
Glasgow Telly Festival's programme of activities revealed
The festival, conceived by Scottish author, producer, and screenwriter Claire Duffy, will feature a series of events across the city, showcasing the work of Glasgow's writers, producers, directors, and actors.
Read more: Glasgow show to celebrate iconic member of The Beatles
The festival programme was launched at Glasgow's VOCO Grand Central Hotel, the birthplace of television, where the first-ever TV broadcast took place in 1927.
Scottish TV stars, including Colin McCredie, Sanjeev Kohli, and John Scougall, who will all be performing during the festival, attended the launch event.
Festival organiser Claire Duffy joins Scottish actors Sanjeev Kohli, Colin McCredie and John Scougall to launch the programme of events (Image: Supplied)
Other Scottish TV talent involved in the festival include Taggart's Blythe Duff, Scots Squad stars Jordan Young, Karen Barke, and Chris Forbes, and celebrated actor Siobhan Redmond.
The festival has also garnered support from Scottish TV stalwarts, including actors Brian Cox, Dawn Steele, Joe McFadden, and Shauna Macdonald.
As well as presenter Carol Smillie, and Still Game and Chewin' The Fat director Michael Hines.
Read more: Glasgow fashion shop saves 12,500kg of clothing from going to landfill
The festival will kick off on May 29 with the Glasgow Telly Legends Pick of the Pilots event, a panel discussion featuring stars and creators of some of the most iconic Glasgow series.
Meanwhile, a guerrilla-style campaign of one-minute pilot videos showcasing the work of both Scotland's well-known and undiscovered TV talent will feature throughout the festival's run.
These videos will be shown in pubs and other venues across the city.
It will conclude on June 1 with a TV Pilot Open Mic Night, where scenes from potential new TV dramas will be performed live by some of Scotland's most fantastic actors.
Claire Duffy, founder and organiser of the festival, said: "It's so exciting to be at this stage of festival prep.
"Not many people realise that TV was actually invented in Glasgow almost 100 years ago - with the first-ever television broadcast taking place from the Grand Central Hotel in 1927.
"It was incredibly meaningful to launch our programme of events at the same venue and, while we may have lost our way in the Scottish TV industry in recent years, it's so inspiring to be at the start of what I truly feel will be a resurgence for Scottish TV talent.
"The Glasgow Telly Festival will be the catalyst to a new way of doing things to help bring back hope, creativity, risk-taking and opportunity into the TV industry again, and we can't wait to share our talented creatives with Glasgow audiences."
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Daily Record
4 hours ago
- Daily Record
Nicola Walker's brutal admission about marriage as she says 'it's not the most romantic'
Nicola Walker is back for a brand new series of Annika on BBC One - but what do we really know about the actress and her personal life when the camera's aren't rolling? Nicola Walker is about to return to the lead role in BBC crime drama Annika, which is already dubbed "as good as detective series gets". Nicola will reprise her role as the titular star Annika Strandhed, a detective inspector working in the Glasgow homicide team and tasked with solving some of the most unfathomable murders to ever wash up on Scottish shores. Annika is loosely based on the hit Radio 4 comedy drama of the same name, with the popular programme first airing in 2021 on UKTV channel Alibi. It wasn't until two years later that BBC added the detective series to its own prime time viewing schedule. Season two is now gearing up to launch on the BBC with the hotly anticipated series being broadcast at 9:10pm with Annika ready to investigate further grisly murders in Scottish waters. An official synopsis for the brand new season reads: "The team are challenged as their dynamics shift, pushing them to rapidly adapt as they encounter murders more complex than ever before. The crimes take them to new landscapes, showing multiple sides of Scotland from the Hebridean Isles to the vibrant capital city, Edinburgh. "Meanwhile, Annika balances a family dynamic that grows more complicated as long-held secrets from the past begin to impact her relationships. As always, Annika breaks the fourth wall, sharing her wry and humorous observations through a literary lens, alongside raising her brilliant yet complex teenage daughter, Morgan." After the news that season two had been green lit for a second series, Nicola told the BBC: "We are all looking forward to fighting crime on sea and land with the MHU for a second series and there are secrets closer to home for Annika that will have to be faced. It's going to be a bumpy ride!" Away from the screen, Nicola is married to Barnaby Kay with their relationship formed based on pragmatic considerations rather than romantic ideals, reports the Express. Both having lost a parent at a young age, the couple chose to tie the knot for legal security after welcoming their son, as Nicola candidly shared with Radio Times: "Me and my husband, because we both lost a parent young, we thought, after we had a child, we ought to get married, in case one of us dies, so that the legalities are clear." She acknowledges that matrimony wasn't something she would have pursued without these practical considerations: "Which is not the most romantic reason to get married but is probably the only thing that would have got me to sign a piece of paper." Nicola and Barnaby's romance started in 1994 during filming of The Libertine, eventually leading to marriage and welcoming their son, Harry. In a frank discussion, the actress compared marriage to "going to work". "Putting on a lovely dress and make-up, learning lines, someone doing your hair ... I can see that would be really appealing if you don't do it for a living," she revealed. Annika season 2 is set to air tonight (August 2) at 9:10pm, on BBC One.


North Wales Chronicle
6 hours ago
- North Wales Chronicle
Swinney brands Gaza crisis ‘genocide' after Fringe show disrupted
Police were called to the Stand Comedy Club in Edinburgh after the First Minister was interrupted seven times by six different groups of protesters during a conversation with comedian Susan Morrison. The protesters urged the First Minister to describe the crisis as a genocide and stop state funding for arms companies. Speaking to journalists after the event, the First Minister said: 'It's quite clear that there is a genocide in Palestine – it can't be disputed. 'I have seen reports of terrible atrocities which have the character of being genocide. 'I've expressed that and obviously it's not reached all those individuals, but that's my feeling.' The Scottish Government has also been criticised for – while not funding directly the manufacturing of munitions – providing money for apprenticeships at firms which build weapons. But the First Minister said the Government's commercial arm Scottish Enterprise has the 'strictest assessments imaginable about the purpose and the use of public expenditure in companies who may be related to defence industries'. Pushed on providing money for staff who could potentially build munitions, the First Minister added: 'We're trying to enable companies to diversify their activities, that's the purpose. 'That's why the due diligence checks are applied and they are applied unreservedly.' Throughout the show, groups of attendees stood up, holding signs which spelled the word 'genocide', and heckled the First Minister. As the event continued, the interruptions became more forceful, before two groups stood at the same time, angrily shouting at the First Minister and chanting slogans such as 'call it genocide'. Members of his security team stood in front of the stage, stopping protesters from approaching the First Minister, before three uniformed police officers arrived at the venue to usher the protesters out. I still remember the bus ride to my first Edinburgh Festival show as a teenager, with my late mother – not knowing it would spark a lifelong love of culture. As the Festival season starts, I want every community in Scotland to have that same access to a booming cultural scene. — John Swinney (@JohnSwinney) August 2, 2025 During the tense exchange, which lasted several minutes, a number of the crowd – who were not protesting – appeared to be in tears. A final disruption came from one woman in the crowd, who asked the First Minister why he had not responded to her letter about heavy metal band Disturbed playing at the Hydro in Glasgow. The band's lead singer David Draiman has been criticised after being pictured signing an Israeli bomb. The woman asked the First Minister why he did not speak out on Disturbed playing at the city's biggest venue, when he said it would be inappropriate for Irish band Kneecap to play the TRNSMT festival after comments members of the band had made about Tory MPs. The First Minister said his comments on Kneecap had come due to questions from the media and he 'didn't particularly' want to speak about the band earlier this year, adding that he did not want to choose what art people do and do not consume. The woman became increasingly angry with the First Minister's response and was eventually dragged from the venue by a police officer, whom she branded a 'thug'.

Rhyl Journal
6 hours ago
- Rhyl Journal
Swinney brands Gaza crisis ‘genocide' after Fringe show disrupted
Police were called to the Stand Comedy Club in Edinburgh after the First Minister was interrupted seven times by six different groups of protesters during a conversation with comedian Susan Morrison. The protesters urged the First Minister to describe the crisis as a genocide and stop state funding for arms companies. Speaking to journalists after the event, the First Minister said: 'It's quite clear that there is a genocide in Palestine – it can't be disputed. 'I have seen reports of terrible atrocities which have the character of being genocide. 'I've expressed that and obviously it's not reached all those individuals, but that's my feeling.' The Scottish Government has also been criticised for – while not funding directly the manufacturing of munitions – providing money for apprenticeships at firms which build weapons. But the First Minister said the Government's commercial arm Scottish Enterprise has the 'strictest assessments imaginable about the purpose and the use of public expenditure in companies who may be related to defence industries'. Pushed on providing money for staff who could potentially build munitions, the First Minister added: 'We're trying to enable companies to diversify their activities, that's the purpose. 'That's why the due diligence checks are applied and they are applied unreservedly.' Throughout the show, groups of attendees stood up, holding signs which spelled the word 'genocide', and heckled the First Minister. As the event continued, the interruptions became more forceful, before two groups stood at the same time, angrily shouting at the First Minister and chanting slogans such as 'call it genocide'. Members of his security team stood in front of the stage, stopping protesters from approaching the First Minister, before three uniformed police officers arrived at the venue to usher the protesters out. I still remember the bus ride to my first Edinburgh Festival show as a teenager, with my late mother – not knowing it would spark a lifelong love of culture. As the Festival season starts, I want every community in Scotland to have that same access to a booming cultural scene. — John Swinney (@JohnSwinney) August 2, 2025 During the tense exchange, which lasted several minutes, a number of the crowd – who were not protesting – appeared to be in tears. A final disruption came from one woman in the crowd, who asked the First Minister why he had not responded to her letter about heavy metal band Disturbed playing at the Hydro in Glasgow. The band's lead singer David Draiman has been criticised after being pictured signing an Israeli bomb. The woman asked the First Minister why he did not speak out on Disturbed playing at the city's biggest venue, when he said it would be inappropriate for Irish band Kneecap to play the TRNSMT festival after comments members of the band had made about Tory MPs. The First Minister said his comments on Kneecap had come due to questions from the media and he 'didn't particularly' want to speak about the band earlier this year, adding that he did not want to choose what art people do and do not consume. The woman became increasingly angry with the First Minister's response and was eventually dragged from the venue by a police officer, whom she branded a 'thug'.