The Borderers

The Borderers is a British television series produced by the BBC between 1968 and 1970.

Setting

A historical drama series, The Borderers was set during the 16th century and chronicled the lives of the Ker family, who lived in the Scottish Middle March on the frontier between England and Scotland. You also see the wider politics, mostly as it affects their relative Sir Walter Ker, warden of the Middle March

The series was described by The Guardian in 2007 as "brave and original...a kind of north-eastern western".^[1] It shows an ordinary family trying to live as part of a society of Border Reivers, a world where raid and feud were unavoidable parts of daily life. The wars between England and Scotland had destroyed the normal processes of law enforcement. The setting is a particularly tense time, with Elizabeth of England and Mary, Queen of Scots, in competition. Also the struggle between Protestants and Catholics in both kingdoms. Amidst all this, the Kers of Slitrig are trying to live an ordinary life.

The leading cast members were Iain Cuthbertson, Edith MacArthur and Michael Gambon.

Season One was produced by Peter Graham Scott, who had worked on The Avengers, Mogul, The Troubleshooters and would later go on to make The Onedin Line.

Season Two was produced by Anthony Coburn who had previously worked on 'Doctor Who'.

In 2007, two episodes of The Borderers were part of the BBC Archive Trial.^[2]

Cast

The regular cast were Michael Gambon as Gavin Ker (male head of the family),^[3] Edith McArthur as Margaret Ker and Iain Cuthbertson as Sir Walter Ker of Cessford. Nell Brennan as Agnes Ker (Series 1) and Eileen Nicholas as Agnes Ker (Series 2). Margaret Greig as Grizel Ker, Joseph Brady as Rab (Series 1) and James Garbutt as Rab (Series 2). Ross Campbell as Jamie Ker and Russell Waters as Pringle (Cessford's clerk).^[4] Sir Walter Ker is a real historical figure, though little is known of him and most of what is shown in the series is invented.

Episode guide

Letter Giving Details

In a letter, dated '4 December 69' (verifiable original available for analysis. Scanned copy available on request) written to his widowed mother in Australia, eloquently describing his experience with 'The Borderers' Tony (James Anthony Coburn) writes (with minor 'typos' here corrected):

"This has been a Scottish year. At the end of last year I took over a series called The Borderers. These were fifty minute episodes of life on the Scottish borders between the years 1560 and 1565. A horsey historical costume series made in glorious colour and the most expensive series the BBC has ever attempted. The man who had made thirteen episodes of it the year before had distilled no more out of this rumbustious period than a pale attempt to copy the Westerns and our masters were of the opinion that he had pissed three hundred thousand pounds against a wall. So I began my second exercise in production with a fair amount of dissatisfaction all around me. Unknown to the cast and the directors who had been working on the programme, I joined the unit like one of those captains in a naval saga who walks up the gangplank of an unhappy ship. 'Will the old man take us safely through the minefields or will we end by hanging him from the yardarm?' A slightly mixed metaphor but you know what I mean. I began, as you would have done, by locking myself in my cabin and immersing myself in history. I read everything I could find of the period and gradually a social climate and a kind of people emerged. When this was done and I had a good idea of the kind of stories I wanted to tell I began to write some them myself and set other writers to do the rest. When the script content was in preparation I got rid of those members of the regular cast who were not up to the job and recast others in their places. I flew back and forward to Scotland and toured around to find better film locations than were used last time. I found castles and farms and a whole section of a small town that was almost pure sixteenth century. I worked all these into the stories. Then with the appetites of the cast whetted by a different kind of material and with prospect of getting their teeth into some real acting material, we set off in late May for Scotland with two entire film units, a mobile stable of twelve horses, a veritable caravanserai of make up wagons, costume wagons, catering wagons, camera cars, recording cars, and Lord knows what else, and began to get the whole thing on film.

All the programmes are made now, and although they are not being transmitted until the sixth of January next year, our masters who have seen them are well content that at last The Borderers format has been properly realised. I hope the fickle viewers will feel the same. Certainly I have had more artistic satisfaction out of this year than from any year in my life, and I've made a bit of money with it. The shame of it is that I was originally to make twenty six episodes but halfway through he filming period, before ever we got near a studio, those who hold the purse strings in the BBC got cold feet and reduced it to thirteen and decided these would be the last Borderers ever made. Now they've seen what we've done they've changed their minds again and decided to make some more, but all their facilities are so booked up now they can't begin making another lot before 1971. Ah well, that's show business. I haven't the faintest idea whether Australia will buy them or not. Maybe they won't until you get colour out there."

To the editor who, on failing to 'Google' previously published examples of the historical material (and artifact) reproduced above, will doubtless wish to remove the (laboriously retyped) content of this authentic (extant and in my possession) historical document. As the eldest son of James Anthony Coburn and the present lawful owner of his copyright protected works (inclusive of the 'TARDIS' acronym) you may be aware that other previously disputed accurate editions made by myself to the page relevant to my late father, have since been elsewhere confirmed and relisted. As on those previous occasions, what I have published here is NOT 'original research' (a semantic misnomer where DIRECT FAMILY is concerned). but merely the straight telling of the verifiable literal truth of the matter, as consciously recalled by myself and other family members, which, in this case, is unequivocally evidenced by the (physically extant) 'original' document, available (with other relevant material) to legitimate researchers.

On this occasion, maybe confirm the factual nature of the significant information here added, BEFORE excising genuine verifiable historical information (I repeat, ask Sir Michael Gambon for HIS recollections of my dad) on yet another 'Catch22-esque' point of order. I promise I don't do this for the good of my health, and beyond 'family honour' have no personal 'axe to grind' in the matter. ^[10]

References

External links

• The Borderers at TheTVDB
• The Borderers on IMDb
• The Borderers at TV.com
• Episode guide at TV.com
• Borderers episodes missing from the archives