Inside Only Child, the new Scottish sitcom uniting stars of Rab C Nesbitt and Gary: Tank Commander

Gregor Fisher and Greg McHugh star as Ken and Richard in the new BBC Scotland sitcom Only Child. Picture: Jamie Simpson | BBC/Happy Tramp North

When Bryce Hart was putting together his pitch for a new Scottish sitcom he had no doubt about the dream team he wanted to front it.

The Glasgow-based writer wrote down the names of Scottish comedy favourites Gregor Fisher and Greg McHugh as the ideal double act for his crucial father-son relationship.

Greg McHugh and Gregor Fisher star in the new BBC Scotland sitcom Only Child. | BBC/BBC Scotland/Happy Tramp North

Not only did the BBC snap up his show, but it also united the stars of Rab C Nesbitt and Gary: Tank Commander on screen for the first time.

The writer drew on his relationship with both of his parents and his love of classic BBC sitcoms like Steptoe and Son as the inspiration for Only Child, which will premiere on the BBC Scotland channel on 21 November.

Greg McHugh and Gregor Fisher star in the new BBC Scotland sitcom Only Child. | BBC/BBC Scotland/Happy Tramp North

Only Child opens with bit-part actor Richard returning home to the north-east town of Forres to visit his father Ken for the first time since his wife Jean passed away 12 months previously. He quickly realises that Ken, who is described by Hart as an "eccentric, strong-willed technophobe," may need more help at home than his father will admit to.

Gregor Fisher plays Ken in the new BBC Scotland sitcom Only Child. Picture: Jamie Simpson | Jamie Simpson

Hart said: "The original idea for Only Child came during lockdown.

"I was doing Zoom calls with my mum and dad's foreheads, as everyone else was.

Gregor Fisher and Greg McHugh star as Ken and Richard in the new BBC Scotland sitcom Only Child. Picture: Happy Tramp North/BBC Scotland | Happy Tramp North/BBC Scotland

"They would tell me how they had definitely been staying in, but had also been in B&Q. You couldn't quite pin them down. There was an admirable belligerence, which was quite funny, but also stressful.

Writer Bryce Hart is the creator of the new BBC Scotland sitcom Only Child. | BBC

"Things have sped up remarkably in terms of technology over the last 20 years. I sympathise 100 per cent with them on that. But my dad still can't send a text message. He just doesn't want to know how to do it. He also leaves the house without his phone, which isn't ideal."

Gregor Fisher plays Ken in the new BBC Scotland sitcom Only Child. Picture: Graeme Hunter | BBC/BBC Scotland/Happy Tramp North

Only Child has emerged from a six-year partnership between Mr Hart and producers Happy Tramp North, makers of the hit BBC Scotland comedy-thriller-mystery series Guilt. Co-founder Neil Webster and Hart previously secured a BBC commission for a separate series, Beep, about a family visiting their father in hospital while he is in a coma.

Although Beep was not taken any further, the BBC commissioned a new script for an Only Child pilot, which was then filmed with Fisher and McHugh in the lead roles, but not broadcast before a full series was announced in February.

Greg McHugh, Gregor Fisher and Amy Conachan star in the new BBC Scotland sitcom Only Child. Picture: Graeme Hunter | BBC/BBC Scotland/Happy Tramp North

Webster said: " We were heartbroken when Beep didn't go to a series, but the BBC could obviously see the potential in Bryce.

"The relationship between Ken and Richard in Only Child is absolutely one of love and frustration. When Bryce described it to me, it really connected to me. It was everything I love and hate about my dad.”

Hart said: "Beep was really about my mum and her incredible ability to keep a brave face on things, push things forward and keep everyone happy. I guess I thought: 'What is the show about my dad?'

Gregor Fisher shot to fame in the BBC Scotland comedy Rab Nesbitt. | BBC

“There are behaviours in Ken that are very similar to my dad but he is not eccentric, if anything, Ken is more like my mum. She is very sure of herself, unapologetic and funny.

"My dad and I have never doubted that we love each other. But we don't talk about things. That's just the way it is. I think that is probably true of a lot of fathers and sons. You don't doubt how you feel about each other, but saying it is another thing entirely."

Greg McHugh shot to fame in the hit BBC Scotland comedy Gary: Tank Commander.

When Hart got word that Only Child was going to a full series, he was about to become a father himself for the first time.

Hart said: "It was a mad six months writing the scripts as I was learning to be a dad.

"I had written the pilot with the perspective of being a son and then wrote the series with the perspective of being a new dad. It was very weird, but it was also lovely. Having a child can't help but open you up emotionally. I actually think it helped the show, even though I was writing it at 2am."

Only Child, which was partly filmed in Forres, sees Richard struggle to adjust to life back at home and in the north-east town, where is something of a local celebrity thanks to his minor role in a daytime drama series.

Webster says: "I’ve been living in Forres for the last eight years. We really liked the idea of Richard coming home there and being the ultimate big fish in a tiny pond. I really want the people of Forres to be proud of Only Child. It’s a very affectionate, loving look at the place.”

Hart said: "It was very important to Richard that he got out to do something, but it has not quite worked out the way he had hoped. He is an actor and is living in London, but he is not a star.

"When he comes home, he is the most famous person that has ever lived in Forres. He has a love-hate thing with that. He is still a million miles away from his dreams. Ken is the opposite of Richard. He likes living in Forres. He has been happy with his lot there. 

"Richard hasn’t been home since his mum's funeral. The only thing that has brought him back is a sense of duty around the one-year anniversary. It's been too painful for him to see his dad. There's been a cowardice in avoiding that.

"Ken needs Richard's help, as he has lost his way a bit. Richard needs to sort of grow up. They’ve been forced together and have to find a new way of moving forward."

It is 10 years since Fisher's last appearance as Rab C Nesbitt and six years since he starred in a remake of the classic Scottish movie Whisky Galore. He was last seen on screen in the Isle of Wight-set sitcom The Cockfields.

Hart said: "The Cockfields had just come out when we were putting the pitch together, so I knew Gregor was still acting. I didn't know if we’d be able to get him, but I thought he would be perfect for the part.

"He’s one of the best in the business, not just in terms of comedy, but also truth and vulnerability. There’s a scene in a live version of Rab C Nesbit that we had in the house, where Rab learns that his childhood sweetheart had died years earlier. His reaction was heartbreaking.

"It was one of those first instances where I realised just how closely comedy and tragedy live together. It never really left me."