Scotcast - The Great BBC Soap Opera

The future of River City has been discussed in the Scottish Parliament after the BBC’s decision to cancel the long-running soap due to "changing viewing patterns".

MSPs were supported by members of the cast at Holyrood – and join other famous names like Ewan McGregor, Richard E Grant and Irvine Welsh in urging the corporation to reconsider.

We ask TV critic Siobhan Synott if Scotland is a place for creatives to thrive. And actor Tom Urie, who played Big Bob in the soap, tells us how important it has been in launching careers.

And what to do about 'headphone dodgers' who play music and videos out loud in public?

Scotcast is the BBC’s Scottish news podcast, with Martin Geissler, Laura Miller and Natalie Higgins.

Get in touch with us by emailing scotcast@bbc.co.uk

Published on Thursday, 24th April 2025.

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We are not the BBC, we only list available podcasts. To find out more about the programme including episodes available on BBC iPlayer, go to the Scotcast webpage.