River City Feed

Lenny's Back!

2011-06-22T09:47:05+00:00

I think really all I have to say this week is LENNY'S BACK!! Thanks to all the fans who went crazy last night on Twitter and Facebook, the reaction has been amazing!! A special thanks to those that put a big effort in to try and get #lennymurdoch trending on Twitter - we didn't manage it but we had a right good crack it! There were some brilliant tweets saying how pleased you were that he was back and that it was the most exciting episode for a while - high praise indeed so keep it coming!

So Lenny came back and sorted everyone out - Deek's out the jail, McCabe's in the jail and Fraser's card is well and truly marked! Lenny is claiming that he's changed his dodgy ways but Lenny Murdoch turned legit? I don't believe it! This will definitely not be the end of the big Lenny stories - he's got to stick around and look after his little princess. You may have read in the press this week that Lorna Anderson has decided to leave the show, that means we've got her big exit story still to come (she's on screen til September though). Plenty of big shocks still to come - I guarantee it!

Thank goodness Deek's out of jail, it looks like he was getting a hard time, he should have had a wee Morgan Freeman voiceover as he exited the tube station. What's he going to say when he finds out Jimmy was behind it all? I know Jimmy was in the wrong but I just can't be mad at him. I hope they go easy on him.

Charlie is so cute, he's over the moon to finally get the girl but is 'Airy Fairy' Annie hiding something? Well, yes, she definitely is going by her actions last night! But what could it be?! There's a bit of buzz on Twitter and Facebook about it, my lips are sealed but let us know what you would most like to see as her secret.

Lastly, sorry for the lack of Blog last week, I had a wee technical glitch but it's all sorted now!

Random Trivia of the Week
Billy McElhaney (Jimmy) was once head butted on the buttocks by a goat while playing the Hunchback of Notre Dame in a play!

Quote of the Week
McCabe: "Cold bacon? I hate cold bacon." - I love how random McCabe is!

News Flash!

2011-05-24T09:58:06+00:00

Big news from the River City Press Office today - Wee Bob is coming back and so is sister Kelly-Marie! The following statement has been released:

Wee Bob is back with Kelly-Marie in tow.
Bob will be making his return to Shieldinch with some extra baggage - his big sister Kelly-Marie. Bob headed off to Peru in early April as Kelly-Marie was having relationship troubles - but both will be returning after things don't go to plan. Their return will be on-screen in September but the pair have started filming together in Dumbarton.

On returning to the cast Carmen Pieraccini says: "I'm really excited about coming back and being with all the Adams again and of course seeing the cast again. It's been three years since I last played Kelly-Marie and a lot has changed with her - but she's still the same girl at heart and will be lots of fun to play again."

Stephen Purdon plays Bob and adds: "I can't wait to get back to work especially as I will be working with Carmen. She really is just like my big sister and we have always had great fun working together." Stephen took a break from filming earlier this year due to illness and says: "I'm now beginning to feel back to myself and want to thank everyone for their support and wishes."

Executive Producer Gaynor Holmes says: "It's great to see Stephen back at work and we're delighted to be welcoming Carmen back to the show too. It's fantastic to see the return of two much loved characters at a time when the show is continuing to go from strength to strength. Bob and Kelly-Marie have always been very popular with the audience and they are bringing with them an exciting storyline which is set to shake things up in Shieldinch."

Kelly-Marie will be on screen in September, with her last on screen appearance in April 2008.

We are really excited about it here in Dumbarton, what do you all think of Kelly-Marie's return? What do you think she'll be getting up to now that she's back in Shieldinch? Let us know your thoughts!

Deek fought the law and the law won...

2011-05-18T13:31:54+00:00

So Deek's singing the prison blues and it doesn't look like it's gonna be a jailhouse rock, in fact he's going to be downright miserable. He's innocent and really isn't going to be able to handle all the hardened criminal types banged up with him. Even worse, it's lovable Jimmy that's to blame for his predicament! What do you think of Jimmy's actions? Should he give himself up or leave Deek to fend for himself? The wrath of McCabe would be a quite a big reason to keep quiet - he was absolutely terrifying in this episode! For more pics of poor Deek languishing in jail click here.

Unlucky in love Jo was asking one night stand Simon will you still love me tomorrow and the answer was a big fat no! He couldn't get out the door fast enough when he realised she came with 'baggage'. But it looks like Gabriel would like to be more than just a part-time lover, he was genuinely gutted when he found out she'd been with Simon. Will that pair ever get it together?!

Dr Brodie has been getting some nasty letters from someone that seems to know the secrets of the Brodie family, who do you think might be behind it? Give us your suggestions below.

Don't forget that River City will be featured on STV's The Hour on Thursday 19th May and Friday 20th May.

Let us know your thoughts on this week's episode by leaving comments below.

Random Trivia of the Week
Billy McElhaney (Jimmy) thought it would be a good idea to clean his white canvas shoes (it was the 80's) with fairy liquid. He swaggered off to a David Bowie concert but it started raining and bubbles starting seeping out of his shoes - he got some funny looks that night! Maybe Billy should reconsider becoming the next Anthea Turner domestic goddesss...

Quote of the Week
Gabriel: "You can sweep my entrance anytime darlin'..."

Being Victor

2010-10-09T08:02:58+00:00

Two familiar faces from River City are making an appearance in STV's teen drama Being Victor. The show tells the story of the ups and downs in the life of Vinnie Dupe and his online alter-ego Victor Sage.

Sam Robertson, who played Innes Maitland, takes the part of Victor's arch enemy, lothario Danny. Laura McMonagle, familiar to River City fans from her four-year stint playing Zoe Cullen, also has a leading role in the drama as Vinnie's sister, Lesley.

Sam and Laura talked about their friendship and their experiences filming the show in The Daily Record.

Meet the Brodies

2010-10-01T12:04:13+00:00

Feathers are set to be ruffled when a new family arrives in Shieldinch. The Brodies will hit our screens in early October and we've got a few details about the new characters - for your eyes only.

Andy Clark will play Shieldinch's new GP Michael Brodie. He's married to Leyla, who's played by Maryam Hamidi, and between them they have three children: Nicole, Conor and Adeeb.

Gabriel Brodie is Michael's younger brother, who loves to live by his wits. He's played by Garry Sweeney. Garry's a familiar film face from Brit-flick successes such as Late Night Shopping and Small Faces.

Looking forward to seeing what you make of the new River City residents. They move in in early October! There will be articles about the new family appearing in the papers on Sunday 3 October so keep your eyes peeled.

Beautiful Burnout

2010-09-17T09:06:33+00:00

Photo of Ryan Fletcher in 'Beautiful Burnout' courtesy of Gavin Evans/NTS

A play whose cast is nearly fifty per cent River City alumni is touring the country's theatres to rave reviews. Beautiful Burnout by Bryony Lavery is a buzzing piece of physical theatre set in a Glasgow gym. It tells the story of aspiring champions, battling for success in the world of one of the most controversial sports - boxing.

Stuffed with great choreography, set on an innovative raised stage and featuring a pounding soundtrack by Underworld, the play tells the story of young Cameron Burns and how his interest in boxing changes his life forever. Ryan Fletcher, who played River City's Vader, continues his stage success in the role of Cameron. Lorraine McIntosh, aka Deek's mum Alice Henderson, plays Cameron's mum and she has a mixed attitude towards her son's passion. Lorriaine discussed her role when the play premiered at the Edinburgh Festival in August.

Photo of Ewan Stewart in 'Beautiful Burnout' courtesy of Johan Persson/NTS

In another lead role is Ewan Stewart, who played ex-con and Shieldinch boxing club svengali Daniel McKee. Ewan plays a boxing coach, who's charged with training up the ambitious young boxing talent.

You can catch the National Theatre of Scotland's production of Beautiful Burnout playing various venues in Scotland and England, before it heads to New York in 2011.

Bridezilla's Return

2010-08-13T15:48:30+00:00

Jo's back! And she's getting bridal and carried away with wedding bells on sister Ruth's behalf. Actress Lisa Gardner made an appearance in the press talking about Jo's return to Shieldinch. In the articles she discussed what Jo's been up to after her break in Australia. Lisa shared her thoughts on her spoilt, selfish character in The Sunday Mail and The News of the World.

It's a busy time for Lisa. She makes an appearance in Rebus: Strip Jack, Radio 4's Saturday Play. The first half of the drama is on the iPlayer and you can listen to the concluding part on Radio 4 on Saturday 14 August at 1532.

Deep in Dumbarton

2010-08-09T09:52:29+00:00

Taking place on a submarine far below the Arctic Ocean, The Deep sounds like it has nothing in common with a Glasgow-set drama. However this BBC One series was filmed in Dumbarton earlier this year in the same studios as River City.

Neil Mac works as the Unit Manager at Dumbarton. It's his job to co-ordinate the people in control of BBC in-house and independent productions on site. So Neil helped the team from Tiger Aspect Productions, who produced The Deep, to work successfully at BBC Dumbarton.

Neil kindly filled us in on a production secret from The Deep. CGI was used to create many effects in the drama, as the story takes place far below the ocean surface. A submarine set was created for 'The Orpheus' in the studio. The team filled the entire space with a smoke effect, and cleverly lit the studio area surrounding it. Neil tells us when you peered out of the window of the 'submarine' it actually looked like you were underwater.

The Deep stars Minnie Driver, James Nesbitt and Goran Visnjic. It's on weekly on Tuesdays at 2100 on BBC One Scotland until the end of August. You can watch the show on iPlayer if you miss it. Goran talks about filming the show in Scotland and the special effects involved on the TV blog and in The Sunday Mail.

Bavarian queen

2010-07-08T14:37:04+00:00

We've spotted posters around town showing a very regal-looking Joyce Falconer. She's sporting Valkyrie-style Bavarian glamour gear and is accompanied by a horned companion on the posters.

Joyce, who played Roisin, the much-loved former River City resident, is starring in a musical based on the live of 'mad' King Ludwig. Directed by Andy Arnold, Valhalla! opens at Glasgow's Tron Theatre this week. You can watch an interview with Joyce on The Hour.

It seems Joyce has been very busy of late. She's appearing in a BBC Two documentary called 'Beyond the Bothy' which will be on Friday 23 July. We'll bring you more information about this show as soon as we can.

Hot from the doc's

2010-06-25T20:59:44+00:00

It was obvious that a white-hot secret like Eileen's pregnancy wasn't going to remain a secret in Shieldinch for longer than...five minutes? From Eileen to Ruth to Liz to Malcolm and then finally to poor Raymond, the gobsmacked dad-to-be: news of Eileen's condition spread like wildfire.

Plenty of classic Rossi/Henderson family moments in this week's episode, with poor Raymond jumping to the conclusion that Gina was pregnant, and Malcolm lecturing his mid-life daughter and ex-son-in-law about taking precautions (ew).

Poor Eileen, she was like a wrung-out rag after an emotional rollercoaster of a day, but we're glad she ended up more open to the possibility of having a baby.

Paul and Deirdre, who play Raymond and Eileen, talk about their own experiences of parenthood in The Scottish Sun and Deirdre discusses the pregnancy storyline in this Daily Record article.

From Balloch to Bollywood

2010-06-21T16:05:38+00:00

Swapping tears for tiaras, Lorna Anderson's escaping her River City role as troubled Amber Murdoch for a most intriguing film part.

The actress is making her big-screen debut in a Bollywood film called Mausam, which is currently filming in Edinburgh. You can read all about it in The Scottish Sun.

The filming of Mausam has been causing a stir in Edinburgh as it features Indian megastars Sonam Kapoor and Shahid Kapoor.

Mausam is the directorial debut of Indian film veteran Pankaj Kapoor, and it's about the love between a girl and a boy, played by Pankaj's son Shahid. Part of the story is set in Scotland, and Lorna's landed the role of the main character's British best friend. We caught up with Lorna to find out more about her latest job.

Lorna tells us that several scenes are set in a Viennese ball and the actual waltz was extremely challenging. She gets to wear a stunning Viennese ball gown - which is a far cry from the urban chic usually sported by Amber. Filming will continue on Mausam until the end of July.

'Shieldinch Shellshock'!

2010-05-17T07:29:38+00:00

Just as we're getting used to Molly, Scarlett's manipulative mother and put-upon Big Bob, who's stout in body and large in heart, another O'Hara is going to shake things up big-style in Shieldinch.

Meet Theresa.

She's played by Maureen Carr, a familiar face from Still Game, and The Steamie, amongst others.

The Daily Record has a great story about Scarlett and Molly's relationship, and an interview with Maureen about Theresa, where she says:

'... it is possible that the viewers will actually be scared of me because, despite being the smallest in size, I really am the nastiest of all the O'Haras.'

Sally, Maureen and Una all get on together like a house on fire. But we're told that they are so evil to one another on screen, that the joke on set is that they should be provided with a cauldron!

You can bet the arrival of Theresa will mean yet more massive ructions in the O'Hara clan. Can't wait!

Blood love

2010-05-08T10:34:05+00:00

We've discovered a link between Montego Street and the vampires of Bon Temps, as featured in American drama series True Blood. No, Lenny's not going to be back as one of the undead, but an ex-resident of Shieldinch has made an appearance - in a viral video clip for HBO's hit vampire series.

The Daily Record has a story about Kieron Elliott, the actor and DJ who played Duncan, the doomed love of entrepreneur Heather. Look for 'Samson the vampire' on YouTube to see Kieron in blood-sucking action!

Murdoch's return

2010-04-26T13:15:01+00:00

Uh oh, it sounds like Lenny's back - beware, Shieldinch!

Last seen in chains by Ewan's grave, Lenny has scores to settle...

The News of the World has a story about the Murdochs, and The Sunday Mail has the lowdown on Lydia, aka Jacqueline Leonard, and her departure from the show.

Dolled-up

2010-04-17T07:28:34+00:00

Watch out for a River City style feature in The Sunday Mail this weekend: Sally Howitt, who plays Scarlett, and Keira Luchessi, AKA Stella, will be appearing in a vintage photo shoot in the newspaper, which is out on Sunday 18 April.

Keira and Sally will be rummaging for bargain discoveries in charity shops. Now, we all know Scarlett's no stranger to leopard skin, so it'll be interesting to see if Sally manages to avoid the lure of the animal print as she ventures into the world of thrift store style!