The first series drew an audience of 1.3 million when it began on BBC Two in 2016. This grew to 2.8 million for the last series on BBC One.
The programme won an RTS Scotland Award for Best Comedy in 2017 and 2024, and Bafta Scotland Best Actress awards for Smith in 2018 and Mackichan in 2024.
In a 2019 interview with The Scottish Sun, external, Carlyle said Arabella Weir’s character Beth was inspired by his own mum Dorothy, and that Beth’s son Ian – played by Jamie Quinn – drew on his experience of coming out as gay while growing up in Ayr.
He said Ian’s character was treated like many gay men were in the 80s and 90s.
“You’d have parents who are accepting of it and don’t want to throw you out the family, but are equally not comfortable enough to ask about your boyfriend,” he said.
“We tried to reflect the truth of that middle ground, the same as we did with a normal Scottish street.”