David Paisley

Tinsel Town is a television drama co-produced by BBC Scotland and Raindog/Deep Indigo Productions. It ran for two series, the first debuting on BBC Two in 2000 and the second airing on BBC Choice the following year. Developed by Raindog, the series was created by Robbie Allen, Stuart Davids and Martin McCardie. Set throughout the city of Glasgow, Scotland, it deals with the lifestyles of eight main characters who each have the titular Tinsel Town nightclub in common. In Series One, six episodes were written by Martin McCardie, two by Ed McCardie and two by Dublin playwright, Jimmy Murphy. In the second series, the Tinsel Town name has extended to feature a clothing retail store in addition to the nightclub.

Produced and broadcast in the wake of 1999’s controversial TV drama Queer as Folk, and promoted as a “Scottish version” of that series, Tinsel Town was defined by its broadcaster as “a cutting-edge saga of life and love in Glasgow club land”. In its debut year the series was nominated for four BAFTA Scotland New Talent Awards: Best Television Performance nominations for Dawn Steele and Kate Dickie, and wins for Best Producer, Robbie Allen and Best Television Director for actress turned director Caroline Paterson. The series was also nominated for two UK BAFTA’s in the category of Best New Writer. Brother’s Ed and Martin McCardie were nominated against each other for the award, with Ed winning UK BAFTA Best New Writer of 2000.