Maggie is a British television drama series produced by BBC Scotland which aired on BBC Two between 1981 and 1982. It was based on a quartet of books written by Joan Lingard during the 1970s – The Clearance, The Resettling, The Pilgrimage and The Reunion.

Synopsis

Set in the city of Glasgow, the series is centred on 17-year-old Maggie McKinley (played by Kirsty Miller) from a council flat in a high-rise tower block whose family has been uprooted for generations, beginning with the Highland Clearances. Maggie experiences the tribulations of adolescence as she aspires to further her education at university, a career and an independent life, while also struggling to better her family's economic situation. Maggie's parents (Michael Sheard and Mary Riggans) expect her to take a secure working-class job, get married and "settle down". Maggie sorts through her feelings for both local boy Mike (Joe Mullaney), and James (Ian Michie), a comfortably middle-class Edinburgh student. Much of the series also centres on Maggie's relationship with her feisty octogenarian grandmother (Jean Faulds) who lives in rural Inverness-shire, and who frequently acts as an important confidante to her granddaughter. The two series followed Maggie's progress, ending as she faces a crossroads in her life – whether to go to university or work for the family business. The theme song "Maggie" was written and performed by pop singer BA Robertson.

Cast

Episodes

Series 1: 1981

Series 2: 1982