City Lights

1 9 8 4 – 1 9 9 1 (UK)
42 x 30 minute episodes

“Pure Dead Brilliant!”

This BBC Scotland production was set in Glasgow and starred Gerard Kelly as bank teller Willie Melvin, an incompetent man with grandiose dreams of being a novelist.

Willie worked at the (fictional) Strathclyde Savings Bank. Most of the plots revolved around his attempts to get his book, the autobiographical My Childhood Up A Close, published, with Willie consistently snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.

He was also held back by the dodgy dealings of his best friend Chancer (Andy Gray), and the lack of support he gained from his domineering mother (Jan Wilson), his obnoxious, womanising boss Adam McLelland (Dave Anderson) and his obsequious fellow teller, Brian (Jonathan Watson).

Other recurring characters included Chancer’s idiot friend Tam (Iain McColl) and Willie’s love interests, Janice (Elaine Collins) and Fiona (Ann Bryson).

Guest stars included Billy Connolly, Ronald Fraser, Kenneth Cope, Iain Cuthbertson, Miriam Margolyes and Brian Pettifer.

Gerard Kelly died on 28 October 2010 after collapsing with a brain aneurysm. He was just 51.

Willie Melvin
Gerard Kelly
Mr Adam McLelland
Dave Anderson
Chancer
Andy Gray
Tam
Iain McColl
Brian
Jonathan Watson
Mrs Melvin
Jan Wilson
Irene
Elaine C. Smith
Janice
Elaine Collins
Fiona
Ann Bryson