With a good chunk of Glasgow descending on Seville for Rangers' Europa League Final, we take a look back at a legendary Spanish encounter involving one of the city’s best-loved comedy rogues: Rab C. Nesbitt.
First broadcast way back in 1990, the Rab C. Nesbitt episode 'Holiday' sees Mary Nesbitt win a trip for four to sunny Spain, leading to some memorable culture clashes between Gregor Fisher’s lead character and the locals.
The Nesbitts join their pals the Cotters on the trip - their first ever abroad - to Benidorm, with Jamesie ending up badly sunburnt, Gash and Burney flirting with the local ladies and Mary and Ella getting up to no good.
Lapping up the sunshine, Rab finds the time to do a bit of sightseeing - and even discovers his very own Spanish doppelganger.
“The nearest thing I have ever got to a suntan is when the polis shine a torch in ma face when am lying at the front door on a Saturday night,” quips Rab in one classic scene, before asking a local if he knows where he can pick up a copy of “the Daily Recordo”.
But it’s the evening scene where Rab’s waxing lyrical about the vista from his holiday villa that’s earned legendary status.
As Rab shouts at the Moon after having hurled a barrage of abuse at a rowdy table of English tourists, his jaw drops as he catches sight of a string-vested, sweatband-wearing Benidorm local doing exactly the same from a nearby villa.
A dead-ringer for Rab, the Spaniard clutches a newspaper and the pair exchange semi-incoherent, garbled yells with one another.
“Hands across the sea, brother! Hands across the sea!” exclaims Rab, as his Spanish counterpart heads inside.
“My God. Nothing restores yer faith mair, eh, in human nature, than meetin’ some poor b*****d that’s jist as mad as yersel’, eh?!”, says Rab, turning to the camera.
Commenting on YouTube, fans of the show are delighted to be watching the legendary Rab C. Nesbitt clip again, three decades on from its first airing.
One user said: “I haven't seen this in years and it still cracks me up today. Spanish Rab brilliant!”
Another wrote: “[My] all time favourite scene makes me chuckle and will remember it forever - just like the Batman and Robin scene in Only Fools and Horses.”
