SERIES 1 | EPISODE 2 | EDINBURGH TO ABERDEEN



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In this episode, Frankie Boyle travels from Edinburgh to Aberdeen and explores Scotland’s complicated relationship with language. In Edinburgh, he joins the crowds of the Fringe and goes to see a one-man show by the author of the critically acclaimed book The Poverty Safari, Darren McGarvey. They discuss how language shapes who we are, how it can be used to exclude working class people from important debates and consider how best to climb down from high walls.Frankie also wants to find out why crime fiction has become such a literary phenomenon in Scotland. In a bar in Edinburgh’s affluent district of Morningside, Frankie meets best-selling author Val McDermid, finds out about the origins of Tartan Noir and learns her secret to creating realistic characters and dialogue.Travelling north, Frankie stays the night in a hotel that has links to the creation of one of the most famous literary characters in the world - Dracula. Similarly inspired, Frankie gives his own unique theory on what might have inspired Bram Stoker to create the famous vampire.The next morning, Frankie goes to jail. In Grampian Prison, he visits the education wing, where he joins a class of prisoners who are all learning about the Scots language. He finds out why different dialects and words have gone in and out of fashion and works with the prisoners on a script in Scots. Frankie also finds out from Scots language expert Alistair Heather why Scots is experiencing a renaissance.Ahead of his stand-up show in Aberdeen, Frankie meets up with sign language interpreter Catherine King. Catherine interprets stand-up shows for the deaf community. She talks to Frankie about how she works on stage and interprets his sometimes shocking stand-up. Frankie then takes to the stage with Catherine.