All-star quiz to top BBC Scotland’s festive fare

ICONIC Scottish quiz show Superscot is to make a one-off return to broadcasting on Christmas Day, when original presenter Jane Franchi hosts an all-star cast.

The TV quiz, which ran for seven years in the 1980s and was briefly revived in the early 1990s, will be a highlight of the Christmas and Hogmanay broadcasting line-up – which will also include football satire Only an Excuse? and a Hogmanay show hosted by Jackie Bird.

A documentary called Wojtek: The Bear That Went to War promises to be one of the top programmes on BBC Two Scotland, when it tells the story of a 500lb bear that travelled in the Second World War alongside a band of Polish soldiers.

Charles Fletcher, editor of Caledonia Media, praised the festive radio line-up, which also includes a Christmas Day drama starring Billy Connolly.

“This is the best radio line-up I can recall,” he said. “There has been considerable thought put into it and they are building up a stall of programmes that are distinctively Scottish.”

However, Paul Whitelaw, The Scotsman’s TV critic, said: “It is just the usual fare – the standard same old, same old stuff.” he said.

“The Hogmanay broadcast is nothing out of the ordinary, but I think the The Bear That Went to War sounds great – it’s definitely the highlight for me, although it has nothing to do with Christmas or Hogmanay. I’m not sure what that says about the rest of the line-up.”

Donalda Mackinnon, head of programmes and services at BBC Scotland, said: “Audiences traditionally come to our seasonal programming in big numbers and we hope they’ll find this year’s fare as enjoyable as ever.”