The Good, The Bad And The Unexpected gets TV pilot
- A television adaptation of The Good, The Bad And The Unexpected is coming to BBC Scotland
- Greg McHugh, Elaine C. Smith and poet Len Pennie join host Mark Nelson on the pilot
- BBC Scotland is also piloting The Remotely Amusing Gameshow
The Good, The Bad And The Unexpected is being piloted for television, one of two new shows being tried out on BBC Scotland.
Originally a podcast, the panel show has run for ten series on BBC Radio Scotland since 2014, and comes to the television channel on Monday. Mark Nelson reprises his radio role of host and the guests are Greg McHugh, Elaine C. Smith and poet Len Pennie.
With the panel striving to impress Nelson and the audience with their tales of good, bad and unexpected experiences, "we've tried to make it a bit more visual for television, with a few picture rounds" producer Richard Melvin told British Comedy Guide. "The way we persuade guests to come on is by explaining that it's essentially a chat show disguised as a panel show.
"It's a really cool, laid-back format and listeners seem to love it. It's sort of the antidote to the topical, gaggy stuff on [fellow BBC Scotland panel show] Breaking The News. We've often topped the BBC Sounds chart ahead of shows like The News Quiz and I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue."
Based on an original idea by stand-up Jo Caulfield and her husband, comedy writer Kevin Anderson, The Good, The Bad And The Unexpected was initially hosted by Melvin himself, then by Julia Sutherland when it moved to radio and Nelson since Series 2.
Made by Melvin's Dabster Productions, production begins on an eleventh run of the radio show shortly, with two further series commissioned. The television pilot follows a successful, non-broadcast taster shot last year.
Comedians to have appeared on the radio version have included Caulfield, Sutherland, Paul Sinha, Seann Walsh, Janey Godley, Miles Jupp, Zoe Lyons, Lucy Porter, Fred MacAulay, Dave Johns, Alun Cochrane, Shaparak Khorsandi, Les Dennis, Andrew Maxwell, Hal Cruttenden, Rory Bremner, Sanjeev Kohli, Kiri Pritchard-McLean, Larry Dean and Phil Nichol.
However, the show has also featured performers and personalities from across the spectrum of entertainment and sport, such as American Pie singer Don McLean, Spandau Ballet's Tony Hadley, broadcaster Kirsty Wark, Eddie "The Eagle" Edwards, footballer-turned-pundit Pat Nevin and Mr Motivator.
"It's a great format and I'm really excited about it going out on telly" Melvin said. "Because it's a rare thing where a show gets the chance to develop on radio before coming to TV, it doesn't happen as often as you hope. Fingers crossed, we'll wait and see what happens from here."
The following week, on 11th April, Karen Dunbar hosts The Remotely Amusing Gameshow, in which the panellists perform challenges out and about across Scotland. Guests on the pilot are Still Game star Sanjeev Kohli, Scot Squad's Julie Nimmo and stand-up Ray Bradshaw.