The Vital Spark 1 - (The Quarrel)

[@algie-t2w]

Dan McPhail: "I'm what's known as dangerously handsome. Aye, good looks is a curse, you should count yourself fortunate, Captain".

[@jaymacgee_A_Bawbag_Blethering]

Fkn AWESOME….. when I was a wee laddie this was on just before Sportscene on a Sat night, perhaps with The Black and White Minstrels in between . 😂🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

[@favesongslist]

Wow it brought back memories seeing Russell Hunter, I loved it when he worked with Edward Woodward in Callan

[@favesongslist]

@Alan-gx8gf Yes, What a great team they made.

[@robertpayne6366]

The metre of the language and the way it is spoken are beautiful. And yes, Russell Hunter was a great actor.

[@eliotreader8220]

in the stories Dan never had an argument with the Captain. I am pretty sure Para Handy only called the engineer a stoker once when he didn't want up get up to fix the whistle

[@alancumming6407]

@@eliotreader8220The series were based loosely on Neil Munro's tales. I'm pretty sure Neil would approve.

[@mikekemp9877]

i loved the original stories set just before and during ww1.paras account of his incredible voyage to belfast is a classic! no lights and dougie at the stern striking matches in case we hit the lusitania!

[@theonlyantony]

To see the genius Russell Hunter pop up, as the replacement engineer, cheered me. He who was Lonely, in 'Callan.' Peerless actor!

[@eliotreader8220]

I imagine Dan wasn't too pleased with having to put the Vital Spark's engines back together again after what the replacement engineer did to them.

[@boblordylordyhowie]

Every time I see that name I smile as many years ago I was working outside Inveraray doing an upgrade to a substation to encompass a new windfarm and the Vital Spark was moored there. I smile because, at the time, I worked for a company called Vital Resources and I was doing electrical work, so, I was the Vital Sparky!

[@johnh539]

10/10

[@LaineyMcD31]

So Eric you got a piece of more valuable historical classic in this episode than what you might know.

[@paulbellingham3948]

Priceless ❤ thanks for the upload

[@rodericksloan1255]

Classic Scottish television.

[@LaineyMcD31]

Thanks for uploading this one Eric, I’ve never seen this one. Aye I’ve got the VHS tape of Drop of the Real Stuff, Bad Luck Cargo and The Wedding but I thought no other episodes survived the STV studios fire which cost the fire crews lives including the River Clyde Fire

[@LaineyMcD31]

Sorry never meant to send above before finishing but the ladder firemen which were killed in the 1969 blaze and the River Clyde Fire boat which was also pumping when the building started crumbling killing 1 or 2 of the boat firemen.

[@richardtomlinson8147]

I wonder if it was co-incidence that at the time this was being transmitted John Grieve would also appear in another seafaring comedy Doctor at Sea as the purser! I only recently discovered this classic gem of Scottish comedy and glad I did - I had only previously been familiar with the 90s comedy drama with Gregor Fisher as Para Handy. Such a shame only a handful of the episodes now exist.

[@12ab34cd335]

one of the best

[@Skelch777]

I found another great show!! Thanks

[@Dogtagnan]

What a tragedy that only four episodes now exist

[@joe18425]

Im sure ive got more than that, ive got the dvd collection up my loft

[@skyterrapin]

More of a blessing I would

[@clark82]

BBC did not start archiving until 1978, and almost all the black and white stuff is gone as they went from B&W to colour in 1967… even in the 1980’s and early 90’s they were pretty sloppy, and apparently they pay good money for any private VHS recording tapes that may have something that’s missing from their archives

[@iainmatheson5190]

I've got my grandads that were obviously recorded of the TV?! Either way, far more than 4.

[@jacobitelivinghistory]

@@iainmatheson5190Do you? The BBC lost the original tapes for all but 4 of the episodes but there were a lot more made! If you have recordings these would be of great interest to many you should get them digitised and archived for sure!

[@cookingwithtabitha]

That was pretty good. I laughed quite a bit and enjoyed it.

[@michaelswiftt3662]

i have them all on genuine bbc vhs cassete tried selling on ebay nothing its uk pal standard

[@huwzebediahthomas9193]

A Clyde Puffer, visiting them isles...

[@squirehaggard4749]

Russel Hunter was also great as a similarly bolshie machinist in The Gaffer.

[@eliotreader8220]

pretty sure the liners back then made steam by burning oil not coal

[@benjames4034]

Vital spark very funny

[@dbeierl]

I wonder why they didn't actually use the whistle. Not enough steam? Too loud?

[@sicks6six]

Watching this show 60 years back I thought it was the funniest thing on television. much better than the BBC stuff. The working class humour resonated with me and I wanted to be the captain of a tugboat on the river..

[@gerrycoogan6544]

The Vital Spark WAS on the BBC.

[@jacquelinecrichton7397]

Blimey!! Take me back please? Did a tell you one aboot?

[@stevewright8986]

The boat is docked at Inverarey

[@eliotreader8220]

the new whistle is too powerful for the boiler to supply with steam

[@davidbutler4363]

😁👍👏👏👏

[@peckerdecker]

Interesting story/ comedy based around the 1930s _sailing_ era and being replaced by *steam* . For ship afficianados- Also Reccomend reading *twilight for the gods* by ernest gann. Thank you

[@robertdoyle687]

One of my favourites 😂🚢

[@joe18425]

MORE STEAM DAN !!

[@eliotreader8220]

does any one know where this tv series is set as it looks to be the 1960s? from what i understand the original stories where set just before WW1

[@EricDalton1910]

This episode was broadcast in 1974. There are older versions though, in black and white. I seen one on here a few weeks ago on here.

[@eliotreader8220]

@@EricDalton1910 i understand from reading a story about them that the steam boats like the Vital spark stopped carrying cargo in the 1960s or 1970s?

[@darkwarrior6465]

Its based on the books written by Neil Munro in the 1930s and they were set in that time period. The BBC made a couple of series in the 90s called "the tales or para handy" which was set in the time period of the books

[@eliotreader8220]

@@darkwarrior6465 i have not read the books yet so i don't if any thing that happened in the tv series happened in the books. in one of these older episodes Donald makes a reference to it being some where in the late 1940s

[@webrarian]

The stories first appeared in the Glasgow Evening Post in 1905. Munro was doing public readings which seem to have gone down well with the audiences.

[@joeybaxter2]

An inspiration for Still Game 😂

[@gabekyle260]

Teacher 4:23

[@philnewcomers9170]

not getting down to Glsska.

[@carlowingfield7743]

One day I will ask for a translation .

[@lazartenicole6877]

Kk

[@martnal]

I've just read the tales and thought I'd try this. It comes across too much as a stage play, especially with the canned laughter. I can smell the Clyde when I read the book, but sadly this just seems manufactured.

[@McSynth]

How most awfully dreadful for diddums.

[@Idol2Idol]

@@McSynth 👍👍👍👍😄😄😄😄👏👏👏👏

[@alancumming6407]

They are based on Neil Munro's tales and they did a great job. Hilarious throughout in my opinion. Sad only the four episodes remain.

[@neil5568]

This stuff is pish compared to modern Scottish comedy such as Stll Game. Not one mention of jobbies. In fact they should have a whole Vital Spark episode about jobbies THEN we can talk comedy. I was at the posh Glenalmond College private school with Robbie Coltrane who writes mostly about jobbies and he could do the job. And do the jobbies.

[@alexboiarmy4203]

This is a Maritime comedy not a toilet mouth chewin the fat

[@weearrapeepilrfc550]

Put the fishing rod away, Scottish comedy at it's best

[@Kirstybeth]

Assume your comment was meant to be humorous... but not actually! This is the best (IMHO) of several TV adaptations of Neil Munro's books that my Dad read to me as a wee girl. Last April sailed from Dunoon to Oban via small isles & Crinan Canal aboard Glen Etive of the Majestic Line!

[@rodericksloan1255]

Give over sport something wrong with yer nogging heed.

[@joe18425]

Smashing jobby