Peter McDougall facts for kids

Peter McDougall (born in 1947 in Greenock, Scotland) is a Scottish writer known for his television plays, especially in the 1970s. He grew up in Scotland and started working at a young age in shipyards. He found the work difficult and not very interesting, so he moved to London to work as a house-painter.

Becoming a Writer

While working as a house-painter, Peter McDougall met actor and writer Colin Welland. Peter shared stories about his teenage years, including being a drum major in a traditional parade. Colin Welland encouraged him to try writing a television play about these experiences.

Peter secretly wrote his first play, Just Another Saturday. He even kept it hidden from his first wife. When he finished it, he sent the script to the BBC. They were very impressed but initially thought the topic was too sensitive to show. However, they asked him to write another play.

Early Successes

Peter then wrote Just Your Luck (1972), which was based on his sister's wedding. This play explored the challenges that can arise when people from different backgrounds fall in love. When it was shown in Scotland, it caused a lot of discussion because of how it showed people's everyday lives and feelings. But many people also praised it, with one viewer calling it a very exciting new work.

Later, director John Mackenzie helped get Just Another Saturday into production. There were some concerns about the play causing arguments, but after a year, Mackenzie convinced the Head of BBC Television, Alasdair Milne, to go ahead with it. Some scenes were even filmed in Edinburgh to help avoid controversy.

When Just Another Saturday was finally shown in 1975, it was a huge success. It was shown many times and won Peter McDougall the Prix Italia, a major international award for television.

More Television Plays

After this success, Peter McDougall wrote more plays. These included a short comedy for BBC2 called A Wily Couple (1976) and another play for the Play for Today series called The Elephants' Graveyard (1976). During this time, he worked with talented producers like Graeme Macdonald, who later became a top drama executive at the BBC.

Peter McDougall and John Mackenzie worked together again on their final Play for Today, Just a Boys' Game (1979). This film starred blues singer Frankie Miller and was about the tough challenges faced by young men in Greenock. It also featured early performances from actors like Gregor Fisher and Ken Hutchison. The famous director Martin Scorsese even said that the film's atmosphere made it a Scottish version of his own movie, Mean Streets.

Peter also wrote a supernatural drama for the BBC called Tarry-Dan Tarry-Dan Scarey Old Spooky Man (1978). It was set in Cornwall and was about a teenager who had dreams about an old family mystery. Mackenzie and McDougall's last project together was the STV film A Sense of Freedom (1979), which was based on the life story of a well-known person from Glasgow, showing his journey and changes.

Later Works and Recognition

Some of Peter McDougall's later plays included Shoot For The Sun (1986), a BBC drama starring Jimmy Nail and Brian Cox, and Down Where the Buffalo Go (1988) starring Harvey Keitel. He also wrote Down Among The Big Boys (1993). While these plays didn't receive as much praise as his earlier works, he remained good friends with Harvey Keitel.

In 2004, Peter McDougall wrote three short plays for the stage. These were performed in Glasgow as part of a lunchtime theatre event. He was also working on new versions of classic Scottish films like The Maggie and Whisky Galore.

In October 2007, a DVD collection of most of Peter McDougall's work, called "The Peter McDougall Collection," was released. This collection included some of his most famous plays like Just Another Saturday and Just a Boys' Game.

Peter McDougall received a special award in 2008. He was given a BAFTA lifetime achievement award for his "Outstanding contribution to Scottish broadcasting." This award recognized his amazing work in television. In 2009, many of the films he made with director John Mackenzie were shown at the Edinburgh International Festival.

As of 2025, Peter McDougall has continued to be involved in writing. He wrote a screenplay based on the novel The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner, which has attracted interest from actors like Billy Connolly, Robbie Coltrane, and Kelly Macdonald.

A documentary about Peter McDougall's work, made by Scottish filmmaker Eleanor Yule, was also shown on the BBC "Late Show."

Peter McDougall lives in Glasgow with his partner, Morag Fullarton, who is also a director and writer. He can often be seen at the Òran Mór theatre pub in Glasgow.