ONE of Scottish television's historic characters, the Rev I.M Jolly, is to return to the BBC.
To mark the 40th anniversary of the BBC comedy sketch show Scotch and Wry, the actor Gregor Fisher is to play the morose Minister for a special, one-off sketch.
Taking the place of the late Rikki Fulton, Fisher will play the famously deadpan and droll role for the Hogmanay Live celebrations on BBC One Scotland.
Fisher, perhaps best known for his role at Rab C Nesbitt, said: "I’m delighted to do it.
"I think there was a bit of Rikki that always saw me as the heir apparent - I’m sure he had many heirs apparent - and I think he’d like the idea of Jolly being back on screen again.
"It’s not an impression of Rikki - there wasn’t any way we would even attempt that, you just couldn’t do it. He was absolutely unique."
Fulton died in 2004, aged 79.
The Glaswegian comic and actor first appeared as IM Jolly in 1978 - Fisher himself joined the show in 1979.
Fisher added: "The script is based on a lot of Rikki’s stuff, though, and hopefully there’s a flavour of his performances about it.
"I watched the last ever I.M. Jolly sketch that he did, just purely to get the timing of it, before I came in to film.
"It was great and funny and joyous. He was a one-off.”
The sketch sees Fisher sit in the original wing-backed green leather armchair Fulton used in Scotch & Wry sketch Last Call – a parody of the 1970s and 1980s late-night TV sermon Late Call.
Fisher added: “When I was told it was the 40th anniversary of Scotch & Wry, I thought it couldn’t be right.
"But then I did the sums – I was about 25 when I started on it, and I’m now 65 so it adds up.
“It would be nice if a new generation of viewers were introduced to Jolly by seeing this sketch. I’m sure it would be quite easy for them to find old clips of Rikki on YouTube. It’s of a different generation but it’s still fun, in a gentle, slightly colloquial way, and it’s none the worse for that.
“Rikki was a good friend. He was always nice to me. I hope nowadays when I come across youngsters, I’m as understanding and as kind to them and as encouraging as he was to me."
David Staite, executive producer of Hogmanay Live, created the script from some of the best known IM Jolly sketches.
The original Scotch and Wry script editor, Colin Gilbert, was also involved.
Mr Staite said: "Scotch & Wry was, and still is, such a huge part of Hogmanay in Scotland.
"The writing was so clever and has very much stood the test of time. Going over old scripts, it struck me how the lines are still as funny today as they ever were.
"I think Gregor brings that ideal mix of deadpan droll and clever comic timing to Jolly - something I’m sure Rikki Fulton would have approved of. We hope the audience have as much fun watching it as we did making it."
Gilbert added: "It’s nice to be involved again all these years later.
"It’s a sketch that has a real place in the hearts of Scotland and was such a fixture of Hogmanay.
“Inevitably, people will compare what Gregor’s doing to what Rikki did, but it’s not about that.
"Gregor is not doing an impersonation, it’s more of an emulation."
Hogmanay Live is broadcast on December 31, at 11.30pm on BBC One Scotland.
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