Scot Squad, BBC Scotland
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AFTER half-inching Sportscene and the last run of Still Game, BBC Scotland continued its ratings smash and grab last night by having it on its toes with the new series of police mock-doc Scot Squad.
What next for the naughty new kids on the block? Inviting Mrs Brown to present The Nine? Replacing Catriona Shearer on WonderBall with a Labrador puppy? (Actually, I would tune in for that.) The fifth series charting the highs, but mostly lows, of the team that make the Keystone Cops look like the SAS began with a new bod sitting in the chief’s seat. Boy, was he a bella, bella sight for weary eyes after another week on the Brexit coalface. It was none other than Gregory, of Gregory’s Girl fame, aka John Gordon Sinclair.
The world according to Jack Docherty
Delight in seeing Sinclair reporting back for Scottish comedy duty was only tempered by dismay at the thought of never encountering Cameron Miekelson again. We have grown accustomed to the big balloon’s huge face. Alas, the Miek had been suspended after being caught on camera boasting to an undercover reporter about creative ways with tax, and sharing his view that Scotland’s new unified police force was a bleeping shambles (where do these comedy writer Johnnies get their wild ideas from?).
Stars Grado and Manjot Sumal interviewed
Fortunately, like CJ in Reggie Perrin, Miekelson did not get where he is today without knowing a loophole or two, and it was not long before he was back on his perch, shouting orders to the permanently off-camera Jean.
Miekelson and the long-suffering Jean are just one of the pairings that make this comedy work a treat. City cops PC Jack McLaren and PC Sarah Fletcher are like brother and mocking sister. Officer Karen and Bobby are doting mother and devoted son, PCs Hugh McKirdy and PC Surjit Singh are odd couple best mates. Any one of these duos could hold a show on their own: put them all together and the half hour rattles in.
With Scot Squad familiarity breeds contentment. The cast have all been working together for so long now the improvisation is as smooth as the chin on Acting Sgt Ken Beattie’s baby face. So the show may not generate as many big laughs as it used to. As with the Fast Show in its later stages we are so fond of the characters by now it is enjoyment enough just to see them turn up and do their thing. There have been new characters introduced, some of which work well (the bored computer crime officer), while others - the Cagney and Lacey pairing of Louise McCarthy as Detective Andrea McGill and Julie Wilson-Nimmo as DC Megan Squire - have not quite found a place to call their own yet.
For a moment last night it looked as though everyone’s favourite twosome, Officer Karen and the hapless Bobby, were heading the way of Miekelson. Now that would be a dial 999 matter.
Bobby, with his milk bottle specs and Mr Magoo knack for getting into trouble, had gone on holiday to Peru where he met some nice men who persuaded him to put a package in his back-pack and take it home for them. It could have been the end for the big lump of daftness, but his guardian angel was soon on the case, even though she was enjoying the peace while he was away. Bobby the human weeble is not one for letting life get him down for long. Like the man-child said, apart from the stint in a foreign jail he really enjoyed his holiday. Welcome back team.
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