BBC bets on Scottish Gaelic series Islands

islandsor: islands. That's the title of a well-known crime drama set in Scotland's Western Isles, launched by the BBC on Tuesday evening on its BBC iPlayer streaming service and Scottish Gaelic free-to-air channel BBC Alba for the British public. The service broadcaster is jointly owned with MG Alba. Alba is the Scottish Gaelic name for Scotland. and islands According to the network, it is the UK's “first-ever high-end Gaelic TV series”.

It also makes it the biggest Gaelic TV drama in BBC Alba's history, according to reports The Guardianis the most expensive Scottish Gaelic drama ever produced, with an episode budget of £1 million ($1.2 million).

The four-50-minute series is described as “a tense and twisting story of lies, loss and long-buried secrets” and stars Sorcha Groundsell.his dark matter, shetland islands, innocent person) as Kat Crichton, a family liaison officer assigned by her superior, Detective Chief Inspector (DCI) Ahmed Halim, played by Sagar Rady Played by Sagar Radia (HBO-BBC hit drama) industry) is investigating a murder on the Isle of Lewis and Harris, a Scottish island that is part of the Outer Hebrides, which she left 10 years ago.

She must investigate the brutal murder of the wife of local tycoon Sir Douglas Maclean (played by Ian McRae) (bonds), which appears to be part of a botched burglary at a remote island mansion. “But Kate has a history with Sir Douglas and his wealthy but deeply dysfunctional family, and she is convinced that, despite being injured in the attack, the self-made millionaire must be somehow involved,” according to the plot synopsis. “The McLean family and their four adult children Elide (Sinead McGuinness – Outlander), Malcolm (played by Andrew McGinnis), Jane (Meredith Brooke – bonds) and Ruaraidh (Sam James Smith), Kate must confront her past – traveling back to a lavish New Year's party ten years ago, where the dark roots of the mystery appear to lie.

Location filming included Amhuinnsuidhe Castle, a 19th-century private country house now run as a hotel, islands (islands) is a Black Camel Pictures production in association with All3Media International for BBC Alba and BBC iPlayer. It is funded by MG Alba, All3Media International, Screen Scotland and Black Camel.

Written by Nicholas Osborne and Patsy McKenzie, directed by Tom Sullivan (a monster), the series is executive produced by Arabella Page Croft and Nicole Fitzpatrick, and produced by Kieran Parker and Bjorn Hansen for Black Camel. The music is by Icelandic composer Biji Hilmas. New episodes of the show are distributed globally by All3Media International and premiere weekly on BBC Alba and BBC iPlayer at 9pm UK time, with episode 2 available now.

BBC Director General Tim Davie has publicly expressed his excitement and confidence in the series. The BBC even mentioned the potential rise of a new genre – Gaelic black music.

The show, which is in Gaelic and translated into English in subtitles, was inspired by the success of non-English-language films and series, including the Korean hits Squidward and Squidward. Parasitevarious Scandinavian series as well as Welsh language BBC series such as hinterland (night). Thanks to platforms like YouTube and TikTok, younger generations are more accustomed to watching subtitled content, breathing new life into languages ​​that may not have been ready for prime time in the past.

“I want to participate islands Mainly just to have the opportunity to work in Gaelic,” Grancel said in an interview with the show's press pack. “I'd never done that before and it felt like it was a great opportunity to revisit the culture and these Very important place in my life. ”

When asked about your background, she explained: “I spent the first nine years of my life on the Isle of Lewis in a distinctly Gaelic-speaking place and a Gaelic-speaking school, and then when I moved to Glasgow and went to Gaelic school there as well, so my whole education was Gaelic and my parents now live in the Outer Hebrides, so that's kind of been there in my life. A very important legacy. It's hard to maintain when you live in a place like London, so this is a great opportunity to really come home.”

Sinéad Macinnes agrees. “I've never heard of anything like this being made in Gaelic before. It's a really exciting time. I think anyone you know who speaks Gaelic and takes action would love to be part of Gaelic TV.” It's just a really interesting story and a lot of people have been saying for years that there needs to be a murder noir set in the Western Isles.”

share that islands It was her first Gaelic TV show and her first Gaelic acting job since working in Gaelic theater when she was nine, and the actress added: “I wasn't sure if I would be able to do it with Gaelic show, but it was great because I actually made it, and I thought it was a really good personal achievement from start to finish, feeling like I'd cultivated a part of myself that I don't often get cultivated. A very cute thing.”

Of course, the series is also a big deal for the wider Gaelic community. “This feels very important and I think now is the time,” Grancel said. “I think this is a really inspiring moment and a necessary moment to really… take ownership of our language and culture and celebrate it for what it is, which is an incredible source of joy for a lot of people. I think it’s time for us to really celebrate.”

McGuinness also said the opportunity to produce a Scottish Gaelic drama of this scale was important. “Internationally, for people to see it, I think it's really important, especially when we, as a culture and a people, have spent hundreds of years resisting being erased, so just to be on The world stage approach, or the global stage,” she said. “I also think it's really important for this project to have a modern mix of Gaelic and English, which a lot of people speak Gaelic these days, myself included of course. I guess I haven't really seen that.”

MacRae stressed that nothing on this scale had ever been attempted before in Gaelic theater in Scotland. “I think it's time to give Gaelic drama a wider platform than it has had so far, it's had quite a limited exposure, but I think it's important for the rest of the world, if you can say that, to have a look Gaelic drama is effective,” he argued. “We have good stories to tell. We have good actors, good acting. We have a good director. In this case, we have a good team, good camera crew, good camera work. We have With all the attributes needed for any play, we should be able to compete in the same way as any other country.”

Why does the series also include English? Executive producer Arabella Page Croft explained: “We researched this and it was natural for the incoming senior police investigating team to speak English, so we gravitated towards Learn what really happened and what might happen in the real world if a crime of this magnitude occurred.” “We're aiming for 70/30 per cent Gaelic favor, which feels very balanced. We've spent time with Gaelic-speaking families and the police investigation makes up 30 per cent of the show, and that's the English part. We I believe audiences will agree with this natural way of using language in real life.”

Grandsell said there were some difficulties while filming the show mostly in Gaelic. “It's really great to work in Gaelic, but I think it's a challenge for those of us who are not old-school Gaelic because we have a hard time using it in our daily lives,” Star explains. “A lot of us don't come from families that primarily speak Gaelic, so I think a lot of us feel pressured by our fluency.”

Not that it would stop her islands (islands). “If anything, it becomes even more important to be on a show like this because, if we all maintain this feeling that our Gaelic is never good enough and will never be good enough, then no one has a chance Use Gaelic,” Grandsell concluded. “So we have to get through it and we have to reconnect to keep it alive and breathing.”