# Rab C. Nesbitt (1990)

> A drunken, string-vested layabout in Glasgow's Govan philosophises his way through a life of pub-fuelled chaos.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/5917

## Facts

- Seasons: 10
- Episodes: 61
- Episode runtime: 30 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: comedy
- Created by: Ian Pattison
- Network: BBC One
- Cast: Gregor Fisher, Tony Roper, Elaine C. Smith, Russell Hunter, David Tennant, Richard E. Grant, John Sessions, Felicity Montagu
- TMDB rating: 7.5/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0129709/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: measured
- Intensity: mild
- Complexity: simple
- Violence: mild
- Tone: sardonic, bleak, irreverent, affectionate, deadpan

## Synopsis

Rab C. Nesbitt (1990-2011) is a British national-television dark comedy sitcom created by Ian Pattison for BBC One. Gregor Fisher plays Rab C. Nesbitt, a drunken, string-vested layabout in the working class area of Govan in Glasgow, who dispenses grand philosophical opinions to anyone who will listen. Tony Roper plays his devious, womanising pal Jamesie Cotter, and Elaine C. Smith plays Mary Nesbitt, his long suffering wife who holds the household together while Rab drinks with his mates. The engine of the show is simple: Rab wants nothing more than his next drink and a moment of self regarded wisdom, while the world around him keeps intruding through money troubles, family rows and pub schemes. Each episode is a self contained half hour of talky scenes and blunt Glaswegian humour, unfolding across ten seasons and sixty one episodes. Its satire of Scottish working class life is grim, sardonic and affectionate in equal measure, and the comedy often breaks the fourth wall. Fans of Still Game and Father Ted will find resonance in its blend of bleak humour and absurd dignity.

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