River City star Stephen Purdon 'overwhelmed' as Holyrood debates soap’s future

River City star Stephen Purdon has said it was “overwhelming” to hear MSPs call on BBC bosses to save the long-running show.

The actor plays Bob Adams – or Shellsuit Bob – in the Scottish soap, which the BBC has announced will be ended next year.

He and fellow cast and crew from the show, which has been on air since 2002, visited the Scottish Parliament on Thursday to hear MSPs urge the broadcaster to think again.

Afterwards, Purdon spoke of his “pride” that the show had been debated at Holyrood as he thanked politicians for their support.

Speaking to the PA news agency, Purdon said: “Hearing the kind words from all the MSPs was overwhelming, and it is testament to how important the show is.”

He spoke about the show’s role in developing talent on screen and behind the scenes, saying a training academy had helped develop the career of producers, directors, screen writers and others.

“I don’t see anywhere else in the Scottish TV industry where we are going to get that,” he said.

While he said he does not know if the debate at Holyrood will be enough to force the BBC into a rethink, he added: “What needs to be imperative is there needs to be a replacement for the training academy.”

A member’s debate at Holyrood was led by Labour’s culture spokesman Neil Bibby, who hailed River City – which is filmed in Dumbarton, outside Glasgow – as being an “important part of Scotland’s culture”.

He said: “It has provided fans with laughs, tears and memorable moments since 2002. It has been long running and successful.

“The BBC has a great product here and they should be proud of it.”

He also stressed the programme’s role in developing new talent, saying River City is “not just an entertainment show, it is a pathway and a platform for young Scottish talent”.

Mr Bibby demanded: “The BBC should think again. Often we don’t fully appreciate what we have lost until it is gone but in terms of River City and Dumbarton studios, we have not lost them just yet, and hopefully we see a twist in this plot which means both survive into the future.”

Over the years the soap has featured the likes of Sam Heughan, who went on to star in Outlander, and Lorraine McIntosh from Deacon Blue, while Lorraine Kelly and singer Susan Boyle are among those who have made cameo appearances.

Scottish Labour deputy leader Dame Jackie Baillie said River City is an “iconic part of Scotland’s TV landscape”.

Ms Baillie’s constituency includes the Dumbarton set which is home to the soap’s fictional community of Shieldinch, and she said the programme had “created opportunities for screen writers, set designers, producers, film crews and others in the Scottish TV and film industry”.

She added: “In the last two years 23 screen writers got their first screen credit on River City, while over a similar period five out of six trainee directors were women.

“This is a training pipeline for the creative industry unlike anything anywhere else in the BBC.”

Losing this would be a “fundamental blow to Scotland’s TV and film infrastructure”, she insisted, telling the BBC: “Flying in crews to occasionally film in a Scottish castle is no substitute for a homegrown industry.”

Culture Secretary Angus Robertson said it is “more than regrettable” that the BBC has decided to end the programme in the autumn of 2026.Mr Robertson said: “I am deeply disappointed that we continue to see a worrying trend in decision making that runs counter to the BBC’s commitment to invest in the nations.

“While editorial decision making of course sits with the BBC, it is right that we speak out and urge against decisions that impact on services, on skills development and on jobs in Scotland.”

BBC Scotland has said the decision to axe the show reflects a change in viewing patterns as audiences move away from long-running programmes, instead opting for shorter series.

However the broadcaster has announced three new dramas to be filmed in Scotland, with a spokesperson adding: “River City training opportunities will remain active for another year until we cease production in April 2026.”