A spoof of over-the-top police documentaries which is produced by the BBC and is set in Scotland. It has been aired only in Scotland so far, and has been a well-received cult hit. The first episode aired in 2012, followed by the first full series two years later. Three more series have aired since, taking it to 24 episodes.
The series stars members of the fictional 'Scottish Police Force'. Like the Real Life Police Scotland, this is a newly unified force that polices the whole of Scotland. The series is "part-improvised"; writers plot the key events and gags of a scene and leave the (mostly rookie) actors to fill in the rest. Many sketches are inspired by stories from real life police officers, while a few (such as the hat shortage) predicted things that happened soon after.
Characters include:
- Chief Commissioner Cameron Miekelson, Da Chief of the newly created force. He opens each episode, usually with a monologue that reveals how out of touch he is with the modern challenges of policing. Played by Jack Docherty from Absolutely, the only actor to have had any real fame beforehand.
- Sergeant Karen Anne Millar, a desk sergeant. She is most often seen having her time wasted by Bobby Muir, a Cloud Cuckoo Lander Manchild who constantly visits the police station.
- PC Jack McLaren and PC Sarah Fletcher, two Glasgow cops. Jack is athletic and enthusiastic to the point of bravado. Sarah is a level-headed peacemaker and keeps him restrained. She gets to represent the force in PR material, which Jack is mildly jealous of.
- PC Surjit Singh and PC Hugh McKirdie (wrestler Grado), two traffic cops. Surjit is an experienced By-the-Book Cop who acts as a mentor to Hugh, an enthusiastic newcomer.
- PC Charlie MacIntosh and PC Jane MacKay, two rural cops. Charlie is a lifelong "country bumpkin", while Jane is a recent transfer from the city. They share their knowledge and stories, but never Jane never notices his fondness for her.
- Volunteer Officer Ken Beattie, a volunteer constable who later joins the regulars and becomes PC Ken Beattie in series 4. A kindly officer who is eager to please everyone, to a point where he sometimes lets lawbreakers off the hook.
- Maggie LeBeau, a telephone operator.
A few new characters were added for series 4:
- Sergeant Ray McCoy, from the diplomatic and VIP protection unit.
- DC Megan Squire and her protégé DC Andrea McGill, two detectives.
- Archie Pepper, a staff investigator who carries out online investigations.
