CAST ON RETURN
AFTER five long months off screen, BBC Scotland’s flagship drama River City started filming this week – and the cast and crew are as “buzzing” about the show being back as their loyal army of fans.
Cameras are now rolling once again at the award-winning soap’s BBC Dumbarton Studios following the lengthy hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic.
With new episodes set to air from early October, viewers will finally get to see the next instalment in gripping storylines including the mystery of Poppy’s stalker.
There will also be the usual twists and turns we’ve come to expect from the residents of Shieldinch, including the return of River City regulars, the funeral of a much-loved local and even a coronavirus plot where a mystery main character will be struck down with the deadly virus.
Gayle Telfer Stevens, who plays Caitlin McLean, is thrilled to be making her return after such an unsettling time, when she feared for a while she may never get the chance to work with her famously close-knit group of colleagues ever again.
Gayle said: “I’m absolutely buzzing. It’s so good just to even be walking on the ground here again.
“It’s a sheer mix of emotions from gratefulness, delight, nerves and relief to still be working.
“I remember lots of chats that week of March 16 when it was all kind of kicking off, it felt like impending doom.
“We were uncertain about what we were doing, whether we were to keep going and then that was it, we stopped.
“At first we thought we’d just be away for three weeks. I was so sure I even left my coffee machine here.
“But as time went on we did fear at points that River City wasn’t going to ever come back because, like everyone, we were just so worried because of the uncertainty of this situation. I cried myself to sleep when I thought that.”
The drama will note the fivemonth break on-screen, highlighting the life-changing reality for the residents of Shieldinch.
The pandemic was covered in realtime with online first-person monologues by characters such as Stephen Purdon’s fan favourite Bob O’Hara, so producers felt they had the luxury to pick up scenes in October.
The fact that cast and crew have been through the mill, just like the rest of us