Four media franchises that are surprisingly Scottish

By Jonathon Redden

Scotland isn’t exactly known for changing the entertainment industry. Of course, we have lots of gems that are beloved in our homeland but never took off internationally such as our very own sitcom, Still Game. However, a few times in history, we have produced works that ended up taking the world by storm. This list compiled below proves that for Scotland, quality comes over quantity.

4. Lemmings

Typical gameplay of the original Lemmings on the Amiga (thescotsman.com)

One of the most genius and replayable titles in the gaming industry was developed by DMA Design in a small studio up in Dundee. With the release of Lemmings in 1991, Scotland made Japan tremble and showed the gaming industry that we do more than chase haggis up mountains.

Identified by their iconic green hair, players guide a group of clumsy creatures across dangerous platforms using special tools, requiring gamers to equip their thinking caps while traversing these treacherous environments. Lemmings is now considered by many to be one of the greatest video games ever made, but little did DMA Design know that the best was yet to come...

3. Sherlock Holmes

A Sherlock Holmes statue in Baker Street, London, where the fictional character resides (gettyimages.co.uk)

The world’s most famous detective. An icon of British culture. The character debuted in an 1887 novel by Edinburgh-born author Arthur Conan Doyle and has now spawned multiple television and film adaptations. Being a true Londoner, many (including myself) have only recently made our own discovery: that the Sherlock Holmes universe was in fact started by a Scotsman, Fascinating!

2. The Beano

A Beano advertisement on a bus in London (commons.wikimedia.org)

The world’s longest running comic is Scottish to its core and iconically home to beloved characters including Dennis the Menace, Minnie the Minx and Bananaman. The Beano’s Scottish origins are often forgotten nowadays and is rarely referenced in newer issues. As an admirer of The Beano myself, I would like to see a bit more tartan and haggis in future issues to showcase some pride of its roots.

Published by DC Thomson in Dundee since 1938, the weekly comic still comfortably makes supermarket shelves, surviving eras of entertainment from television and superheroes to video games and social media. The Beano's popular characters have gone on to appear in television adaptations, novels and board games, so we can say that the future of this franchise is in safe hands.

1. Grand Theft Auto

Grand Theft Auto V flew off shelfs worldwide, becoming one of the best-selling video games of all time (gettyimages.co.uk)

One of the most popular and critically acclaimed games of all time, the Grand Theft Auto series began in Dundee by Lemmings creators DMA Design. Set in a typical American city, the crime action game has no trace of Scottish culture, so it may be a big surprise to some that the magic happens in Scotland’s capital, having moved from Dundee in 1999.

Now, the next Grand Theft Auto installment due to release next year is surely the most anticipated video game of all time, with the announcement video receiving more than 160m YouTube views within just a month of uploading. City Live readers from Dundee will no doubt be feeling a sense of pride finishing this article, as they well and truly should be.