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Moray Hunter

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Moray Hunter (born October 1957) is a Scottish comedian, writer and performer. He starred in the Channel 4 sketch show, Absolutely. Alongside Jack Docherty, he played one half of the eccentric double-act, Don and George, in Absolutely and later in the spin-off series, Mr Don & Mr George. He also provided the voice for a shadow puppet in one of Aardman Animations' short films, Humdrum. He has written, produced and appeared in a variety of radio and television productions.

Early life

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Moray Hunter was born in October 1957.[1] He was educated at George Watson's College in Edinburgh. He studied law at the University of Dundee then practised in Bathgate, West Lothian in Scotland.[2]

Comedy career

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The Bodgers

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Hunter began writing and performing with Jack Docherty as The Bodgers at the 1980 Edinburgh Fringe, along with Peter Baikie and Gordon Kennedy.[3][4][5] In 1984 the troupe were runners up for the Perrier Pick of the Fringe with their show The Bodgers: Arfington Arfington and in December they performed their act in the Tron Theatre in Glasgow.[5][6] A radio series of four episodes was aired on BBC Radio 4 in 1985.[7] Their 1985 Fringe performance The Bodgers: Mr Hargreaves did it earned them a second Perrier Award nomination.[5][8]

By December 1985, ITV had been announced that he would be appearing as part of a four person comedy segment on the Hogmanay television programme.[9] In September 1987, ITV's Terry Nesson show was showing some Scottish acts not seen on television before, alongside some more established acts. The showed was billed as having regular contributions from a couple of comedy acts, including Hunter and Docherty, at that time performing as Don and George.[10]

Sketch writing for established shows

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Hunter got work writing for Chris Tarrant's Saturday Stayback show made by Central Television which aired in 1983.[11] He worked as a writer on Spitting Image series 1 and 2 which aired on the ITV network 1984-1985,[2] and series 4-7 which aired 1986-1988.[12] He was a writer for Alas Smith and Jones series 2-4 which aired 1985–1987 on BBC 2.[2][13] The Lenny Henry Show,[14] He had writing credits on 16 episodes of Radio Active spanning series 3–5 which ran 1983-1985.[5][15] He wrote material for episodes in the third series of the Radio Four comedy In One Ear in 1985.[16]

Absolutely

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Hunter and Docherty formed the media production company Absolutely Productions in 1988.[17] Hunter, Docherty, Baikie and Kennedy were joined by Morwenna Banks and John Sparkes to make the sketch show Absolutely which broadcast on Channel 4 over four seasons from 1989 to 1993.[18] Hunter and Docherty wrote and starred in Mr Don and Mr George, a series based on two characters from the show that first aired on Channel 4 in 1993 and had six episodes.[19]

Hunter and Docherty were the voices of the two main characters in Humdrum, an animated comedy short film produced by Aardman Animations and released in 1998.[20] The film received an Academy Award nomination for Best Animated Short Film and a BAFTA nomination in the same category. He had writing credits on the animated television series Meg and Mog which was adapted from books and first aired on CITV 2003–2004.[21]

Hunter and Docherty wrote a sitcom based in an advertising agency, The Creatives, which had two series that aired on BBC 2 1998-2000.[17] Hunter, Docherty and Kennedy all starred in the radio sitcom series Very Old Pretenders on BBC Radio Four in 2011.[22]

Absolutely revival

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Twenty years after Absolutely had first been on television,[23] the team prepared for a one-off live show for Radio 4's Sketchorama in Òran Mór, Glasgow to be produced by The Comedy Unit. Docherty did not take part, citing prior work commitments.[23] The group enjoyed their comeback[24][25] and the programme won Best Scripted Comedy with Audience in the 2014 Audio Drama Awards.[26] Three radio series of Absolutely followed 2015–2019.[27]

In December 2006, The Clan was to be broadcast by BBC Radio Scotland as a pilot. It was a comedy radio play that he wrote, commissioned by BBC Scotland and produced by Tern TV.[28]

Hunter and Docherty wrote the mockumentary series The Cup. After securing the rights, they adapted a Canadian series The Tournament which centred around a minor ice hockey.[29] The result was a six-part series based around an ambitious under-elevens football team, which aired on BBC2 in 2008.[30] Together with Gordon Kennedy, he produced two series of Secrets and Lattes a sitcom set in a middle-class Bruntsfield café which first was on BBC Radio Four in 2008.[31][32]

He was a writer on Sorry, I've Got No Head, a children’s sketch show that aired on CBBC in 2009.[33] He was writer and producer of Freedom a comedy programme that first aired on BBC Two Scotland in December 2010.[34][35]

His radio comedy Alone had four series on BBC Radio 4 between 2018–2022.[36] It was shortlisted for Best Scripted Comedy at the 2021 BBC Audio Drama Awards.[37]

He has appeared in episodes of various comedy programmes: Rab C Nesbitt,[38]Bob Servant,[39] Badults,[40] Still Game,[41] and Gary: Tank Commander.[42]

Drama

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In 1998 Hunter appeared in John Byrne's version of the satirical play The Government Inspector at London's Almeida Theatre and then at Edinburgh King's Theatre.[43]

He appeared in the 2006 film The Flying Scotsman, a drama based on the life and career of Scottish amateur cyclist Graeme Obree.[44]

He appeared in the BBC's forensic crime drama Silent Witness playing a depressed vet with a faulty hearing aid.[45]

References

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  1. ^ "Colin Scott Moray HUNTER". Companies House. Retrieved 2 July 2024.
  2. ^ a b c Donald, Jean (7 March 1985). "Laughter – with legal aid". The Glasgow Herald. p. 7. Retrieved 2 July 2024.
  3. ^ Rudden, Liam (8 February 2022). "Edinburgh Scot Squad star Jack Docherty takes a trip down memory lane". The Scotsman. Retrieved 2 July 2024.
  4. ^ Hunter, Moray (3 August 2010). "A Fringe under your nose...The Bodgers!". theedinburghreporter.co.uk. Retrieved 2 July 2024.
  5. ^ a b c d Pollock, David (2022). The Edinburgh festival: a biography. Edinburgh: Luath Press Limited. ISBN 9781804250129.
  6. ^ Brennan, Mary (29 December 1984). "Tron Theatre, Glasgow. The Bodgers". The Glasgow Herald. Retrieved 2 July 2024.
  7. ^ "In Other Words.... The Bodgers". British Comedy Guide. Retrieved 2 July 2024.
  8. ^ O’Rourke, Donny (30 August 1985). "The Pleasance Theatre. Mr Hargreaves did it". The Glasgow Herald. p. 5. Retrieved 2 July 2024.
  9. ^ Young, Andrew (4 December 1985). "Macdonald tries to hedge his television bets over Hogmanay". The Glasgow Herald. p. 7. Retrieved 2 July 2024.
  10. ^ "Worth a look". The Glasgow Herald. 25 September 1987. p. 38. Retrieved 2 July 2024.
  11. ^ Wapshott, Tim (22 July 1994). "Look Who's talking: So who am I? Nobody knows: The comedian Jack Docherty describes the perils of not making a name for yourself". The Independent. Retrieved 2 July 2024.
  12. ^ "TV > Spitting Image > Key cast & crew credits". British Comedy Guide. Retrieved 2 July 2024.
  13. ^ "TV > Alas Smith & Jones > Key cast & crew credits". British Comedy Guide. Retrieved 2 July 2024.
  14. ^ "TV > The Lenny Henry Show (1984) > Cast & Crew > Full Credits". British Comedy Guide. Retrieved 2 July 2024.
  15. ^ "Radio > Radio Active > Cast & Crew > Full Credits". British Comedy Guide. Retrieved 2 July 2024.
  16. ^ "Radio > In One Ear". British Comedy Guide. Retrieved 2 July 2024.
  17. ^ a b "On the funny side of the street". The Herald. Glasgow. 26 September 1998. Retrieved 2 July 2024.
  18. ^ Hemming, Sarah (23 May 1989). "C4 opens up the floodgates to Bodgerdom". The Glasgow Herald. p. 32. Retrieved 2 July 2024.
  19. ^ Dibdin, Thom (20 August 1993). "Reservoir Scots". The List. p. 96. Retrieved 2 July 2024.
  20. ^ "Moray Hunter". Absolutely Productions Ltd. Archived from the original on 2 April 2012. Retrieved 19 October 2011.
  21. ^ Meg and Mog: Meg and the Baby (Television production). TV-LD Productions. Retrieved 3 July 2024 – via YouTube.
  22. ^ "Programme Index > b014s4xg". BBC. Retrieved 2 July 2024.
  23. ^ a b English, Paul (28 March 2013). "Cult Scots comedy Absolutely set to return for one-off special to mark 20th anniversary". Daily Record. Scotland. Retrieved 2 July 2024.
  24. ^ English, Paul (18 June 2013). "Video: TV return for cult Scots comedy Absolutely on the cards after reunion special". Daily Record. Scotland. Retrieved 2 July 2024.
  25. ^ "Sketchorama: Absolutely Special". BBC Radio 4. 7 August 2013. Retrieved 2 July 2024.
  26. ^ "2014 Audio Drama Awards winners". BBC Radio. Retrieved 2 July 2024.
  27. ^ English, Paul (26 September 1998). "On the funny side of the street". The Herald. Glasgow. Retrieved 2 July 2024.
  28. ^ Sheppard, Fergus (19 December 2006). "Scotland's answer to The Simpsons: they're horrible, but you'll like them". The Scotsman. Archived from the original on 13 January 2007. Retrieved 19 October 2011.
  29. ^ Keal, Graham (13 August 2008). "New show is dream come true for Scots comedy stars Jack Docherty and Moray Hunter". Daily Record. Scotland. Retrieved 2 July 2024.
  30. ^ Hanks, Robert (22 August 2008). "Last Night's TV: The Cup, BBC2. Comedy Lab: Kids School of Comedy, Channel 4". The Independent. Retrieved 2 July 2024.
  31. ^ Stephen, Phyllis (23 July 2015). "BBC Radio 4 – Secrets and Lattes – set in a Bruntsfield café". Retrieved 2 July 2024.
  32. ^ "Programme Index > b0628bmg". BBC. Retrieved 2 July 2024.
  33. ^ "Programme Index > b00cch5t". BBC. Retrieved 2 July 2024.
  34. ^ "Freedom – TV show written by an Edinburgh lad!". theedinburghreporter.co.uk. 1 December 2010. Retrieved 2 July 2024.
  35. ^ "Programme Index > Freedom". BBC. 7 December 2010. Retrieved 2 July 2024.
  36. ^ "Moray Hunter interview". British Comedy Guide. 20 April 2018. Retrieved 2 July 2024.
  37. ^ "The 2021 Shortlist". BBC Radio. Retrieved 2 July 2024.
  38. ^ "Programme Index > Rab C Nesbitt Series 10 Episode 3: Cuts". BBC. Retrieved 2 July 2024.
  39. ^ "Programme Index > Bob Servant Series 2 Episode 3: Wedding". BBC. 15 December 2014. Retrieved 2 July 2024.
  40. ^ "Programme Index > Badults Series 2 Episode 5: Holiday". BBC. 30 June 2014. Retrieved 2 July 2024.
  41. ^ "Programme Index > Still Game Series 7 Episode 3: Job". BBC. 21 October 2016. Retrieved 2 July 2024.
  42. ^ "Programme Index > Gary: Tank Commander Series 2 Episode 5: Climate Control". BBC. 31 January 2011. Retrieved 2 July 2024.
  43. ^ "The Slav Boys". The List. 23 January 1998. p. 65. Retrieved 2 July 2024.
  44. ^ Robinson, Matthew (2018). "'Make Do and Mend': Crafting a Scottish Underdog in The Flying Scotsman (2006)". Open Screens. 1 (1): 6. doi:10.16995/os.7.
  45. ^ "TV highlights 16/01/2014". The Guardian. 16 January 2014. Retrieved 2 July 2024.
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