The comic misadventures of the crew of a Scottish cargo vessel in the 1930s.
Set on the west coast of Scotland, the series follows the exploits of the Vital Spark, a small cargo boat known as a Clyde puffer. Its wily captain, Peter “Para Handy” MacFarlane (Gregor Fisher), schemes his way from port to port, usually with disastrous but comical results. His crew consists of the perpetually weary engineer Dan MacPhail (Rikki Fulton), the swaggering mate Dougie (Sean Scanlan), and the naive cabin boy Sunny Jim (Andrew Fairlie). Together, they transport unlikely cargoes and become entangled in the affairs of the small communities of the Western Isles.
This lavish, film-shot revival of Neil Munro’s classic stories was a high-profile production for BBC Scotland. It followed two previous, fondly remembered television adaptations and was designed to be the definitive screen version. Its quality is evident in the extensive location filming across the Crinan Canal and the Firth of Clyde, which gives the series a rich, authentic atmosphere. The casting of Gregor Fisher opposite Scottish comedy legend Rikki Fulton provided a strong central pairing, and the production also featured an early television appearance by David Tennant. Despite its pedigree, the series was limited to just nine episodes over two seasons.
Broadcast: BBC One, 9 Episodes, Sundays
Based on the stories by: Neil Munro
Script Editor: Niall Clark
Music: Phil Cunningham
Producer: Colin Gilbert
Main Cast: Gregor Fisher (Para Handy), Rikki Fulton (Dan MacPhail), Sean Scanlan (Dougie), Andrew Fairlie (Sunny Jim), Paul Young (Andrew Campbell)
