BBC Comedy and BBC Scotland have commissioned Happy Tramp North to produce Only Child, a brand-new sitcom starring Greg McHugh (The A Word, Fresh Meat) as only child and budding author Richard, who travels back to his family home in North East Scotland to look after his aging and wilful dad Ken, played by Gregor Fisher (Rab C Nesbitt, Love Actually, The Cockfields), as he slips into ever more eccentric and erratic behaviour.
Written by Bryce Hart, Only Child (6x30) is a fictional comedy for BBC One and BBC iPlayer from Happy Tramp North (co-producers of the hit BBC show Guilt) which sees neighbourly squabbles, domestic and inter-generational differences all told through the lens of Richard and Ken’s father-son relationship.
Richard’s long overdue visit to recently-widowed Ken results in him realising that his dad may need a bit more full time help than he’d realised. Not that Ken would agree, but that statement is pretty much true about anything. Ken is an eccentric, strong-willed technophobe who is very much set in his ways, leaving Richard to worry about his dad growing old. Showcasing a wealth of Scottish talent, it will be filmed in Glasgow and around the North East of Scotland.
Writer Bryce Hart said: “It's a total dream come true to have my own sitcom on BBC One and I can't wait for the world to meet Ken and Richard Pritchard. As the son of a father who has steadfastly refused to learn how to compose a text message, there is no relationship as ripe for laughs as that between a Scottish son and his father.”
Greg McHugh says: “Bryce Hart has written a truly brilliant show, and I'm utterly thrilled to be a part of it. ‘Dream gigs' are often just that...but I've been assured this is real. Yaaaaas!”
Gregor Fisher adds: “I’m not really one for giving quotes, but I am very much looking forward to working with young McHugh.”
Executive Producer for Happy Tramp North, Neil Webster says: “As someone halfway between Ken and Richard in age, Bryce Hart’s beautiful scripts resonate with me on so many levels. I’m constantly having to sort out my Dad’s online log-ins whilst simultaneously handing my phone to my son because it doesn’t recognise my face. I cannot wait to see Gregor Fisher and Greg McHugh bring Bryce’s affectionate, relatable and hilarious world to life.”
Jon Petrie, BBC Director of Comedy, says: “Only Child perfectly captures awkward family dynamics and the sometimes unwelcome familiarity of returning to a hometown. This is a brilliant new sitcom for BBC One with bags of heart and I can’t wait for viewers to see it.”
Louise Thornton, Head of Commissioning at BBC Scotland said: “We are thrilled to co-commission this brand-new comedy series for BBC One. Only Child represents our commitment to developing and delivering high quality content for audiences in Scotland and across the UK. Having Gregor Fisher and Greg McHugh playing father and son is a dream and we’re so excited to be bringing these two titans of Scottish comedy together, it’s a winning combination. Bryce has written beautiful scripts full of humour and warmth and we can’t wait to see them brought to life by Scotland’s finest acting talent.”
More information
Only Child (6x30) is a Happy Tramp North production for BBC One and BBC Scotland. The Writer is Bryce Hart and the Executive Producer is Neil Webster. The series was ordered for BBC One and BBC iPlayer by Jon Petrie, Director of Comedy and Louise Thornton, Head of Commissioning at BBC Scotland. The BBC Commissioning Editor is Gregor Sharp and Gavin Smith for BBC Scotland.
Only Child’s development was supported by Screen Scotland.