅

Much Ado About Nothing ✅

Playhouse Presents: The Minor Character

True Love ✅

Twenty Twelve

Nativity 2 ✅

Spies of Warsaw ✅

The Politician's Husband

The Escape Artist ✅

Richard II ✅

The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot

What We Did on our Holiday

Gracepoint

96 Ways to Say I Love You

Family Guy ✅

Mad to be Normal ✅

Broadchurch ✅

Ducktales

You, Me, and Him ✅

Bad Samaritan ✅

Hang Ups

Mary Queen of Scots

Camping ✅

Jessica Jones ✅

Criminal: UK ✅

Deadwater Fell ✅

Heart to Heart

Des ✅

Screening

Around the World in 80 Days ✅

The Legend of Vox Machina

Meet the Richardsons

Inside Man

Doctor Who ✅

Litvinenko

Good

Staged ✅

There She Goes ✅

Good Omens ✅

Ahsoka

The Simpsons

[beautifulfaaces]

Derek Riddell

Facts

January 11, 1967

Scottish actor

Filmography

Richard [Happy Valley: 2014-2022]

Captain Sutherland [Gentleman Jack: 2019-2022]

Clement [ Industry: 2020]

DCS Roland Bell [Hard Sun: 2018]

Nick [ Five Days: 2010]

Rab [ The Book Group: 2002-2003]

Adam [ Coronation Street: 1997-1998]

Alex [ Strathblair: 1992-1993]

Appereance

Brunette

Green eyes

1.81m

Roleplay

Playable: young adult, adult

[scotianostra]

On April 3rd 1926 Andrew Keir, the Scottish film, TV and theatre actor, was born.

Keir specialised in playing bluff, serious figures of authority. Keir’s films include Quatermass and the Pit, where he played Professor Quatermass, The Maggie, Cleopatra and Dracula, Prince of Darkness

Born and raised in Shotts in Lanarkshire with his five brothers John, Tom, Michael, Patrick, and Hugh and his sister Maggie. The son of a coal miner, Keir worked in the coal mines from age 14 to 20, at which point he joined the Glasgow Citizen’s Theatre to train as an actor. Shortly thereafter, Keir established himself professionally in British theater, television, and film in 40’s in a career right through to the 90’s he starred in dozens of films, the last of which was Rob Roy in 1995 when he played John Campbell Duke of Argyll.

Some of the TV shows Keir starred in go right back to the fifties with The Gorbals Story, Ivanhoe, The Buccaneers and a TV Movie, The Honours of Scotland. In the 60’s among lots of others he was in Espionage, The Midnight Men, Dr. Finlay’s Casebook and Emergency-Ward 10, he kept just busy in the 70’s with The Borderers,Sunset Song, Adam Smith and The Outsiders. The 80’s saw him in Marco Polo,King’s Royal and First Among Equals. Slowing down in the 90’s Keir starred in Strathblair and Hamish Macbetth, oh and how could I forget the series almost every Scottish actor has appeared in, Taggart. According to IMDb he appeared in over 120 different projects on either the big screen or small screen, add to that however many appearances on stage and you have one of the most prolific actors Scotland has produced in the 20th century.

Andrew Keir suffered a heart attack on 5th Oct 1997 and died in a London Hospital.

[faggghaggg]

PSA

From recent personal experience, these are the only items in David Tennant's filmography not available to watch online:

Bite (short, 1997)

The Brown Man (TV movie, 1993)

Strathblair (TV series, 1992)

The Play on One (TV series, 1989)

 (If somebody does know a source for any of these, do tell!)

The Tales of Para Handy can be watched here.  For everything else, just google the title with the words "streaming", "watch", "download" or "torrent".  Be patient – sometimes a working link is a few pages in.  And be smart: if you find a source for some rarity, see if it has other DT stuff.

You're welcome.

[that-one-annoying-fox]

David Tennant in a working, Rated List (With Fanfiction for Each)

So, I've made a list of everything David Tennant is in. And I shall be working through the episodes of each of his shows, and I shall be writing a fanfiction of each of these, and give them a rating. This is for fun, as for some reason this is what I find fun, and I am going to be strict about the fan fiction (no RPF, no NSFW, and each fan fiction has to be related to the show/radio program, etc.). The list so far, is as follows:

Layout is date - 'role' in 'show' (link) - rating/detailed post (if available) - Fanfiction

1987 (exact date unknown) - Jim in Glasweigan Anti Smoking PSA - 2/10 - No Fanfiction for this, as it is literally a PSA.

8 August 1988 - Neil McDonald in Dramarama - 4/10 - A Special Kind of Madness

11 April 1989 - Third Squaddie in the Play on One - 2/10 - unfortunately, also not enough material to do a fan fiction for.

10 May 1992 - Archie the Hiker in Strathblair - 3/10 - Milk

1 July 1992 - Policeman in Bunch of Five - 3/10

1993 (Exact Date Unknown) - Vinny in short film Spaces - Unable to give review, as the library of Scotland is reluctant to help (But if you want to try your hand at it, by all means :)

And..that's everything I've done up until this point. The full list is available on wikipedia (or I can give you my online copy on request - as I'm constantly updating mine, it's better to not post it I've found), I shall post each new rating on my Tumblr, from this point, starting with Strathblair (this is how I'm going to track my own progress on this, and feel accomplishment as I make my way through.)

......If you're wondering, yes, I am pending an autism diagnosis.

[that-one-annoying-fox]

David Tennant in 'Bunch of Five' 'Miles Better

Ok, so, this one was interesting. The show in and of itself was ok, it was a little silly but I overall didn't mind it, made much more sense to me than strathblair, however, David Tennant's role as policeman lasted maybe 20 seconds, definitely not enough time to make a fic out of, I try my best but I would really struggle with that, and tbh I don't think it would be great if I did, and I am a perfectionist with these things. Overall I give this show a 3/10, the same as strathblair, as, whilst he did not do as much, he had more words and did a good job, though the casting was not a fit (he was way too smol!). If you'd like to watch it, I found a 3 part YouTube video, with the whole episode, but Tennant only appears in part 2.

All three parts are here: P1 P2 P3

And, I hope you enjoy, if you do choose to watch!

[scotianostra]

Happy 78th birthday Scottish actor Stuart McGugan, born on March 2nd 1944 in Stirling.

Stuart was one of the main presenters of the bairns programme Playschool from 1975 to 85, this is just a wee bit after I grew out of watching the programme so don’t recall him in that at all, what I do remember him being in was the BBC sitcom that is so unpolitically correct nowadays for many reasons, It Ain’t Half Hot Mum, where he played Gunner “Atlas” MacKintosh. Is it just me, but being in the two shows just doesn’t fit, he also appeared in another war time show, in one episode of Dads Army. He said in an interview last year that he nearly got fired from Play School because he was caught trying to drop-kick Humpty over the backdrop!

McGugan has been in many shows throughout the years, they include, Rob Roy Taggart, of course, Murphy’s Law, The Bill, Strathblair and You Rang, M'Lord? Other shows that he is more well known for are Tutti Frutti, with Robbie Coltrane, where he played Bomba MacAteer, in Hamish Macbeth, with Robert Carlyle he was pub landlord, Barney Meldon during the run of the show, and he was Det. Chief Supt. Sean McCloud in The Chief. Although not in so much demand  lately he has been in the likes of In the Family and Benidorm, IMDb credit him with 60 acting roles over a period of 52 years.

Stuart has homes in south London and the south of France, but before the first lockdown were house-hunting for a move back to Scotland, things have been on hold since then.

[scotianostra]

On April 3rd 1926 Andrew Keir, the Scottish film, TV and theatre actor, was born.

Keir originally Andrew Buggy was born and brought up in the coal-mining town of Shotts in Lanarkshire, the son of a coal miner he left school at 14 and followed his father down the pit. He started acting by chance, when he went to meet a friend at the Miners’ Welfare Hall, and one member of the cast of an amateur dramatics production being performed at the Hall had failed to turn up. Keir was persuaded to take the minor role of a farmer in the play, and enjoyed the experience so much that he later became a regular in the group’s performances.

At aged 2o he joined Glasgow’s Citizen’s Theatre to train as an actor. Shortly thereafter, Keir established himself professionally in British theater, television, and film, debuting in The Lady Craved Excitement His bluff, no-nonsense demeanour was perfect for authoritarian and military roles, especially Roman soldiers, as in Cleopatra, The Fall of the Roman Empire, and The Viking Queen. Quatermass and the Pit was his own personal favourite film in which he starred. He hooked up with Hammer Productions early on and continued the association in a number of horror films, in the 60’s he appeared in Z Cars, Emergency Ward ten and The Avengers amongst others but it his role as Adam Smith in the self titled 70’s show he is arguably best known for, it was religious drama series in which a Scots minister, following his wife’s death, questions the purpose of his local ministry but finds it in his spiritual work for the community. 

He was also cast as Ruthven in the 1971 version of Mary Queen of Scots alongside Vanessa Redgrave. Those of you in Australia might remember Keir in the drama series The Outsiders where as Charlie Cole and his grandson Pete Jarrett travel around outback Australia in a beaten-up ute, finding itinerant work along the way. He also played Cluny in the mini series of the RLS novel Kidnapped.

In the 80’s he narrated the series, Murder not Proven as well as appearing in Taggart and Boon, the 90’s saw him star as Macrae of Balbuie in the period TV drama Strathblair and in the popular series Hamish Macbeth, his last major role was as Argyll in the film version of Rob Roy.

[scotianostra]

Happy 77th birthday Scottish actor Stuart McGugan, born on March 2nd 1944 in Stirling.

Stuart was one of the main presenters of the bairns programme Playschool from 1975 to 85, this is just a wee bit after I grew out of watching the programme so don't recall him in that at all, what I do remember him being in was the BBC sitcom that is so unpolitically correct nowadays for many reasons, It Ain't Half Hot Mum, where he played Gunner "Atlas" MacKintosh. Is it just me, but being in the two shows just doesn't fit, he also appeared in another war time show, in one episode of Dads Army. He said in an interview last year that he nearly got fired from Play School because he was caught trying to drop-kick Humpty over the backdrop!

  McGugan has been in many shows throughout the years, you will see some of them on the showcase below, they include, Rob Roy Taggart, of course, Murphy's Law, The Bill, Strathblair and You Rang, M'Lord? Other shows that he is more well known for are Tutti Frutti, with Robbie Coltrane, where he played Bomba MacAteer, in Hamish Macbeth, with Robert Carlyle he was pub landlord, Barney Meldon during the run of the show, and he was Det. Chief Supt. Sean McCloud in The Chief. Although not in so much demand  lately he has been in the likes of In the Family and Benidorm, IMDb credit him with 60 acting roles over a period of 52 years.

Pics are of the man himself, the group one is from the excellent Tutti Frutti, he is in the front row next to Maurice Roëves, the whole cast seems to be there with one exception, I wonder if any of you can tell me who?

  Stuart has homes in south London and the south of France, but before the first lockdown were house-hunting for a move back to Scotland, things have been on hold since then.

[scotianostra]

On April 3rd 1926 Andrew Keir, the Scottish film, TV and theatre actor, was born.

Keir specialised in playing bluff, serious figures of authority. Keir's films include Quatermass and the Pit, where he played Professor Quatermass, The Maggie, Cleopatra and Dracula, Prince of Darkness

Born and raised in Shotts in Lanarkshire with his five brothers John, Tom, Michael, Patrick, and Hugh and his sister Maggie. The son of a coal miner, Keir worked in the coal mines from age 14 to 20, at which point he joined the Glasgow Citizen's Theatre to train as an actor. Shortly thereafter, Keir established himself professionally in British theater, television, and film in 40's in a career right through to the 90's he starred in dozens of films, the last of which was Rob Roy in 1995 when he played John Campbell Duke of Argyll.

Some of the TV shows Keir starred in go right back to the fifties with The Gorbals Story, Ivanhoe, The Buccaneers and a TV Movie, The Honours of Scotland. In the 60's among lots of others he was in Espionage, The Midnight Men, Dr. Finlay's Casebook and Emergency-Ward 10, he kept just busy in the 70's with The Borderers,Sunset Song, Adam Smith and The Outsiders. The 80's saw him in Marco Polo,King's Royal and First Among Equals. Slowing down in the 90's Keir starred in Strathblair and Hamish Macbetth, oh and how could I forget the series almost every Scottish actor has appeared in, Taggart. According to IMDb he appeared in over 120 different projects on either the big screen or small screen, add to that however many appearances on stage and you have one of the most prolific actors Scotland has produced in the 20th century. Andrew Keir suffered a heart attack on 5th Oct 1997 and died in a London Hospital.

[scotianostra]

On April 3rd 1926 Andrew Keir, the Scottish film, TV and theatre actor, was born.

Keir originally Andrew Buggy was born and brought up in the coal-mining town of Shotts in Lanarkshire, the son of a coal miner he left school at 14 and followed his father down the pit. He started acting by chance, when he went to meet a friend at the Miners' Welfare Hall, and one member of the cast of an amateur dramatics production being performed at the Hall had failed to turn up. Keir was persuaded to take the minor role of a farmer in the play, and enjoyed the experience so much that he later became a regular in the group's performances.

At aged 2o he joined Glasgow's Citizen's Theatre to train as an actor. Shortly thereafter, Keir established himself professionally in British theater, television, and film, debuting in The Lady Craved Excitement His bluff, no-nonsense demeanor was perfect for authoritarian and military roles, especially Roman soldiers, as in Cleopatra, The Fall of the Roman Empire, and The Viking Queen. Quatermass and the Pit was his own personal favourite film in which he starred.

He hooked up with Hammer Productions early on and continued the association in a number of horror films, in the 60's he appeared in Z Cars, Emergency Ward ten and The Avengers amongst others but it his role as Adam Smith in the self titled 70's show he is arguably best known for, it was religious drama series in which a Scots minister, following his wife's death, questions the purpose of his local ministry but finds it in his spiritual work for the community. He was also cast as Ruthven in the 1971 version of Mary Queen of Scots alongside Vanessa Redgrave. Those of you in Australia might remember Keir in the drama series The Outsiders where as Charlie Cole and his grandson Pete Jarrett travel around outback Australia in a beaten-up ute, finding itinerant work along the way. He also played Cluny in the mini series of the RLS novel Kidnapped.

In the 80's he narrates the series, Murder not Proven as well as appearing in Taggart and Boon, the 90's saw him star as Macrae of Balbuie in the period TV drama Strathblair and in the popular series Hamish Macbeth, his last major role was as Argyll in the film version of Robroy.

Andrew Keir passed away in London aged 71, on 5 October 1997

[scotianostra]

On April 3rd 1926 Andrew Keir, the Scottish film, TV and theatre actor, was born.

Born as Andrew Buggy in the coal-mining town of Shotts in Lanarkshire, and raised there with his five brothers John, Tom, Michael, Patrick, and Hugh and his sister Maggie. The son of a coal miner, Keir worked in the coal mines from age 14 to 20, at which point he joined the Glasgow Citizen's Theatre to train as an actor.

Shortly thereafter, Keir established himself professionally in British theater, television, and film, debuting in The Lady Craved Excitement. His bluff, no-nonsense demeanor was perfect for authoritarian and military roles, especially Roman soldiers, as in Cleopatra, The Fall of the Roman Empire, and The Viking Queen.

He hooked up with Hammer Productions early on (his debut film) and continued the association in a number of horror films, e.g., Dracula: Prince of Darkness and Blood from the Mummy's Tomb. One of his best-known and most recognised in the title role of Quatermass and the Pit. Keir made numerous appearances in television throughout his career, notably in Adam Smith and in the Australian series The Outsiders. Keir, true to his heritage, frequently played Scotsmen, especially in the latter part of his career, most notably as Macrae of Balbuie in Strathblair in the 90's a BBC drama series set in a Scottish village in the 1950s. Other Scottish roles included the role of Cluny Macpherson in Kidnapped, the title role of Adam Smith a Scots minister, Rob Roy's protector, Argyll in Rob Roy and of course he popped up in an episode of Taggart in the 80's.

Keir died in hospital in London, aged 71, on 5 October 1997.