New Karen Dunbar sitcom pilot to debut on Friday

"In Voluntary", A Comedy Unit production starring Karen Dunbar (Chewin' The Fat), transmits this Friday (8th September) at 10.35 pm on BBC One Scotland.

The show is set in a small High Street charity shop. Ella (played by Karen Dunbar) is the rather bossy and opinionated senior partner in the shop and Susan (Julie Wilson Nimmo) is her somewhat put upon colleague. The Well-Wishers Charity Shop is their home-away-from-home and sanctuary from the real world. Although they work in a charity shop, there's nothing charitable about Ella and Susan's attitude to their customers. Shoplifters and pensioners in 'just for a heat' get equally short shrift, while anyone looking for an overlooked rarity that they can sell for a fortune later on eBay is likely to get more than they bargained for. Even the workmen digging the road outside don't escape a few barbed comments.

Despite the fact that they bicker and disagree, Ella and Susan will always close ranks against any outside threat. After all, the charity shop is their domain and sometimes it seems that the shop, and each other, are all the pair of them have.

In Voluntary is the second of three brand new comedy pilots for BBC One Scotland. The first pilot, "Dear Green Place", a snapshot of parklife in Glasgow written by Paul Riley (Winston in Still Game) and Chewin' The Fat sketch writer Rab Christie, made its debut earlier this month. The third is "Legit", featuring Naked Video and City Lights veteran Andy Gray. This will transmit on Friday, 15th September at 10.35 pm.