The late Gwyneth Guthrie played Mrs Mack
TAKE The High Road or The High Road as it became known was one of the most popular Scottish shows over forty years ago.
And now it’s been revealed that the show based in fictional Glendarroch is still as popular as ever as new figures show.
Over 40 years after it first launched on STV, Scottish drama fans are still being gripped by the goings-on in Glendarroch, as Take the High Road has been revealed as one of STV Player’s most-streamed drama series of 2021.
The iconic soap, which aired its final episode in 2003, has won a legion of new followers – and delighted existing fans – since dropping on STV’s free streaming service two years ago. It was the fifth most-watched drama on the platform in 2021, attracting more streams than major new series such as Marcella (#6) and Finding Alice (#9).
However, despite the enduring popularity of the gentle rural soap, a chilling American crime drama about the hunt for a serial killer operating around the US-Mexico border proved more popular. Critically-acclaimed The Bridge – starring Diane Kruger as formidable detective Sonya Cross – was added straight to STV Player without being aired on the channel itself and, as the fourth most-streamed drama of the year, has been a bingeworthy hit with viewers.
Daily streams of Take the High Road reached a peak on 12 November, as viewers sought to rewatch the memorable performances of one of the series’ most treasured stars, Gwyneth Guthrie(Mrs Mack), in the wake of her death.
Elsewhere, the top three dramas of 2021 on STV Player were perennial favourites Coronation Streetand Emmerdale, as well as the second series of British crime thriller The Bay.
Rounding out the platform’s top ten most-streamed dramas of the year were David Morrissey-starring detective series Thorne (#7) and US legal drama The Firm (#10) – both STV Player-only shows – as well as beloved Scottish classic, Taggart (#8). All 27 series of the show, which originally aired from 1983 to 2010, are available to stream on STV Player.
Richard Williams, MD of Digital, STV said:“Never underestimate the power of Glendarroch! We’re so pleased that, among the countless big-name, big-budget international dramas our viewers are enjoying on STV Player, there remains a soft spot for the gentle familiarity of Take the High Road.
“This list also highlights that Corrie and Emmerdale fans have embraced the flexibility that watching their favourite soaps on-demand gives them. The sheer variety of our top ten list, from the day-to-day antics on the cobbles to the high-octane thrills of The Bridge, shows there really is a drama to suit every taste on STV Player.”
STV Player’s ten most-streamed drama series of 2021:
01. Coronation Street
02. Emmerdale
03. The Bay
04. The Bridge
05. Take the High Road
06. Marcella
07. Thorne
08. Taggart
09. Finding Alice
10. The Firm