Guilt is now at the penultimate episode

Thursday: Guilt (BBC Two, 9pm)
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Cast your mind back October and November 2019.

The early mornings and evenings were dark, as was a certain series making its debut.

Guilt was the first drama commission made by the then new BBC Scotland channel; it proved so popular, it was later broadcast on BBC Two.

Kenny and MaxKenny and Max
Kenny and Max
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Its creator, Neil Forsyth, is an author and journalist from Dundee whose character Bob Servant appeared in books and on radio before being portrayed by Brian Cox in a BBC Four sitcom in 2013. He’s also penned numerous plays for Sky and the one-off drama Eric, Ernie and Me about Morecambe and Wise’s scriptwriter Eddie Braben.

In the latter, Eric Morecambe was played by Mark Bonnar, who reteamed with Forsyth on Guilt. The writer wanted to explore a tale about siblings, which he describes as “the most interesting dramatic relationship”.

The first series saw Bonnar play Max, a successful lawyer, alongside Jamie Sives, recently seen in the Alibi drama Annika, as his younger brother Jake. While Max is manipulative, ambitious and appears to have it all, Jake is well-meaning, struggles to make a living via his record shop and has a moral conscience.

They’re clearly very different people, but were thrown together when, while returning from a wedding, they accidentally ran over and killed an elderly man, then tried to cover up the crime. However, their guilt began to play cruel tricks on them…

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“When I read Neil’s script for Guilt it blew my socks off,” says Bonnar. “I was really struck by how much of a page turner it was – he had me gripped. And, as everything else fell into place, it became apparent that this was going to be something really special. I’m very proud of Guilt.”

For the past few weeks he’s been back on our screens in the second series alongside Sives, whom he’s known for years – they were at Leith Academy together during the 1980s.

“I’m completely overjoyed that Guilt has a second series!” smiles Bonnar. “Neil has crafted four amazing scripts with some cracking new characters and an immensely involving plot, full of twists and turns. He’s really putting us through the mill! And of course, I’m over the moon to be working with Jamie again. We’ve assembled a fantastic crew – many returning from series one – and I know they’re just as excited as us to be a part of this wonderful show.”

Sara Vickers, Phyllis Logan, Stuart Bowman, Ian Pirie, Greg McHugh, Rochelle Neil and Sandy McDade are among those who have joined the cast, while viewers have been enthralled by the storyline, which picked up as Max was released from prison and immediately set about getting his life back on track.

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We’re now at the penultimate episode stage, and it begins with a flashback to 30 years ago, to a night that changed the Lynch family forever.

Back in the present, Max’s relationship with Erin grows increasingly complicated, while Yvonne faces a tough choice after spending an uncomfortable night with Kenny.

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