'River City' celebrates fifth anniversary

Scottish soap River City celebrates its fifth birthday this week - with some of the most powerful scenes in the history of the show.

Over the years, residents of the fictional Glaswegian suburb of Shieldinch have experienced six marriages, four births, eleven deaths and plenty of highs and lows in-between times.

Five years on, the storyline lies with disgraced lawyer Archie Buchanan (Gilly Gilchrist) who has already drugged his mother, Liz (Eileen McCallum), embezzled money from his clients and cheated on his wife, Gina (Libby McArthur).

During two anniversary episodes, Archie prepares to run away with his lover, Niamh (Frances Healy), but his plans go awry when his mother, Liz, and wife, Gina, rumble his intentions. They discover that he's not actually contemplating suicide - he was going to pretend he killed himself while abroad with Niamh.

When Gina tries to stop him from leaving, Archie turns on her and attempts to strangle her to death. Liz, distraught at the monster her son has turned into, strikes him over the head with an urn containing his father's ashes.

As Archie falls into the fireplace, Liz and Gina panic as they contemplate what to do with his body. Will they turn themselves in and risk being sent down for murder? Or will they dispose of his body and give Archie the 'suicide' he wanted?

The first ever episode - which broadcast on Tuesday, September 24, 2002 - featured the wedding of Tommy (Eric Barlow) and Eileen (Deirdre Davis) which, in typical soap fashion, didn't run smoothly when Eileen's ex-husband Raymond turned up throwing punches. With Eileen's past back to haunt her, her life was thrown into complete disarray.

Celebrity fans Scott Mills, Lorraine Kelly and Neighbours' star Stefan Dennis, amongst others, have made cameo appearances over the years.

River City’s anniversary episodes will air on Friday, September 21 at 8.30pm and Tuesday, September 25 at 8.00pm on BBC One Scotland.