Scotland in a Day, TV review: After a long month of campaigning, you've just got to laugh
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.After a day at the polls, a month of campaigning and centuries of increasingly fierce debate, Channel 4's mockumentary Scotland in a Day was a way for the healing to begin. Written by and featuring erstwhile Channel 5 talk-show host Jack Docherty, it featured an ensemble of Scottish comedians and actors playing characters on all sides – but especially the hitherto under-represented "Aaaarrrrghh! I just can't decide!" side.
The format – "self-shot" and set to uplifting music – is borrowed from Life in a Day, a 2011 crowdsourced documentary made by another Scot, Kevin Macdonald. You needn't have understood that reference to appreciate the point, however. Scotland in a Day presented a country full of different sorts of people, all of whom had much more to say for themselves than either Yes or No.
Brian Cox was an academic giving endless talk-radio interviews to witless presenters; Douglas Henshall (Detective Perez from Shetland) was a father determined that his new baby be born on Scottish soil – even as his partner (Isy Suttie) went into labour somewhere on an English motorway. Doon Mackichan got some slapstick laughs out of a woman's attempts to lay her parents' ashes on either side of the border and Elaine C Smith (best known as Rab C Nesbitt's other half) played a jolly volunteer at the polling office. And all of them are Scots. Except for Kayvan Novak. He's from Cricklewood.
Docherty saved the best character for himself, of course. He was a long-haired Yes voter so excited by the prospect of independence that he wears Saltire underpants to bed and had created a Sean Connery collage for his wall. He also gave us what might be the most telling analogy for this debate so far suggested. You've heard the British nations compared to a divorcing couple, but you haven't this pop cultural twist: "The wife's sister's smashed us in the face with a handbag and when that happens, I tell you, it's time to get out of the lift."
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments