1 9 9 5 – 1 9 9 7 (UK)
20 x 50 minute episodes
Robert Carlyle starred as the eponymous easy-going police constable of the remote and picturesque (and fictional) village of Lochdubh on the west coast of Scotland.
Accompanied by his lovable West Highland Terrier ‘Wee Jock’, Hamish – the sole copper in town – pursued bucolic villains and a troublesome love life, torn between the blonde (Alex) and the brunette (Isobel) amongst the picture-postcard Scottish Highland.
He was far from a conventional TV cop, preferring to avoid enforcing the law for petty crimes, such as poaching or after-hours drinking and resisting interference from the nearby Inverness police.
His role in the village was more counsellor than law enforcer, and he yearned for the simple things, enjoying village life and even smoking marijuana.
Influenced by American shows such as Northern Exposure, Hamish Macbeth mixed light whimsy with dark tragedy and had a wealth of quaint, bizarre and eccentric characters – chief amongst them, the enigmatic TV John.
The series showcased the talents of Carlyle, who later became a Hollywood star.
TRIVIA
While pronounced “Loch Doo” in the series, the producers chose the name of the fictional village as a play on “Locked up” (geddit?).
PC Hamish Macbeth
Robert Carlyle
TV John
Ralph Riach
Isobel
Shirley Henderson
Alex
Valerie Grogan
Esme Murray
Anne Lacey
Rory Campbell
Brian Pettifer
