NICOLA Sturgeon has lent her voice to calls for the SNP to save River City.
The former first minister joined more than a hundred figures, including novelist Irvine Welsh, actors Peter Mullan and Elaine C Smith and major players in Scottish showbusiness, in warning that losing the soap would see Scottish talent leave the country.
The letter, organised by the cast of River City, said that scores of actors, writers and directors had “built their careers” working on the BBC soap, saying it had given countless creatives “the chance to grow and succeed”.
Signatories ranged from up-and-coming homegrown talent such as director Jonny Blair and actor Martin Quinn, and established stars like Richard E Grant (below) and Maxine Peake.
The letter said: “For years, River City has provided a window into the diverse and vibrant life of Scotland, telling stories that resonate deeply with our communities.
“Its cancellation feels like part of a troubling trend to centralise media production in London, which could make it harder for Scottish talent to thrive.”
Signatories argued that River City’s cancellation would mean “losing countless job opportunities” in Scotland’s creative sector, adding: “From acting to production, this decision will affect many people who have built their careers here.
“As we work toward a thriving creative economy, we must continue to offer local talent the chance to grow and succeed.
“River City has played an essential role in this effort, and its absence will leave a significant gap that will be difficult to fill.”
Culture Secretary Angus Robertson was urged to support efforts to get BBC Scotland to reverse its decision to call time on the programme, which has ran since 2002.
The letter stated: “We respectfully ask you to support us to ask BBC Scotland to reconsider the far-reaching effects of this decision. We need to protect and support Scottish storytelling, ensuring that our creative industries continue to grow.
“The cancellation of River City isn’t just the loss of a TV show – it’s the loss of our culture, our opportunities, and our voices. We simply cannot afford to let our stories be overshadowed by a model that overlooks Scotland’s unique contributions.”
It added: “We sincerely hope to see a renewed commitment to supporting Scottish talent and storytelling in the near future.”
A BBC Scotland spokesperson said: “As we outlined last week, the decision to end River City is a creative one driven by changing audience habits and declining viewing figures.
"Audience patterns have shifted away from long-running serials to short-run dramas so that is where we will be moving our drama investment. This is about value for money for the audience. We are not cutting our drama spend in Scotland – in fact, we will increase it to around £95 million over the next three years.
“River City training opportunities will remain active for another year until we cease production in April 2026. We are actively working with BBC colleagues, the independent companies making our newly announced dramas and others in the industry on future training opportunities.
“Our new dramas are written by Scottish writers, they will employ a wide range of Scottish-based talent and will be made by producers with bases in Scotland – just like River City.”
Robertson said: "I am deeply disappointed that the BBC has cancelled River City and agree strongly with the signatories to the letter that the BBC must ensure that there is a model for broadcasting that supports Scotland’s unique contributions and cultural diversity.
"The Scottish Government could not be clearer that we want to see more BBC investment in production in Scotland.
“It is unsustainable that broadcasting remains reserved to Westminster."
He argued that the BBC "should seek to protect and enhance the network of professionals who contribute to their productions in Scotland", adding: "It is vital people working in Scotland’s screen sector can continue to access meaningful career and skill development opportunities, as they have been able to do through River City’s training academy.
“Ministers expect the BBC to fully and fairly represent all communities in Scotland. I will continue to advocate on behalf of license payers to ensure Scottish industry and audiences are properly represented on our screens, and press Ofcom to ensure the BBC is meeting its obligations in delivering for viewers and Scotland’s creative professionals.”
