Hints of fiery finale for last ever episode of River City

Johnny McKnight has written for River City for almost a decade so, when it was announced that the show was drawing to a close after 24 years, he asked if he could write the final episode.

“Those moments don’t come up very often with long-running shows so I thought it might be cathartic and a nice way to say goodbye as a writer,” he says.

Details of the episode, which will air on Monday, are a closely-guarded secret but images released showing a bloodied Lenny Murdoch amidst a dramatic fire scene suggest the show’s arch-villain, played by Frank Gallagher, is at the centre of it.

He said he felt a huge responsibility to the show’s fans to give them a satisfying ending.

He points to cult TV shows whose endings have divided fans – like The Sopranos, Dexter, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel.

Gallagher says: “I’m just part of a massive collective team effort and I hope we’ve done the fans proud to the end.”

He thinks the show has always managed to walk a fine line between comedy and drama.

“River City is what I think it is to be Scottish. Our punches have punchlines.

“We take our trauma and we find a way to tell it in a pub that makes it palatable, and the humour co-exists alongside the drama.”

Grant Stott, who played Sam Spiller, says it was the comedy which attracted him to the role.

A broadcaster and pantomime regular, he had limited experience of TV drama.

“There is no way I would have got that kind of experience on another show and for that I will be forever grateful; that was always a bit of a dream for me and so to finally achieve that at this stage of my career was very special.

“If I never get a chance to work in the TV drama industry ever again, I’m all right with that because I’ve achieved what I wanted to do.”

Jenny Hulse, who has played Lenny Murdoch’s daughter Amber, has a central role in the finale.

Although it was filmed in April, she says the cast and crew are normally returning to set at this time of year.

“I still think in my muscle memory I’m gearing up for filming again and just waiting for the scripts,” she says.

The show, filmed on a now-demolished set in Dumbarton, was famous for its intensive production schedule.

“We were sometimes doing 17 pages a day of quite fast-paced dialogue, whereas if you were on another TV drama set it would be four pages,” she says.

“It’s like a moving train and when you join you just have to kind of jump on and cling on.”

Over 24 years, River City also became known as a hugely important training ground, not just for actors and writers but directors, camera operators, electricians, make-up artists, wardrobe staff and every aspect of the TV industry.

Many have graduated onto other jobs in the industry.

“That legacy and pride in what we did is really special,” says Jenny.

“I feel so lucky to have had the opportunity to play the same character and have regular work for 10 years, which is unusual.”

‘Conveyor belt of talent’

Jenny recalled that when she first started out she had only done stage work and some TV.

She added: “I’ve learned so much.

“Ryan Graham, who directed the finale, started off as a camera trainee way back.

“Holly Jack, who plays Nicole, now directs episodes, as does Sally Reid.

“Cast members become writers, camera operators and directors, and it’s incredible to watch that whole conveyor belt of talent.

“It’s been a factory. A factory of creativity.”

For cast and crew, it’s now time to sit back and watch their final piece of work.

As well as the final hour-long episode, there’s a one-off documentary, River City: The Last Decade.

For many of fans, it’s hard to accept it’s over.

“We did an event at the Tron Theatre in Glasgow a couple of weeks ago,” says Johnny McKnight.

“We had some of the cast of River City and I was hosting it, and it was just beautiful to see so many fans there.

“They kept asking: ‘Will it come back? Do you think it’ll have another life?’

“And you feel terrible saying, ‘Well, the set has been demolished, so it’s looking less likely’.”