The Borderers - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

The Borderers is a British

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

television

Television

Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...

series produced by the BBC

BBC

The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...

between 1968 and 1970.

Setting

A historical drama series, The Borderers was set during the 16th century and chronicled the lives of the Ker family, who lived in the Scottish Middle March

Scottish Marches

Scottish Marches was the term used for the Anglo-Scottish border during the late medieval and early modern eras—from the late 13th century, with the creation by Edward I of England of the first Lord Warden of the Marches to the early 17th century and the creation of the Middle Shires, promulgated...

on the frontier between England

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

and Scotland

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...

. You also see the wider politics, mostly as it affects their relative Sir Walter Ker, warden of the Middle March

The series was described by The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...

in 2007 as "brave and original...a kind of north-eastern western". It shows an ordinary family trying to live as part of a society of Border Reivers

Border Reivers

Border Reivers were raiders along the Anglo–Scottish border from the late 13th century to the beginning of the 17th century. Their ranks consisted of both Scottish and English families, and they raided the entire border country without regard to their victims' nationality...

, a world where raid and feud were unavoidable parts of daily life. The wars between England and Scotland had destroyed the normal processes of law enforcement. The setting is a particularly tense time, with Elizabeth of England

Elizabeth I of England

Elizabeth I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called The Virgin Queen, Gloriana, or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty...

and Mary, Queen of Scots, in competition. Also the struggle between Protestants and Catholics in both kingdoms. Amidst all this, the Kers of Stilrig are trying to live an ordinary life.

The leading cast members were Iain Cuthbertson

Iain Cuthbertson

Iain Cuthbertson was a Scottish character actor. At 6' 4", he was known for his tall imposing build and also his distinctive "gravelly" heavily accented voice.-Early life:...

, Edith MacArthur

Edith MacArthur

Edith MacArthur MBE is a Scottish actress, born in Ardrossan, North Ayrshire on 8 March 1926, and noted for her elegant screen presence. Her best known role was the Lady Laird Elizabeth Cunningham in Take the High Road which she portrayed from the first episode in 1980, until December 1986 when the...

and Michael Gambon

Michael Gambon

Sir Michael John Gambon, CBE is an Irish actor who has worked in theatre, television and film. A highly respected theatre actor, Gambon is recognised for his roles as Philip Marlowe in the BBC television serial The Singing Detective, as Jules Maigret in the 1990s ITV serial Maigret, and as...

. It was produced and directed by Peter Graham Scott

Peter Graham Scott

Peter Graham Scott was an English film producer, film director, film editor and screenwriter. One of the producers and directors who shaped British television drama in its formative years, Scott brought a background in film editing and directing to his work that helped to move the small screen out...

, who had worked on The Avengers
The Avengers (TV series)
The Avengers is a spy-fi British television series set in the 1960s Britain. The Avengers initially focused on Dr. David Keel and his assistant John Steed . Hendry left after the first series and Steed became the main character, partnered with a succession of assistants...

, Mogul, The Troubleshooters and would later go on to make The Onedin Line
The Onedin Line
The Onedin Line is a BBC television drama series which ran from 1971 to 1980. The series was created by Cyril Abraham.The series is set in Liverpool from 1860 to 1886 and deals with the rise of a shipping line, the Onedin Line, named after its owner James Onedin...

.

In 2007, two episodes of The Borderers were part of the BBC Archive Trial.

Cast

The regular cast were Michael Gambon

Michael Gambon

as Gavin Ker (male head of the family), Edith McArthur as Margaret Ker and Iain Cuthbertson

Iain Cuthbertson

Iain Cuthbertson was a Scottish character actor. At 6' 4", he was known for his tall imposing build and also his distinctive "gravelly" heavily accented voice.-Early life:...

as Sir Walter Ker of Cessford

Cessford Castle

Cessford Castle is a ruined L-plan castle lying equidistant between the Royal Burgh of Jedburgh, and the Burghs of Kelso and Kirk Yetholm, in the historic county of Roxburghshire, now a division of the Scottish Borders...

. Nell Brennan as Agnes Ker (Series 1) and Eileen Nicholas as Agnes Ker (Series 2). Margaret Greig as Grizel Ker, Joseph Brady

Joseph Brady

Joseph Brady was a Scottish actor.Brady was trained at the Glasgow College of Dramatic Art. He starred in a number of television shows, notably as PC Jock Weir in Z-Cars , as Kenny McBlane in the third series of The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin and as Gramps in the 1993 Rab C...

as Rab (Series 1) and James Garbutt

James Garbutt

James Garbutt is a British actor, who has been active on television since the 1960s. Originally from the North East of England, he was a key member of the People's Theatre, Newcastle upon Tyne during the 1950s and '60s....

as Rab (Series 2). Ross Campbell as Jamie Ker and Russell Waters

Russell Waters

Russell Waters was a Scottish film actor.Waters was educated at Hutchesons' Grammar School, Glasgow and the University of Glasgow. He began acting with the Old English Comedy and Shakespeare Company then appeared in repertory theatre, at the Old Vic and in the West End. On screen Waters generally...

as Pringle (Cessford's clerk).. Sir Walter Ker is a real historical figure, though little is known of him and most of what is shown in the series is invented.

Series 1

Ep. No.	Title	Writer(s)	Director	Airdate	Archive Status
1	“Vengeance”	Bill Craig Bill Craig (TV writer) Bill Craig was a Scottish television scriptwriter.He wrote a large number of scripts, including the TV adaptations of Sunset Song, Cloud Howe, Grey Granite and The Eagle of the Ninth....	Peter Graham Scott Peter Graham Scott Peter Graham Scott was an English film producer, film director, film editor and screenwriter. One of the producers and directors who shaped British television drama in its formative years, Scott brought a background in film editing and directing to his work that helped to move the small screen out...	31 December 1968	Exists in colour
1	The elder of the Ker family, Gavin, has a shattering experience in front of him when he seeks a wider world.
2	“Truce”	Bill Craig	Peter Graham Scott	7 January 1969	16mm black-and-white film print exists
2	When Gavin leads his men across the border to seek Agnes, he is accused of murdering an Englishman
3	“Witch Hunt”	Vincent Tilsley	Peter Graham Scott	14 January 1969	16mm black-and-white film print exists
3	Gavin's younger sister Grizel is put on trial for being a witch. (This episode was given a Radio Times Radio Times Radio Times is a UK weekly television and radio programme listings magazine, owned by the BBC. It has been published since 1923 by BBC Magazines, which also provides an on-line listings service under the same title... cover).
4	“Treason”	Jack Ronder	Peter Graham Scott	21 January 1969	16mm black-and-white film print exists
4	A friend visits Gavin who tries to persuade him to travel to Europe. But when pilgrims arrive, he is caught up in religious turmoil of the era.
5	“Fugitive”	Allan Prior Allan Prior Allan Prior was an English television scriptwriter and novelist, who wrote over 300 television episodes from the 1950s onwards....	Peter Graham Scott	28 January 1969	16mm black-and-white film print exists
5	An English fugitive saves Gavin's life, but is soon compromised when he gives him shelter.
6	“Stranger”	Bill Craig	Peter Graham Scott	4 February 1969	16mm black-and-white film print exists
6	Gavin has a rival, when a David Scott claims to be the real Laird of Stilrig
7	“Hero”	Jack Ronder	Peter Graham Scott	11 February 1969	Missing
7	Cessford lies wounded at Slitrig after an assassination attempt by John Hume.
8	“Bloodfeud”	George F Kerr	Peter Graham Scott	18 February 1969	16mm black-and-white film print exists
8	The Kers arguments with The Armstrongs lead Jamie to be accused of murdering one of them.
9	“Giant”	Eve Martell	Peter Graham Scott	25 February 1969	16mm black-and-white film print exists
9	Gavin must sneak into England to rescue a Scottish spy.
10	“Wedlock”	Sean Hignett	Peter Graham Scott	4 March 1969	Missing
10	The Scotts of Branxholm raise Gavin's wrath when they boast openly of stealing the warden's cattle.
11	“Outlaw”	Bruce Stewart	Peter Graham Scott	11 March 1969	16mm black-and-white film print exists
11	When The Telfers, friends of the Kers, are evicted for debt, they desperately seek religious justification for the only option open to them, stealing
12	“Justice”	John Lucarotti John Lucarotti John Lucarotti was a British screenwriter.Lucarotti began his career at the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, writing on over 200 various scripts for them as well as for Canadian television. He then moved back to England where he had a prolific career...	Peter Graham Scott	18 March 1969	Missing
12	A young Italian physician, Mario Vecchi, seeks refuge with the Kers, when he fails to save a patients life, and the Armstrongs seek vengeance.
13	“Dispossessed”	Julian Nees	Peter Graham Scott	25 March 1969	Exists in colour
13	An English princess is taken hostage, while on the way to marry a Scot she detests. Guest starring John Thaw John Thaw John Edward Thaw, CBE was an English actor, who appeared in a range of television, stage and cinema roles, his most popular being police and legal dramas such as Redcap, The Sweeney, Inspector Morse and Kavanagh QC.-Early life:Thaw came from a working class background, having been born in Gorton,... and Vivien Heilbron Vivien Heilbron Vivien Heilbron is a Scottish actress.-Career:Heilbron, who was born in Glasgow, achieved fame in her homeland when she appeared in the 1971 BBC Scotland television adaption of Lewis Grassic Gibbon's Sunset Song, in the lead role of Chris Guthrie. "The television programme was quite instrumental... .

Series 2

Ep. No.	Title	Writer(s)	Director	Airdate	Archive Status
1	“The Siege of Cocklaws”	Jan Read	Peter Graham Scott Peter Graham Scott Peter Graham Scott was an English film producer, film director, film editor and screenwriter. One of the producers and directors who shaped British television drama in its formative years, Scott brought a background in film editing and directing to his work that helped to move the small screen out...	6 January 1970	Exists in colour
1	The English attack a castle owned by The Laird of Cocklaws, Gavin defends him, whilst knowing his motives are a sham. Guest starring William Hurndell and Hilda Braid Hilda Braid Hilda Braid was an English actress who had a long career on British television and became well known in her later years for playing Victoria "Nana" Moon in the BBC One soap opera EastEnders.... .
2	“Survival Day”	George F Kerr	Peter Graham Scott	13 January 1970	Exists in colour
2	The Kers believe a cattle buyer is in league with Cessford to rob them of their living.
3	“Snatch”	Jan Read	Peter Graham Scott	20 January 1970	Exists in colour
3	Agnes Ker is snatched by a gypsy, Hector Faa. Gavin must fight Hector and Agnes to get her back.
4	“What a Vengeance Upon England”	Anthony Steven Anthony Steven Anthony Steven was a veteran television screenwriter who worked on many programmes including All Creatures Great and Small, The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie and several historically based dramas....	Peter Graham Scott	27 January 1970	Missing
4	Cessford tries to marry off his troublesome ward to an English warden. The romance turns lethal and complicated by an Arab stallion.
5	“Among The Eagles”	Bill Craig Bill Craig (TV writer) Bill Craig was a Scottish television scriptwriter.He wrote a large number of scripts, including the TV adaptations of Sunset Song, Cloud Howe, Grey Granite and The Eagle of the Ninth....	Peter Graham Scott	3 February 1970	Missing
5	Cessford is involved in a charge of treason when he attempts to uncover a traitor at the court of Queen Mary. (This episode was given a Radio Times Radio Times Radio Times is a UK weekly television and radio programme listings magazine, owned by the BBC. It has been published since 1923 by BBC Magazines, which also provides an on-line listings service under the same title... cover).
6	“Plot Counterplot”	Anthony Coburn Anthony Coburn Anthony Coburn was an Australian television writer and producer, who spent much of his professional career living and working in the United Kingdom. He moved to the UK in the 1950s, where he joined the staff of BBC Television...	Peter Graham Scott	10 February 1970	Missing
6	Cessford travels to Edinburgh seeking promotion only to end up with dismissal and disgrace.
7	“The Quacksalver”	Roy Russell	Peter Graham Scott	17 February 1970	Missing
7	The Quacksalvers trick their way into Slitrig, and Gavin has to decide whether they should be pitied or are rogues.
8	“To The Gallows Tree”	Martin Worth	Peter Graham Scott	24 February 1970	Missing
8	Gavin defends his bonded tenant against torture and a monstrous charge.
9	“A Woman or an Epitaph”	Bruce Stewart	Peter Graham Scott	25 February 1969	Missing
9	A woman called "The Wee Daftie" changes men's opinions on the role of women in society.
10	“Hostage”	Tom Wright	Peter Graham Scott	10 March 1970	Missing
10	A boy is to be hanged within three days if stolen beasts are not returned.
11	“Where The White Lilies Grow”	Martin Worth	Peter Graham Scott	17 March 1970	Exists in colour
11	Cessford's son brings a new bride and murder with him to Cessford Castle.
12	“The Terror of the March”	Martin Worth	Peter Graham Scott	24 March 1970	Missing
12	Cessford has a hugely powerful cannon, which to the surprise of everyone, finds itself at the bottom of Slitrig Loch.
13	“The Sea-Cole Man”	Morris Farhi	Peter Graham Scott	31 March 1970	Exists in colour
13	To settle the feud between the Kers and the Johnstones, a wrestling match is arranged.

External links

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