''Maggie'' is a British

television drama In film and television show, television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or docudrama, semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humour, humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms t ...

series produced by

BBC Scotland BBC Scotland (Scottish Gaelic: ''BBC Alba'') is a division of the BBC and the main public broadcaster in Scotland. It is one of the four BBC national regions, together with the BBC English Regions, BBC Cymru Wales and BBC Northern Ireland. I ...

which aired on

BBC Two BBC Two is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It covers a wide range of subject matter, with a remit "to broadcast programmes of depth and substance" in contrast to the more mainstream an ...

between 1981 and 1982. It was based on a quartet of books written by

Joan Lingard Joan Lingard MBE (8 April 1932 – 12 July 2022) was a Scottish writer. Lingard was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, but spent many years living in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Career Lingard wrote novels for both adults and children. She is know ...

during the 1970s – ''The Clearance'', ''The Resettling'', ''The Pilgrimage'' and ''The Reunion''.

Synopsis

Set in the city of

Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...

, the series is centred on 17-year-old Maggie McKinley (played by Kirsty Miller) from a

council flat A council house is a form of British public housing built by local authorities. A council estate is a building complex containing a number of council houses and other amenities like schools and shops. Construction took place mainly from 1919 a ...

in a high-rise

tower block A tower block, high-rise, apartment tower, residential tower, apartment block, block of flats, or office tower is a tall building A building, or edifice, is an enclosed structure with a roof and walls standing more or less permanently ...

whose family has been uprooted for generations, beginning with the

Highland Clearances The Highland Clearances ( gd, Fuadaichean nan Gàidheal , the "eviction of the Gaels") were the evictions of a significant number of tenants in the Scottish Highlands and Islands, mostly in two phases from 1750 to 1860. The first phase resulte ...

. Maggie experiences the tribulations of adolescence as she aspires to further her education at university, a career and an independent life, while also struggling to better her family's economic situation. Maggie's parents (

Michael Sheard Michael Sheard (18 June 1938 – 31 August 2005) was a Scottish character actor who featured in many films and television programmes, and was known for playing villains. His most prominent television role was as strict deputy headmaster Mauric ...

and

Mary Riggans Mary Riggans (19 July 1935 – 2 December 2013) was a Scottish actress and singer. She was best known for playing the role of Susie Sweet in the BAFTA award winning children’s show ''Balamory''. and Effie Macinnes in Take the High Road. She ...

) expect her to take a secure working-class job, get married and "settle down". Maggie sorts through her feelings for both local boy Mike ( Joe Mullaney), and James (Ian Michie), a comfortably middle-class

Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...

student. Much of the series also centres on Maggie's relationship with her feisty octogenarian grandmother (Jean Faulds) who lives in rural

Inverness-shire Inverness-shire ( gd, Siorrachd Inbhir Nis) is a historic county, registration county and lieutenancy area of Scotland. Covering much of the Highlands and Outer Hebrides, it is Scotland's largest county, though one of the smallest in populatio ...

, and who frequently acts as an important confidante to her granddaughter. The two series followed Maggie's progress, ending as she faces a crossroads in her life – whether to go to university or work for the family business. The theme song "Maggie" was written and performed by pop singer

BA Robertson Brian Alexander Robertson (born 12 September 1956) is a Scottish musician, composer and songwriter. He had a string of hits in the late 1970s and early 1980s characterised by catchy pop tunes and jaunty humorous lyrics, including " Knocked It ...

Cast

*Kirsty Miller as Maggie McKinley *

as Mr. Andrew McKinley *

as Mrs. Nan McKinley *Anne Berry as Jean McKinley *Paul Ferry as Sandy McKinley *Ian Michie as James Fraser *Ron Paterson as Uncle Tam Campbell *Ann Scott-Jones as Aunt Jessie Campbell * Joe Mullaney as Mike Bruce *Jane Garven as Catriona Fraser *

Dee Hepburn Dee Hepburn (born 7 November 1961) is a Scottish former actress. She starred as Dorothy in the 1981 film ''Gregory's Girl'', and played Anne-Marie Wade in the ITV Network, ITV soap opera ''Crossroads (UK TV series), Crossroads'' from 1985 to 198 ...

as Isobel *Alison Groves as Janet Scott *

Benny Young Robert "Benny" Young is a Scottish film, television and stage actor. In 2009, Young toured with the National Theatre of Scotland production ''Be Near Me''. In 2013 Young appeared in the West End production of ''The Resistible Rise of Art ...

as Colin Scott *Margo Croan as Mrs. Elizabeth Fraser *

David Ashton David Ashton may refer to: * David Ashton (botanist) (1927–2005), Australian botanist and ecologist * David Ashton (actor) David Ashton (born David Scott on 10 November 1941, in Greenock, Scotland) is a Scottish actor and writer. Trained a ...

as Mr. Peter Fraser *

Patrick Doyle Patrick Doyle (born 6 April 1953) is a Scottish film composer with Irish heritage. A longtime collaborator of actor-director Kenneth Branagh, Doyle is known for his work composing for films such as ''Henry V'', ''Sense and Sensibility'', ''Hamle ...

as Alexander Smith *Robin Cameron as Neil Grant *

Maureen Beattie Maureen Jane Beattie (born 14 August 1953) is an Irish-born, Scottish actress of both stage and screen. Early life Beattie was born in Bundoran, County Donegal on 14 August 1953, as the daughter of Scottish actor and comedian Johnny Beattie, ...

as Cathy Bruce *Jean Faulds as Granny Margaret McKinley * James Copeland as Grandfather Fraser

Episodes

Series 1: 1981

Series 2: 1982

References

External links

* {{IMDb title, id=0398510, title=Maggie 1981 Scottish television series debuts 1982 Scottish television series endings BBC Scotland television shows BBC children's television shows Television shows set in Glasgow 1980s British children's television series 1981 British television series debuts 1982 British television series endings British teen drama television series Television series about teenagers English-language television shows