Guilt is a 2019 dark comedy-drama four-part series, which was the first drama commission of the new BBC Scotland channel before being broadcast on BBC Two. Written and created by Neil Forsyth, the show centres on two brothers played by Mark Bonnar and Jamie Sives who get involved in a hit and run. Guilt was broadcast on BBC Two between 30 October and 14 November 2019. The series was confirmed to return for a second season, to be broadcast in 2021.
Forsyth was keen to write a show about siblings, which he has called “the most interesting dramatic relationship” and a show with a leitmotif that ran through all the characters, in this case guilt. He spent several years developing the show, before finding a home for it at the BBC. Guilt was produced by Happy Tramp North and Expectation Entertainment and directed by Robert McKillop. Guilt became the first drama commission for the new BBC Scotland channel, which premiered the show’s episodes a week before UK-wide transmission on BBC Two. Guilt was shot in Edinburgh and Glasgow. In Edinburgh, locations included Calton Hill and Charlotte Square. In Glasgow, a studio was built at Parkhouse Business Park and other locations included Clydebank Docks, Aberfoyle and the Lanarkshire town of East Kilbride.
Plot
The show begins with two brothers, Max and Jake, in a car returning from a wedding. When they accidentally run over and kill an elderly man on an Edinburgh street, they make the decision to try and cover up the crime. As the show progresses, the brothers’ difficulties intensify and the story opens up to bring in other characters and storylines, within a thematic narrative of guilt.
Reception
Guilt received strong viewing figures and a highly positive critical reception. The Times called it, “An absolute cracker”, The Observer, “an utter triumph, a word-of-mouth dazzler”, with “welcome Coen brothers echoes”. The Telegraph called it a “stealth hit” which “felt like Fargo relocated to Leith, or Midnight Run reimagined by Irvine Welsh”. The Independent termed it “the unexpected treat of the year”, The Guardian described it as a “darkly delicious tale” that was “fast becoming a word-of-mouth hit”, the Radio Times called it “Hitchcockian” and The Herald deemed it the most impressive Scottish small screen debut since the 1987 comedy dramaTutti Frutti. Guilt currently has a rare 100% rating on the review aggregatorRotten Tomatoes.
