John Byrne

Writing

John Byrne

Born January 6, 1940 · Paisley, Scotland, UK

Died November 30, 2023 · aged 83

John Byrne was an artist, writer and playwright. He was best known for the BBC television series Tutti Frutti and the play Slab Boys.

Known For

Love Is the Devil: Study for a Portrait of Francis BaconLove Is the Devil: Study for a Portrait of Francis Bacon · 1998
Love Is the Devil: Study for a Portrait of Francis Bacon
★ 6.11998
MovieDrama
In the 1960s, British painter Francis Bacon surprises a burglar and invites him to share his bed. The burglar, a working class man named George Dyer, accepts. After the unique beginning to their love affair, the well-connected and volatile artist assimilates Dyer into his circle of eccentric friends, as Dyer's struggle with addiction strains their bond.
Double Scotch & WryDouble Scotch & Wry · 1987
Double Scotch & Wry
★ 8.51987
MovieComedy
Rikki Fulton and friends return with another selection of sketches and comedy characters, including the Reverend I.M. Jolly, Supercop, dirty barber Alky Broon and Big Chief Swift Half.
Boswell and Johnson's Tour of the Western IslesBoswell and Johnson's Tour of the Western Isles · 1993
Boswell and Johnson's Tour of the Western Isles
1993
MovieComedyTV Movie
In the autumn of 1773, the English writer Samuel Johnson visits the Hebrides, or Western Isles, off the North-West coast of Scotland. With him are his friend, the Scotsman James Boswell, and his black servant Francis Barber. Staying with a series of hosts, including elderly Jacobite heroine Flora McDonald, Johnson and Boswell encounter traditional Scottish hospitality at first-hand, all the time arguing about politics (and in Boswell's case losing his head over every pretty woman he meets). Meanwhile, Francis and another black servant they encounter provide evidence of the new consciousness emerging in Britain's soon-to-be-independent American colonies.
Scotch & WryScotch & Wry · 1986
Scotch & Wry
★ 9.01986
MovieComedy
Video Compilation of the Scottish TV Comedy Sketch Show. Stand out characters include Supercop, an idiot motorcycle policeman whose catchphrase was 'Alright Stirling, oot the car' and whose goggles would spring off his helmet; Dirty Dickie Dandruff; Gallowgate Gourmet, the unbelievably unhygienic TV chef; and McGlinchey, a colourful wide-boy.
Gerry Rafferty: Right Down the LineGerry Rafferty: Right Down the Line · 2011
Gerry Rafferty: Right Down the Line
2011
MovieDocumentaryMusic
Gerry Rafferty, who died in January 2011, was one of Scotland's best-loved singer/songwriters, famous around the world for hits such as "Baker Street" and "Stuck in the Middle With You". This ArtWorks Scotland film, narrated by David Tennant, tells the story of Rafferty's life through his often autobiographical songs and includes contributions from Gerry's daughter Martha and brother Jim, friends and colleagues including Billy Connolly, John Byrne, and Joe Egan, admirers such as Tom Robinson and La Roux, and words and music from Rafferty himself.
American CousinsAmerican Cousins · 2003
American Cousins
★ 5.32003
MovieDramaCrime
Two American mafiosi, Gino and Settimo, take refuge in the Glasgow cafe owned by their Scottish/Italian cousin, but he isn't the tough guy they'd expected. Gino and Settimo try to repay Roberto's hospitality by chasing off a debt collector who wants his property, but their strong arm tactics alarm him and he realises they aren't the PR consultants they claimed to be.
The Cheviot, the Stag and the Black, Black OilThe Cheviot, the Stag and the Black, Black Oil · 1974
The Cheviot, the Stag and the Black, Black Oil
★ 8.01974
MovieDramaMusic
In their songs, comedy and exuberant music, a travelling theatre company give a fiercely polemic account of Scottish history, from the aftermath of Culloden to the oil boom. Their production before a live audience is intercut with filmed reconstructions of the Highland Clearances and the Victorian obsession with hunting stags.
Your Cheatin' HeartYour Cheatin' Heart · 1990
Your Cheatin' Heart
★ 8.01990
MovieMusicComedy
In this fondly remembered mini series John Byrne, creator of Tutti Frutti, explores the country music scene in an unsentimental portrait of Glaswegian life and culture. Local food and wine correspondent Frank McClusky falls in love with waitress Cissie Crouch. Unfortunately for him, she’s the wife of a convict, who is serving time for a crime he didn’t commit. As Frank’s life becomes more embroiled with Cissie’s he goes on a mission to track down the guilty men.

Filmography

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