Peter McDougall facts for kids

Peter McDougall (born 1947, Greenock, Scotland) is a Scottish television playwright. He became well-known for his plays in the 1970s.

Peter McDougall says he had very little schooling. He also says he rarely read books. He started working at age fourteen in the shipyards of Greater Glasgow and Greenock. He worked alongside future comedian and actor Billy Connolly. Peter didn't enjoy the tough work. He left Scotland and moved to London. There, he worked as a house-painter.

Early Writing Career

While painting Colin Welland's house, Peter impressed the actor and writer. He told stories about being a drum major in a teenage parade. Colin Welland told him to try writing a television play about it. This led to Just Another Saturday. Peter wrote it in secret. He even hid it from his first wife.

The script was sent to the BBC Play for Today team. They were very impressed. But they first rejected the play. This was because of its sensitive topic. However, Peter was asked to try again. He then wrote Just Your Luck (1972). This play was about his sister's wedding. It explored differences between religious groups. It told the story of a Protestant girl who became pregnant by a Catholic boy.

Public Reaction and Challenges

Just Your Luck caused a lot of discussion in Scotland. Some people found its portrayal of Scottish life a bit raw. But many people also praised it. One viewer even called it "the most exciting debut since Look Back in Anger."

Later, director John Mackenzie became interested in Just Another Saturday. He managed to get the play into production. But then, the play faced challenges. Some thought it might cause trouble. After a year, Mackenzie convinced the Head of BBC Television, Alasdair Milne, to go ahead. Some scenes were filmed in Edinburgh to avoid controversy.

Major Successes

The finished film of Just Another Saturday was a big success. It aired in 1975. The script was almost the same as the first draft. It was shown many times. Peter McDougall won the Prix Italia for it.

After this success, Peter wrote a short comedy for BBC2. It was called A Wily Couple (1976). This was part of the Centre Play series. He also wrote another Play for Today, The Elephants' Graveyard (1976). During this time, Peter worked with talented producers. One was Graeme Macdonald. Graeme later became Head Of Drama at the BBC.

Collaborations and Notable Works

Peter worked on other television projects. He and Mackenzie worked together again on their last Play for Today. This was Just a Boys' Game (1979). It starred blues singer Frankie Miller. The story was about Greenock gangs. It showed the tough lives of some people over twenty-four hours. This was his most intense work. Just A Boy's Game also featured early performances from Gregor Fisher and Ken Hutchison. Martin Scorsese has said the bar fight scene in the film was like the Scottish version of Mean Streets.

Peter also wrote Tarry-Dan Tarry-Dan Tarry-Dan Scarey Old Spooky Man. This was a BBC supernatural drama. It was set in Cornwall. It was about a troubled teenager. The teenager had dreams of an old family curse. It was shown only once in May 1978. John Reardon directed it.

Mackenzie and McDougall's last project together was A Sense of Freedom. This was an STV film (also 1979). It was based on the life story of Glaswegian Jimmy Boyle. It showed his crimes and later changes.

Later Career and Recognition

Peter McDougall has remained good friends with actor Harvey Keitel. Keitel played the lead in Down Where the Buffalo Go. Keitel showed his strong bond with McDougall during filming.

In 1994, Peter made a comment about the new Head of Drama at the BBC. She was Andrea Calderwood. They later became friends. Andrea was even invited to dinner at Peter's house. Billy Connolly and Brian Cox were also there.

In 2004, Peter wrote three short plays for the stage. They starred actors like Robbie Coltrane and Sean Scanlan. These plays were shown at the Òran Mór in Glasgow. This was part of the "A Play, A Pie and A Pint" event. At this time, he was working on new versions of the Ealing films The Maggie and Whisky Galore. He was upset when his ideas for casting were not chosen. A company, Whiskey Galore Films, was set up to develop Whisky Galore.

In October 2007, a DVD box set of Peter's work was released. It was called "The Peter McDougall Collection." It included three Play for Today titles. These were Just Another Saturday, The Elephant's Graveyard, and Just A Boy's Game. It also had a Screen One drama: Down Among the Big Boys.

Peter McDougall finally received a BAFTA award in 2008. He got a lifetime achievement award. This was for his "Outstanding contribution to Scottish broadcasting." A special showing of films by John Mackenzie and McDougall was also held. This was at the Edinburgh International Festival in 2009.

Peter was one of many famous Scots who attended the 2010 funeral of Trade Union Leader Jimmy Reid.

As of 2011, Peter McDougall wrote a screenplay. It was based on the James Hogg novel The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner. His long-time friends Billy Connolly and Robbie Coltrane were interested. Kelly Macdonald was also interested. The script was being viewed by Robert Pattinson. This could have been a big comeback for Peter.

Scottish filmmaker Eleanor Yule also made a documentary about Peter's work. It was for the BBC "Late Show."

Peter McDougall currently lives in Glasgow's West End. He lives with his partner, Morag Fullarton. She is a well-known director and writer. He can often be seen at the Òran Mór theatre pub in Glasgow.