Burnistoun

Burnistoun creators in philosophy show for school kids

Online now and airing on the BBC Learning Channel and BBC Scotland in the summer, Enlighten Up! seems an unlikely television return for Burnistoun creators Robert Florence and Iain Connell.

I can't believe I'm the last person to be turned on to Burnistoun's pawky, plooky wit, to move around the workplace shouting "For real!", to instruct the kids that when you find ­yourself dissatisfied with your surroundings, the only reasonable response is "Up the road!" It didn't grab me at the start and I gave up - too soon, because new sketch shows often seem more miss than hit until they get under your skin, and in its third season Burnistoun has got under mine like scabies. Third and last, alas. The "Save Burnistoun" campaign - which I'm prepared to downgrade to the "Gie's a Christmas special at least" initiative in exchange for a month's supply of macaroon bars because, yes, I can be bought - starts here.

My criteria for a winning comedy are: a) Does it make me laugh? b) Are there good-looking burds in it? c) Does it allow me to come over all pretentious about sub-text, deeper meaning and Scottish identity? The answers are yes, yes and yes. Burnistoun seems to be saying that Scotland, formerly a land of inventors, may be stuck in the hoose these days but it continues to embrace the new. Who is Jolly Boy John, home-broadcasting on his laptop in Speedos to techno, if not the son of Jolly Boy John Logie Baird? As Scott, shell-suited mate of the equally sports-casual Peter, puts it: "Even yer maw's life-streamin' noo."

Not all change is good. The "Up the road!" boys loathe trendy ambience when they're out for a drink or a meal. Hairy McClowdry, host of Kiltie Time, incorporates Kanye West and Ryan Gosling into his heedrum-hodrum rhymes but that's deemed acceptable, whereas it's not okay for history presenters to stride around moors, all lustrous of barnet (Neil Oliver, I think they mean you). If there's schizophrenia at work on Burnistoun, well, isn't that the national condition? One thing we can all agree on, I'm sure, is that it's plain wrong for local talent to swan off to Hollywood and come back talking about how great it is to be "Skaddish" (Lulu, Sheena Easton and Gerard Butler, stop it now). If the show's creators, Iain Connell and Robert Florence, ever get to Hollywood - and I'd love to see Burnistoun: The Movie - it's a pretty safe bet they won't make the same ­mistake.

Burnistoun review - Episode 3.1

Hilariously inventive and original sketches dominated the half-hour episode. You'll have to catch the show on iPlayer.

Robert Florence and Iain Connell interview

Robert Florence is the dreamer of the pair while Iain Connell brings a sense of reality to the table, but when the Burnistoun writers get together, the result is infectiously clever comedy.

Burnistoun writer Robert Florence dashed the hopes of thousands of fans yesterday when he confirmed the "death" of two of the show's most popular characters.

Walter and Paul, also known as the ice-cream brothers, were last seen with their ice-cream van rolling into the sea in the cliffhanger ending of the second series on BBC Two.

Fans of the duo had hoped Florence and co-star and writer Iain Connell would resurrect the duo for the third series. But Florence yesterday tweeted that the pair were "dead".

But he later added: "All this is subject to change of course." That sparked hopes the pair will live on as characters beyond the grave, perhaps meeting their late "mammy".

Can a Scottish comedy find acceptance in English living rooms is a question being tested by Burnistoun, a sketch show from north of the border. Subtitles would occasionally be helpful, but I laughed a lot, particularly at the racehorse who took exception to a punters' insults and turned up in the back seat of his car to give him a good hoofing.

Burnistoun's Robert Florence hunts for female writers

Burnistoun star Robert Florence is putting together a team of hotshot female comic writers - after stalking them on Twitter.

Burnistoun is a bit like the Scottish version of Father Ted's Craggy Island or The League of Gentlemen's Royston Vasey - a weird small town that's home to the grotesque comic creations of Robert Florence and Iain Connell, such as catty ice cream men Paul and Walter, insecure "neds" (yobs) Peter and Scott, and Eighties-pop-loving, hair-trigger policemen McGregor and Toshan. Two series have already aired in Scotland; this episode collates highlights from the first series. It's no Little Britain, but it's passable, childish fun.

Burnistoun goes UK-wide as writers thank Daily Record

Burnistoun is set to become the latest Scottish comedy to go nationwide.

Scots comedy Burnistoun to be shown across the UK

Scottish sketch show Burnistoun has won a slot on the UK-wide network telly schedules - thanks to the Daily Record.