Dr. Finlay

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Dr. Finlay is the hero of a series of stories by Scottish author A.J. Cronin. The stories were used as the basis for the long-running BBC television programme, Dr. Finlay's Casebook, screened from 1962 to 1971. Based on Cronin's short story entitled "Country Doctor," the storylines centered on Dr. Finlay's general medical practice in the fictional Scottish town of Tannochbrae during the late 1920s.

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[edit] Characters

The main characters were Dr. Finlay, a junior partner in the practice, played by Bill Simpson; Dr. Cameron, the craggy senior partner, played by Andrew Cruickshank, Janet, their unflappable housekeeper and receptionist at Arden House, played by Barbara Mullen, and Dr. Snoddie, Finlay's crusty detractor and Janet's admirer, played by Eric Woodburn. Gossipy Mistress Niven was played by Effie Morrison. The programme's famous theme tune was Trevor Duncan's march from "A Little Suite". The other two movements from the Suite were often used as background music.

[edit] British Television

Dr. Finlay returned to British Television in 1993 with a newly-scripted series titled Doctor Finlay, made by SMG Productions (Scottish Television, which is part of the ITV network.) The show starred David Rintoul as Dr. John Finlay, Annette Crosbie as his housekeeper, Janet McPherson, Ian Bannen as his semi-retired practice partner, Dr. Alexander Cameron, and Jason Flemyng as Finlay's assistant, Dr. David Neil. The storyline of Doctor Finlay picked up with John Finlay returning from the Second World War and the setup of the National Health Service. The series aired in the U.S. on PBS' Masterpiece Theatre.

Although it is widely documented that the original series was filmed in the town of Callander in Perthshire, and that the 1990s series was filmed in Auchtermuchty in Fife, the very first six episodes were filmed in Tannoch Drive, Milngavie, where the fictional Arden House was situated on the right-hand side as one approaches Tannoch Loch. It was the ducks on that loch that formed the opening sequence of the programme. In one of those first episodes, Dr. Finlay (Bill Simpson) crashed his old Bullnose Morris into the wall of Arden House - and that was not in the script! Another episode, in Mugdock Road, filming at night, found the local policeman, somewhat inebriated, on his bicycle in a scene with Dr. Snoddy.

[edit] Radio

From 1970 until 1978, episodes from Dr. Finlay's Casebook were broadcast on BBC Radio 4 with some of the same actors from the television programme. In 2001, BBC Radio 4 broadcast a version of the original Cronin stories using the title, The Adventures of a Black Bag, and the role of Dr. Finlay was played by John Gordon Sinclair.

[edit] Songs

The characters from the series are also featured in a song entitled "Dr. Finlay" by Andy Stewart, which scored a minor Top 50 hit in 1965.

[edit] External links

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