It’s more than a game in Only An Excuse

As 2019 rapidly approaches the final whistle, Scotland’s annual tradition of Only An Excuse returns for its annual kick of the ball.

New signings join Jonathan Watson in sketches, spoofs and comic characters that target not just the highs and lows of Scottish football but Scottish life too over the past 12 months.

This year’s cast includes Alex Norton and Joy McAvoy – two of Jonathan’s co-stars from Two Doors Down – Mark Cox from Still Game and Louise McCarthy from Scot Squad.

Jonathan said: ‘I usually get along to the audience screening of the programme but this year is the first time I’ve ever missed it. The screening coincided with the press night of the panto I’m in this year, Jack and the Beanstalk, at the King’s Theatre, so I couldn’t get along to the cinema. But the production team have told me there was a very positive response and we’re very happy with the content, so hopefully it’ll go down a treat with audiences again on Hogmanay.

‘Louise has been a valued member of the Only An Excuse? squad for a number of years and obviously I know Alex and Joy from Two Doors Down. It was the first time I’ve ever worked with Mark and he fitted in perfectly too. It was a really good group this year and everybody brought something new and fresh to the sketches.’

This year’s show moves away from being purely focussed on football, as this year features a mash-up between two iconic cop shows, Taggart and Line of Duty, which features Scots actor Martin Compston.

Jonathan said: ‘For a couple of years there’s been talk of us doing a Line of Duty sketch. It’s such a big show and of course one of the main characters – DS Arnott – is played by Martin Compston. I was only keen on doing it if there was a really strong hook or we could play it in a novel way.

‘Having Alex in the cast and with him being up for reprising his Taggart role gave us the perfect opportunity. I don’t want to give too much away but let’s just say there’s a bit of the tough questioning that Line of Duty is famous for when Taggart comes face-to-face with DS Arnott.

Mark Cox as a senior uniformed officer, Alex Norton as Taggart’s DI Burke, Jonathan Watson as Line of Duty’s DS Steve Arnott, Joy McAvoy as Line of Duty’s DI Kate Fleming (Photo: BBC Scotland)

‘It seems to have gone down well in the audience screening so hopefully people will enjoy it on the night. I’m a huge fan of Line of Duty – but I don’t expect to be offered a part after this! I think it’s the first time Alex has been in a send-up of Taggart and he was really up for it.’

Alex Norton added: ‘It was terrific. Johnnie asked me whether I would be interested in joining the cast when we were doing the most recent series of Two Doors Down. I’m an admirer of Johnnie’s comic talent so I said yes – but that I wasn’t sure what I could contribute in terms of football stuff as I’ve never been a fan of the game or any team. That was the main reason I had to leave Glasgow when I was younger – it was the embarrassment and shame of not being either a Celtic or Rangers man!

‘Only An Excuse? is a very funny sketch show about football but other things as well. It’s always been a disappointment of mine that I’d never been in one of the big sketch shows from Scotland before. There have been plenty made in Scotland down the years and there was always a little bit of jealousy that I’d never been in them, because I loved them.

‘I was a regular cast member of the kid’s series Playaway for several years, which was very much in the sketch show tradition – so I was well used to working in that style. What was great about doing Johnnie’s show was remembering how much I loved working in the sketch show format and having the opportunity to become part of an iconic show that’s a fixture of Hogmanay.’

How did Alex about getting back into Taggart mode for the Line of Duty sketch?

He smiled: ‘It was wonderful – I really enjoyed it. It was a bit strange at first when they got me the gear – the coat, the dark shirt – and I looked in the dressing room mirror to see that character emerge again after so long. I have to say there was a bit of a thrill. I played it straight again, but this time DI Matt Burke finds himself in a different police series!’

Only An Excuse? will be shown on Tuesday 31 December, on BBC One Scotland, from 11-11.30pm.

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