TONIGHT will see the first episode of a new series on BBC Scotland that promises to change the way that people see Scottish football on television.
A View from The Terrace promises “an irreverent, sideways look at the world of Scottish football, from the top of the pile to the dogfights, the stars to the journeymen”.
As the name suggests it has been brought to the screen by the people behind the successful Terrace Podcasts and features regulars Craig G Telfer, Robert Borthwick, Shaughan McGuigan, Joel Sked and show creator Craig Fowler.
It is the first major television commission for Edinburgh-based Studio Something and followed a pitch made by their creative director Jordan Laird to the new BBC channel. Laird is now directing the series which will have an initial run of 10 episodes going out on Fridays at 11pm.
The team behind the programme emphasise that it is very much an adaptation of the Terrace Podcast and they retain editorial control.
Laird told The National: “The BBC were looking for a new alternative football show that was looking at Scottish football in a different way.
“This is a really exciting time for Scottish football and there’s a lot going on in the game – it feels as though there are a lot of people looking at Scottish football and away from the English Premiership, which is getting further and further away from ordinary people.
“Last summer my company Studio Something which has specialised in advertising production was approached by Robert Borthwick who works for us and who is well known for his work on the Terrace.
“We brought together ourselves and the Terrace guys and we made a pilot show for the BBC. I’m delighted to say we soon found out they had liked it and we were likely to do the series.
“There was a bit of a wait but then it was confirmed that we were going to do 10 episodes and that is where we are at today.”
Laird explained that the show would be a mixture of around 45 minutes of studio conversation about the game in Scotland from top to bottom, featuring matches that have just been played and a preview of the games coming up. There will also be special features and discussions on many topics that surround football in Scotland, including several regular features from the podcast.
An original idea for the TV show is the Boyata Index, named after the Celtic player Dedryck Boyata who one pundit last year said was worth £50 million.
Laird said: “We will be featuring the index and I know for sure it will get some attention, because if Boyata is worth £50m then we will have to rate Bobby Linn from Arbroath at £275m because he scores a lot of goals and let’s face it goals win matches.”
The presenters make their loyalties clear – Craig G Telfer is a Stenhousemuir fan, Shaughan McGuigan is a Raith Rovers supporter, while Craig Fowler and Joel Sked follow Heart of Midlothian.
The programme will look at women’s football and a feature on Rachael Small, who plays for Hibs ladies, is promised.
There will also be a feature called Away Away which looks at football as it is played in the far away parts of Scotland that never get television coverage, such as the Outer Hebrides.
Laird said: “We take the attitude that football doesn’t have to be on its own planet and you can be into things like music as well.”
“For instance, tonight we’ll feature Stephen O’Donnell, the Scotland right-back who likes to bake Empire biscuits in his spare time.
“We think that featuring people away from playing football and training gets more out of them. It’s part of our belief that football doesn’t always have to be taken seriously.”
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here