Machair (TV series)
Encyclopedia
Machair was a Scottish Gaelic
television soap opera
produced by Scottish Television Enterprises
between August 1992 and September 1998.
The series was created and developed by Peter May
and Janice Hally
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1633112/ who was also the storyliner and principal scriptwriter. As there was no history of large-scale television drama output in the Gaelic language, the pair spent 2 years of preparatory work on the creation of the show. Their initial proposal for Head of Drama at Scottish Television
, Robert Love, included details not only the characters and storylines for the show but details of the process required to find, recruit and train actors and writers. They went on to conduct actors' workshops, screentests, and writing courses to train the talent they had found to a professional standard for television.
Machair was written in English and translated into Gaelic, then given English subtitles and broadcast at peak viewing time. Although the concept was initially greeted with derision by the press, when the show aired it received unanimous praise from reviewers. Kenneth Roy, television critic of Scotland on Sunday
, described it as "A credit to the company (Scottish Television) and a smack in the face to those of us who were doubtful" and after a few episodes said "It is even better than it looked at first glance quite simply the best thing to have happened to television in Scotland for a long time." Viewers were in accord with him as it achieved a 30% audience share and made it into the Top Ten of programmes viewed in Scotland, in spite of the fact that fewer than 2% of the Scottish population can speak Gaelic. It was nominated for awards for production and writing from The Celtic Film Festival and Writers Guild of Great Britain.
Along with Janice Hally, Ann Marie Di Mambro
was a scriptwriter for the series. Among the Gaelic writers employed were Donald Smith, Iain Finlay Macleod
, and Aonghas 'Dubh' MacNeacail
. Regular cast members included Simon MacKenzie, Anna Murray, Kenny MacRae, Duncan MacNeil and Tony Kearney
.
It was shot entirely on location on the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides
from 1992 - 1996 and after 1996, interior scenes were shot in the Studio Alba which was originally built to accommodate it in Stornoway
. The series was funded by the Gaelic Television Committee. And according to government reports had the important effect of creating jobs and boosting the economy in the islands.
The writing and producer team of May and Hally made the first ninety-nine half-hour episodes. After they left, further episodes were made but audience figures dropped and the show was cancelled, leading to the misconception in the press in more recent years that the show was not successful.
The programme was given a second screening on BBC Alba, the dedicated Scottish Gaelic language digital television channel and is now (from September 2011) being repeated on that channel.
Scottish Gaelic language
Scottish Gaelic is a Celtic language native to Scotland. A member of the Goidelic branch of the Celtic languages, Scottish Gaelic, like Modern Irish and Manx, developed out of Middle Irish, and thus descends ultimately from Primitive Irish....
television soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
produced by Scottish Television Enterprises
Scottish Television
Scottish Television is Scotland's largest ITV franchisee, and has held the ITV franchise for Central Scotland since 31 August 1957. It is the second oldest ITV franchisee still active...
between August 1992 and September 1998.
The series was created and developed by Peter May
Peter May (writer)
Peter May is a Scottish television screenwriter, novelist and crime writer.- Early life :Peter was born in Glasgow. From an early age he was intent on becoming a novelist, but took up a career as a journalist as a way to start earning a living by writing. At the age of 21, he won the Fraser...
and Janice Hally
Janice Hally
Janice Hally is a Scottish playwright and television screenwriter who has written more than 300 broadcast hours of prime-time British television drama serials and individual screenplays...
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1633112/ who was also the storyliner and principal scriptwriter. As there was no history of large-scale television drama output in the Gaelic language, the pair spent 2 years of preparatory work on the creation of the show. Their initial proposal for Head of Drama at Scottish Television
Scottish Television
Scottish Television is Scotland's largest ITV franchisee, and has held the ITV franchise for Central Scotland since 31 August 1957. It is the second oldest ITV franchisee still active...
, Robert Love, included details not only the characters and storylines for the show but details of the process required to find, recruit and train actors and writers. They went on to conduct actors' workshops, screentests, and writing courses to train the talent they had found to a professional standard for television.
Machair was written in English and translated into Gaelic, then given English subtitles and broadcast at peak viewing time. Although the concept was initially greeted with derision by the press, when the show aired it received unanimous praise from reviewers. Kenneth Roy, television critic of Scotland on Sunday
Scotland on Sunday
Scotland on Sunday is a Scottish Sunday newspaper, published in Edinburgh by The Scotsman Publications Ltd and consequently assuming the role of Sunday sister to its daily stablemate The Scotsman...
, described it as "A credit to the company (Scottish Television) and a smack in the face to those of us who were doubtful" and after a few episodes said "It is even better than it looked at first glance quite simply the best thing to have happened to television in Scotland for a long time." Viewers were in accord with him as it achieved a 30% audience share and made it into the Top Ten of programmes viewed in Scotland, in spite of the fact that fewer than 2% of the Scottish population can speak Gaelic. It was nominated for awards for production and writing from The Celtic Film Festival and Writers Guild of Great Britain.
Along with Janice Hally, Ann Marie Di Mambro
Ann Marie Di Mambro
Ann Marie Di Mambro is a Scottish playwright and television screenwriter of Italian extraction. Her theatre plays have been performed widely; they are also published individually and in collections and are studied in schools for the Scottish curriculum's Higher Drama and English.- Biographical...
was a scriptwriter for the series. Among the Gaelic writers employed were Donald Smith, Iain Finlay Macleod
Iain Finlay Macleod
Iain Finlay Macleod is a Scottish writer from the Isle of Lewis where he currently lives.Macleod's first full length play was called "Homers" and was produced by the Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh in 2002, directed by Philip Howard. Macleod then went on to work regularly with the Traverse theatre on...
, and Aonghas 'Dubh' MacNeacail
Aonghas MacNeacail
Aonghas MacNeacail , nickname Aonghas dubh or black Aonghas) is a contemporary writer in the Scottish Gaelic language. Born and brought up in the Isle of Skye, he was registered at birth as Angus Nicolson, but has changed his official name to his native Gaelic...
. Regular cast members included Simon MacKenzie, Anna Murray, Kenny MacRae, Duncan MacNeil and Tony Kearney
Tony Kearney
Tony Kearney is a Scottish actor and TV presenter. He is best known for playing Scott Wallace in the BBC Scotland soap opera, River City. He has previously appeared for six years in Machair, a Scottish Gaelic soap....
.
It was shot entirely on location on the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides
Outer Hebrides
The Outer Hebrides also known as the Western Isles and the Long Island, is an island chain off the west coast of Scotland. The islands are geographically contiguous with Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, one of the 32 unitary council areas of Scotland...
from 1992 - 1996 and after 1996, interior scenes were shot in the Studio Alba which was originally built to accommodate it in Stornoway
Stornoway
Stornoway is a burgh on the Isle of Lewis, in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland.The town's population is around 9,000, making it the largest settlement in the Western Isles and the third largest town in the Scottish Highlands after Inverness and Fort William...
. The series was funded by the Gaelic Television Committee. And according to government reports had the important effect of creating jobs and boosting the economy in the islands.
The writing and producer team of May and Hally made the first ninety-nine half-hour episodes. After they left, further episodes were made but audience figures dropped and the show was cancelled, leading to the misconception in the press in more recent years that the show was not successful.
The programme was given a second screening on BBC Alba, the dedicated Scottish Gaelic language digital television channel and is now (from September 2011) being repeated on that channel.