ㅤㅤㅤㅤ
River City spoilers follow.
The stars of BBC soap River City have spoken out about the upcoming finale, and revealed how they reacted to the news that the Scottish show would be axed after 24 years on screen.
The soap was cancelled in March last year due to declining viewing figures and rising overall costs; the final one-hour long episode will air at 9pm on Bank Holiday Monday next week, with a special documentary River City: The Last Take airing directly afterwards.
Speaking exclusively to Inside Soap, Frank Gallagher – who plays Lenny – and Stephen Purdon – who plays Bob – revealed how they felt when they heard the news that River City would conclude.
Alan Peebles//BBC
Related: BBC reveals first look at final ever episode of popular soap after 24 years
“It’s a bit surreal, but you always know nothing’s going to last forever,” says Stephen. “Obviously, it was a bit of a shock, it was crazy at the time, but it was so good to me, and I learned so much there. I’ll always be thankful.”
“It was a surprise, but not a surprise,” Franks adds. “I could feel it coming. Everything comes to an end, I suppose, but it was probably the best show I ever had. I haven’t had too much to complain about!”
In the poignant and thrilling finale, the show’s central protagonist Lenny Murdoch is set to go head-to-head with his rival Harry Foulkes when he kidnaps Lenny’s daughter Amber Murdoch.
Alan Peebles//BBC
“He’s at the end of the road,” teases Frank. “I think the family comes first to him and with his daughter it’s very much like, ‘You touch her, you touch me’. His daughter is something special to him because that’s the child that he’s had with Lydia.”
Elsewhere, longest-serving character Bob O’Hara has romance troubles as he and the residents of Shieldinch, the fictional suburb of Glasgow where the show is set, gather in local pub The Tall Ship.
“It’s reflective for Bob because he’s struggling a little bit being a single dad and he doesn’t want to admit that he’s attracted to Alice,” Stephen explains. “He’s finding a romance again and feels guilty as a widower.
“Towards the end, it’s more about looking to the past. Is he going to stay in Shieldinch? Is he happy here? It was a bit like that for me as well because it’s all I’ve ever known. I’ve been boy and man at River City, so it was art imitating life.”
Alan Peebles//BBC
After over two decades working together in Shieldinch, Frank and Stephen had one final message for the legion of loyal fans that River City accumulated.
“I thank them all very much for their loyalty. It was a joy and a pleasure,” quips Frank.
“Yeah, and a massive thank you for the continued support,” Stephen concludes. “The way people watch television has changed drastically over the years and we’ve had a loyal fan base that we know has always been there.
“I hope you enjoy everything we did in the final episode because absolutely everybody put everything into it.”
See the full interview in the new issue of Inside Soap, out now. The final episode of River City will air on Monday, 31 August at 9pm on BBC Scotland.
Visit our Streaming Guide now to see at a glance where you can view ALL your favourite shows and movies.
The new edition of Legends, a 100-page all-colour celebration of Ariana Grande, is here! Buy Ariana Grande in newsagents or online.