City Lights (TV series)
Encyclopedia
City Lights is a Scottish
television
sitcom made by BBC Scotland
and set in Glasgow
. It ran from 1985 to 1991 (networked 1987 to 1991) and was written by Bob Black. Two stage shows, featuring the original cast, toured Scotland.
It starred the late Gerard Kelly
as Willie Melvin, a bank-teller at the fictional Strathclyde Savings Bank (whose logo was very similar to the TSB
), with dreams of becoming a novelist. Most of the plots revolved around his attempts to get his book, the autobiographical My Childhood Up A Close, published.
He was held back in this by his own incompetence, the dodgy dealings of his best friend Chancer (Andy Gray
), and the lack of support he gained from his mother (Jan Wilson), the bank's manager Adam McLelland (Dave Anderson
) and his obsequious fellow teller, Brian (Jonathan Watson
). Other recurring characters included Chancer's friend Tam (Ian McColl) and Willie's love interests, Vicki (Louise Beattie, Series 1) and Fiona (Ann Bryson
, Series 4 and 5).
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
sitcom made by BBC Scotland
BBC Scotland
BBC Scotland is a constituent part of the British Broadcasting Corporation, the publicly-funded broadcaster of the United Kingdom. It is, in effect, the national broadcaster for Scotland, having a considerable amount of autonomy from the BBC's London headquarters, and is run by the BBC Trust, who...
and set in Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
. It ran from 1985 to 1991 (networked 1987 to 1991) and was written by Bob Black. Two stage shows, featuring the original cast, toured Scotland.
It starred the late Gerard Kelly
Gerard Kelly
Paul "Gerard" Kelly was a Scottish actor who appeared in many comedies, most notably in City Lights, Rab C Nesbitt, and Scotch and Wry. He had more serious roles, including PC David Gallagher in Juliet Bravo , villain Jimmy in EastEnders and the villainous Callum Finnegan on Brookside...
as Willie Melvin, a bank-teller at the fictional Strathclyde Savings Bank (whose logo was very similar to the TSB
Trustee Savings Bank
The Trustee Savings Bank was a British financial institution which specialised in accepting savings deposits from the poor. They did not trade their shares on the stock market and, unlike mutually held building societies, depositors had no voting rights nor the ability to direct the financial and...
), with dreams of becoming a novelist. Most of the plots revolved around his attempts to get his book, the autobiographical My Childhood Up A Close, published.
He was held back in this by his own incompetence, the dodgy dealings of his best friend Chancer (Andy Gray
Andy Gray (actor)
Andy Gray is a Scottish actor and comedy writer. He co-wrote and co-starred in the BBC Radio Scotland sketch show Naked Radio, and its later television counterpart Naked Video, before becoming well known as the appropriately named "Chancer", best friend and source of problems to Willie Melvin in...
), and the lack of support he gained from his mother (Jan Wilson), the bank's manager Adam McLelland (Dave Anderson
Dave Anderson (actor)
David "Dave" Anderson is a Scottish actor, playwright and jazz musician based in Glasgow. He is widely-known for a number of TV and cinema roles, perhaps most famously for the part of Gregory's father in Gregory's Girl and as the bank manager in the BBC Scotland sitcom City Lights .-External...
) and his obsequious fellow teller, Brian (Jonathan Watson
Jonathan Watson
Jonathan Watson is a Scottish comedian and impressionist best known for his comedy sketch show Only an Excuse?, which parodies people and events from the world of Scottish football. Watson also regularly appeared on Tam Cowan's Offside television programme on BBC One Scotland where he performed a...
). Other recurring characters included Chancer's friend Tam (Ian McColl) and Willie's love interests, Vicki (Louise Beattie, Series 1) and Fiona (Ann Bryson
Ann Bryson
Ann Bryson is a British actress who is best known for featuring in the television series Days Like These and Space Vets.-External links:...
, Series 4 and 5).
External links
Comedy Guide- City Lights at British TV Resources