Burnistoun

Last updated

Burnistoun
Genre Sketch show
Directed byIain Davidson
Starring Robert Florence
Iain Connell
Louise Stewart
Kirsty Strain
Allan Miller
Richard Rankin
David Allan
Gerry McLaughlin
Theme music composerJohn Mark Williams (Series 1), Over the Wall (Series 2)
Opening theme"Stripadilla" (Series 1), "Thurso" (Series 2)
Country of origin Scotland
Original languages Scots
English
No. of series3 and specials
No. of episodes22 (including pilot)
Production
Executive producers Colin Gilbert
Ewan Angus
ProducerRab Christie
Production location Greater Glasgow
EditorCalum Ross
Running time30 minutes
Production companies The Comedy Unit
Bold Yin (Series 3)
Original release
Network BBC Two Scotland (Series 1 and 3)
BBC One Scotland (Series 2)
BBC Scotland (Burnistoun Tunes In)
Release25 February 2009 (2009-02-25) 
24 February 2019 (2019-02-24)

Burnistoun is a Scottish comedy sketch show broadcast by BBC Scotland, written by comedians Iain Connell and Robert Florence. The show was produced by The Comedy Unit [1] and later in series 3 was co-produced by Bold Yin.

Contents

The series is set in a fictional Scottish town called Burnistoun in the greater Glasgow area and features a variety of odd and absurd characters. The town's name is derived from the Springburn and Dennistoun areas of Glasgow, where Florence and Connell, respectively, grew up. [2]

Connell and Florence have previously written sitcoms such as Empty and Legit, and have created characters for Chewin' the Fat and The Karen Dunbar Show .[ citation needed ]

The show's third and final season ended in September 2012. [ citation needed ]

Broadcast

The pilot was broadcast by BBC Two Scotland on 25 February 2009 and rerun on 29 March 2010. On 20, 22, and 25 January 2010, audience reaction screenings were shown at the Odeon Cinema, Springfield Quay, Glasgow, where approximately 240 minutes of unfinalized sketches were shown to assist the production team in their choice of material for the forthcoming series. The first episode of series one aired on 1 March 2010 at 10 pm on BBC Two Scotland.

Burnistoun ran for three series from 2010 to 2012. Each series contained six episodes for a total of eighteen episodes. Each episode ran for thirty minutes, composed of various unconnected sketches with a few running gags and characters (see below). There have been further one-off episodes, including Burnistoun's Big Night aired on 17 July 2015, Burnistoun Goes to Work aired on Christmas 2016, and Burnistoun Tunes In, shown at the launch of the BBC Scotland channel on 24 February 2019, nearly 10 years to the day the first episode was broadcast.

Recurring characters and situations

Live show

In March 2015, Connell and Florence created a live stage show based on Burnistoun, entitled Burnistoun: Live and For Real. The show, held at the Kings Theatre in Glasgow, featured Connell and Florence, supported by series regulars Louise Stewart and Gerry McLaughlin, bringing to life sketches and beloved characters such as the Quality Polis and Jolly Boy John. [3] The show generated a very positive response from both fans and critics, and due to its success, more shows were scheduled for August 2015. [4] The show also played at the 2016 Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

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References

  1. "The Comedy Unit - Part of the RDF Media Group - TV Radio Live Shows Glasgow Scotland". Archived from the original on 12 June 2010. Retrieved 15 February 2010.
  2. "RAB FLORENCE on Twitter".
  3. "Live Review: Burnistoun – Live And For Real at Kings Theatre, Glasgow" . Retrieved 21 June 2015.
  4. English, Paul (15 August 2015). "Burnistoun is back on stage and on television.. and comic duo are delighted".