Fans of 90s television are in for a treat with Hamish Macbeth, a forgotten comedy-drama now available on BBC iPlayer. The show stars Robert Carlyle in the titular role, before he became a Hollywood icon with films like The Full Monty and Trainspotting. Carlyle plays a hash-smoking policeman in a sleepy, picturesque village in the Scottish Highlands.
The series falls into the cosy crime genre, with Hamish solving mysteries alongside his West Highland Terrier, Wee Jock. The show follows his adventures, from investigating crimes to navigating a complicated love life, all while turning a blind eye to minor offences like pub lock-ins.
There are three seasons to enjoy, based on the books by MC Beaton. Viewers who have discovered the show recently have praised it highly. One social media user wrote, 'We fell in love with it. It's a masterpiece.' Another added, 'It is soft, it is gentle, the characters are wonderful, the landscapes are sublime.'
The show highlights Carlyle's versatility as an actor, contrasting his gentle Hamish with his famous role as the violent Begbie in Trainspotting. A 1997 Guardian interview noted that viewers often fail to realise it's the same actor. More recently, Carlyle has appeared in Toxic Town and The Hack.
