Viva Variety (2014)

Every weekend more than a thousand performers - from cabaret stars to comedians, magicians to tribute bands - take to Scottish stages to showcase their talents. But what does it really take to survive in one of the toughest and most cut-throat industries? For the first time ever, we're going behind the scenes of the Scottish entertainment industry to reveal what it's really like to perform in 21st-century variety. How do you break into the big time? Can our stars earn a living from it? And is all the struggle worth it? 'Viva Variety' goes backstage to explore the dreams and realities of those who burn to entertain. Welcome to the very real world of variety. Scotland's showbiz circuit isn't just populated by performers who are on the way up dreaming of the big time, there are plenty of people who have had a real brush with fame. This first episode meets three Scottish performers who have had their moment in the spotlight - the granny whose break came late in life, the single mum who peaked early and the singer who wowed the nation in the most unexpected way - but once they've tasted fame, what happens next?

The biggest earners on the Scottish entertainment circuit are the tribute acts - with automatic fan bases, they can pull in the punters and sellout the best venues. There are an astonishing 200 in the country, and in this episode we meet three of Scotland's more unusual and successful tribute acts, as they take on their alter egos in front of their harshest critics, facing the pressure to be as good - or better - than the real thing...

The business of show business is in the spotlight with a look at the world of the entertainment manager, focusing on three very different agencies. Jim Smart is one of the biggest players on the circuit with over 100 acts on his books, but now the market is changing so he is on the look out for his next big money-spinner. F3 Entertainment are the new kids on the block but they know the industry inside-out and mean business. At the other end of the agency spectrum, there is Liz Marshall, who fell into show business when she fell in love.

Every weekend more than a thousand performers - from cabaret stars to comedians, magicians to tribute bands - take to Scottish stages to showcase their talents. But what does it really take to survive in one of the toughest and most cut-throat industries? For the first time ever, we're going behind the scenes of the Scottish entertainment industry to reveal what it's really like to perform in 21st-century variety. How do you break into the big time? Can our stars earn a living from it? And is all the struggle worth it? 'Viva Variety' goes backstage to explore the dreams and realities of those who burn to entertain. Welcome to the very real world of variety. Every year wannabe performers flock to Scotland's showbiz circuit with big ambitions - but what happens when the glitz and glamour fades, the bookings fall and reality hits? In this final episode we meet three performers at different points in their careers as we explore just how hard the variety business can be. If they've chosen show business as their career, just how dedicated do they have to be to survive in it?