Scully

The Granada TV sitcom 'Scully' was based on a character who had previously appeared in two novels and a one-off TV play. Francis 'Franny' Scully is a 15-year-old football-mad Liverpudlian who dreams of playing striker for Liverpool FC. Every episode includes a Walter Mitty-style fantasy sequence in which teenage Scully runs onto the Anfield pitch (Liverpool's home ground) and plays a match. Many of Liverpool's star players of the 1980s appeared as themselves in these fantasy sequences, as did team manager Bob Paisley.

When not playing fantasy football, Scully larks about with his mates or must contend with his bizarre relations ... such as his drunken grandmother or his trainspotting older brother Henry.

American viewers will be interested to know that Elvis Costello (yes, THAT Elvis Costello) plays Scully's brother Henry. Elvis Costello also wrote and sings the show's theme song, 'Turning the Town Red' ... red being the colour of Liverpool's football strip. Andrew Schofield is a bit mature to be playing a 15-year-old, but he conveys the frustrations and ambitions of the main character splendidly. Most of the cast are excellent.

'Scully' isn't the funniest sitcom you'll ever watch, but it depicts teen angst very well, in an aggressively British working-class format.

Like other reviewers I recall this programme from the heady 80s and bought the DVD when I came across it on Amazon. I was, like Francis Scully himself, 15 years old at the time and trying to figure out a future career path for myself. Football was not an option for me though. Watching all seven espisodes recently, including the extended finale, brought back a few memories for me and some of the scenes, such as the one with the hapless teacher and the Liverpool FC trial I remember clearly from seeing 24 years ago. 1984 was a tough time. Thatcher had won an election the year before, by a landslide, unemployment was about three million and there was a lot of tensions in the country, leading to the year-long Miner's Strike. Scully was an ordinary teen, a daydreamer with ambitions and hopes. Although there are no direct references, it is clear the Thatcherite society provides a backdrop to the series. It's odd that Andrew Schofield was picked to play Scully. He is excellent in the role but he was 22 years old at the time and had actually performed the same role in a Play for Today's Scully's New Year's Eve, also written by Alan Bleasdale, in 1978. It's hard to envisage him as a teenager. Watch out for future stars of another Liverpool programme, Bread, including Jean Boht as Scully's grandmother. On a musical note, I recall watching intently to hear a snippet of Frankie Goes to Hollywood's Relax. The song had been banned by Radio One, and without the internet and Digital TV or so many commercial stations, it wasn't easy to hear.

I watched this when it first came out on Channel 4 and being young it was the first "surreal" programme that i had seen. It is funny but in a real life sort of way and it does depict the realities on living on Merseyside in the 80's very accurately. It was hard a hard time but people still had a laugh, made friends and generally didn't let society get them down. It features cameo's by various players from the mighty Liverpool team on the mid-80's. After seeing the acting performances from Souness and Dalglish its no wonder that they stuck to football. Its a really good little series, it wouldn't have won many Oscar's but it's not a bad programme at all. And recently it has come out on DVD for around £10 so its a "must buy" as far as i am concerned.

So that's what it was like back then.... funny, down to earth and full of dreamers. We have so much now, but having so little left room for adventure. Only caught one episode, but would really like to seem more. Come on C4, make room for a bit of 4:3 otherwise it is back to repeats of Misfits and The Green Wing.

Franny Scully is the scouse everyman in the series of the same name shown on Channel 4 in 1984 and was of cult status in Merseyside. Everyone I knew watched it.

It's about Scully who was about to leave school and he wants to play for Liverpool but his form master wants him to concentrate on acting where his crush is acting in the school play of 'Cinderella' but he has no use for a future in acting as all he wants to do is play for Liverpool.

His pals such as snotty dog, mad dog and Mooey make up the gang that get up to mischief and their run in's with the local bobby 'Isiah' make up most of the story.

A very entertaining series based on the book by Alan Bleasdale of the same name, it was a radio series on BBC Merseyside a few years before it became a Channel 4 show and I think Andrew Schofield was the lead in that as well. It's on You Tube and it holds up well in 2025 so give it a go!