List of River City characters introduced in 2002–2003
River City is a long running BBC Scotland soap opera set in the fictional Glasgow suburb of Shieldinch in Scotland. This is a list of characters who first appeared on the programme during 2002 and 2003, listed in order of their first appearance.
Moira Henderson
Moira Henderson is a fictional character from the BBC Scotland soap opera River City played by Jo Cameron Brown.Moira was the wife of George Henderson. She was killed in a car crash caused by her grandson Brian Henderson.
George Henderson
George Henderson is a fictional character from the BBC Scotland soap opera River City played by John Murtagh. George was a taxi driver.His wife killed in a car crash caused by his grandson Brian Henderson. He discovers that Alice Henderson is not his biological daughter.
His second wife was Shirley Henderson. In 2007, he died from a terminal brain tumour.
Raymond Henderson
Raymond Henderson is a fictional character from the BBC Scotland soap opera River City played by Paul Samson. He appeared for 12 years.By 2010, Raymond had to adjust to the fact of Iona moving out of the flat so that she could have her own life, but he did enjoy having someone with him after losing his late wife, who was Iona's sister. Raymond however gave his best wishes to Iona and she moved out - to across the street.
Raymond has recently began to think about fostering after realising he hasn't fulfilled his dream, and has now decided that he wants to help someone else and make a difference to there lives. His former wife Eileen Donachie also agreed to help him with fostering children, which Raymond was thrilled about. After Archie's funeral, when Eileen got very drunk, Raymond and Eileen slept together, after this they both agreed they enjoyed there comfortable relationship, and how they would make good foster parents, not making the mistakes that they did with there children.
In 2012, he set fire to The Tall Ship public house. In 2014, Raymond was murdered by corrupt councillor Frank Paton.
Brian Henderson
Brian Henderson is a fictional character from the BBC Scotland soap opera River City played by William Ruane.On 2 January 2004, Brian caused a car crash which killed his grandmother Moira Henderson.
Brian was written out to "receive medical treatment" following a storyline involving the abduction of Hazel Campbell.
Robert Henderson
Robert Henderson is a fictional character from the BBC Scotland soap opera River City played by Maurice Roeves. Robert was a villainous character.Alice Henderson
Alice Henderson is a fictional character from the BBC Scotland soap opera River City played by Lorraine McIntosh.Alice struggled with alcoholism. In 2010, She was jailed after trying to frame a teacher for child pornography.
Bob O'Hara
Bob O'Hara, known as Robert 'Shellsuit Bob' Adams, is a fictional character from the BBC Scotland soap opera River City, played by Stephen Purdon. His best friend is Angus Lindsay.Stevie O'Hara
Stevie O'Hara is a fictional character from the BBC Scotland soap opera River City.Hazel Campbell
Hazel Campbell is a fictional character from the BBC Scotland soap opera River City portrayed by Annmarie Fulton.Roisin McIntyre
Roisin McIntyre is a fictional character from the BBC Scotland soap opera River City, played by Joyce Falconer. She first appeared in 2002 and left in 2008. She returned in 2021. The character has been compared to Bet Lynch from Coronation Street.Malcolm Hamilton
Malcolm Hamilton is a fictional character from the BBC Scotland soap opera River City, played by Johnny Beattie. Malcolm is known for featuring in many of the shows biggest moments.Malcolm is the wise old owl of Shieldinch. He's a family man and has a daughter Eileen and grandchildren. Beattie left the role in 2015 at the age of 88.
Tommy Donachie
Tommy Donachie is a fictional character in the BBC Scotland soap, River City played by Eric Barlow.The debut episode in 2002 saw his wedding day where he married Eileen Donachie wedding day.
Eileen Donachie
Eileen Donachie is a fictional character from the BBC Scotland soap opera River City, played by Deirdre Davis.Eileen has lived in Shieldinch her whole life. She was first married to Raymond Henderson, however it wasn't a happy marriage, but did produce two children, Brian and Kirsty. Eileen did eventually remarry, too Tommy Donachie following her divorce to Raymond. She was originally a pub landlady.
After her marriage to Raymond fell apart, Eileen decided to remarry to the man she thought was her real one true love. Eileen and Tommy did marry with her ex-husband Raymond turning up on there big day! Their new joined family seemed cursed from the beginning. When Lewis Cope turned up in Shieldinch, who was Eileen's first love, she began to get bored with Tommy, and had an affair with her old flame, with disastrous consequences. Eventually, Tommy found out about this, along with everyone else in the community - because of this Eileen and Tommy split up. However, after a long wait, Eileen and Tommy were going to get back together and whilst on the way to meet him, he was tragically hit on the head, therefore killed instantly by the 'Shieldinch Strangler'. After this, Eileen sold the Grill that she ran at the Tall Ship. Eileen never had a proper serious relationship after this, and enjoyed flings with younger men, which proved to make her happy, at least for the time being. However, soon Eileen was having an affair with her sisters husband, Archie Buchanan and when Gina found out, Archie manipulated her, and she chose to stay with him and cut all ties with her family, leaving them in turmoil. But, the worst was yet to come when Eileen was dragged into Gina's mad world, and Archie's supposed death, helping her sister dispose of his body after a confrontation which saw Archie's mother Liz, hit him over the head which left him supposedly 'dead'. Soon, Archie was back, claiming to have amnesia and living under the name of Douglas, but Eileen knew all along that Archie hadn't changed and what he was really like, Archie soon went back to his old trick, and Gina left him and went back to her family, much to there delight.
Eileen did however eventually find a new romance, in the form of young politician, Alex Judd, it did fail, but proved not to be such a total disaster like the others. Eileen emerged from this relationship with a new purpose, wanting to help others and have a political awareness, and so Eileen defeated Alex in the community council elections and won the right to represent Shieldinch and its residents political matters.
By 2010, Eileen was dating Murray from the community centre, but after a series of bad dates, and a Valentine's Day with her sister Gina involved, Eileen tried to make things special for the two of them. However, things weren't too last when Murray dumped her, saying they had nothing in common, although he didn't tell her that he really had feelings for his sister Gina, and with that Eileen told Murray that she didn't like him either and that being with him was like hell on earth. After going to the Tall Ship to drown her sorrows, she met Bob O'Hara, who she was fond of, and offered the Janitor job to, at the community centre. Eileen agreed to become a foster parent along with her ex-husband Raymond, and after the funeral of Archie, she got too drunk and slept with him, and they both agreed that they enjoyed there comfortable relationship they had, and that they would both be good foster parents and not make the same mistakes they made with there children. Eileen and Raymond had a meeting with a social worker, where Eileen broke down, remembering the complications she had with her own children, however she stayed strong and they both told the social worker why they would be excellent parents and how they wouldn't let anybody down, the social worker then left and later rang, confirming that they had passed there meeting and she thought they would be excellent foster parents. Eileen had a second chance at motherhood with Stuart – the product of a one-night stand with Raymond.
Davis left the role in 2016. She returned in 2022 for the shows 20th anniversary.
Gina Hamilton
Regina 'Gina' Hamilton is a fictional character from the BBC Scotland soap opera River City, played by Libby McArthur. Gina has lived in Shieldinch for most of her life. She is the younger sister of Eileen. She had her first child, Ruth in her early twenties when she was a singer on a cruise ship. Gina was then a single parent, until she met the Italian Franco Rossi, who was the love of her life. Franco took on both Gina and Ruth, and the couple had a child together Joanne, and they ran the Oyster Café together. They were both very happy, with a thriving family and business, until Gina was widowed when Franco died in his thirties. She then began bringing up her girls and running the café alone.Gina has been very unlucky in love twice after Franco, first for Dr. Marcus McKenzie, who turned out to be a brutal rapist who raped her, and after he was killed by Heather, her daughter Joanne found herself in the frame and had to stand trial, but then she was stabbed by Marcus' daughter who wanted revenge. Joanne lived, but Gina became wary of men after the incident. Then there was Archie Buchanan, who was only after her money from her successful business, however Gina found out, and things took a turn for the worse when she found out he was going to run away with his lover and leave her and his mother, Liz destitute. After there was a showdown, and Archie tried to attack Gina, Liz struck him over the head, and thinking it was fatal, Liz worried she would be arrested for murder, and so Gina and Eileen disposed of the body. However, Archie returned, and had seemingly lost his memory, Gina fell for him all over again, but Gina realised what she had done and that Archie's memory had, in fact, returned. Gina began to sort herself out, and tried to move on with her life, but due to the fact that Shieldinch became the hunting ground for a serial sex attacker, Gina feared the attacker so much. Her worst fears eventually came true when she was attacked, but with all her strength and might, she fought him off and this was tough for Gina, but she knew she was strong.
By 2010, Gina has become more aware of her feelings for Murray, her sister's boyfriend and after she ended up staying with them on a camping trip on Valentine's Day, she noticed how much she and Murray had in common, where as Murray and Eileen didn't. Eventually, Murray admitted his feelings too, and told Gina he would split up with Eileen and be with her, however after some confusion from Gina, she thought that he and Eileen were getting on fine and he was not going to leave her. Murray did split up with Eileen, however he couldn't tell Gina, as she thought he was just going to tell her that himself and Eileen were staying together.
Eventually, Gina found out the truth from Eileen, and Eileen agreed that both her and Murray deserved to be together, and so they did, both declaring there love for one another. Gina also found relief when Archie's body was found and he was buried, knowing that he could never come back to hurt her again, which she always feared.