Malcolm McKay
Writing
Known For

Series of single made-for-television dramas.
Screen Two

Screenplay was a drama anthology television series, broadcast on BBC between 1986 and 1993. Numerous episodes were produced including one named "Boswell and Johnson's Tour of the Western Islands" starring Robbie Coltrane as English writer Samuel Johnson who in the autumn of 1773, visits the Hebrides off the north-west coast of Scotland. That episode was directed by John Byrne and co-starred John Sessions and Celia Imrie.
ScreenPlay

A series of plays specially written for television.
The Play on One

At the Castle of Gormenghast, the Groan family has ruled with dusty ceremony for more than seventy generations. A clever and ambitious new kitchen boy, Steerpike, begins to insinuate himself into the affections of Lady Fuchsia Groan and to murder his way to power.
Gormenghast

NCS: Manhunt is a British crime drama television series starring David Suchet, and based on the National Crime Squad. Created by Malcolm McKay, the first series premiered with two episodes on BBC One on 26—27 March 2001. The second series debuted on 4 March 2002, and concluded its six episode run on 19 March 2002.
NCS: Manhunt

Britain in the very near future. In an abandoned hotel, a young female doctor and a middle-aged scientist are interrogated separately. The question they are both asked is 'Where is Martin Pitt?'
Yellowbacks

Maria is a dancer who becomes pregnant, unexpectedly, and has to decide whether or not to keep the baby. When her live-in boyfriend, who is not the father, admits to cheating on her, she kicks him out. Still unable to decide what to do, she imagines a dialogue with the fetus.
Maria's Child

After 16 years away Stan Peachey returns to his village. His wife still loves him but his sister wants revenge. What was his crime?
Redemption

A suspect is brought to a London police station charged with gross indecency. Police at the station believe he is connected with a murder in the area earlier that night, but the suspect refuses to speak.
The Interrogation of John

In wartime England, railway official Ruben Roberts discovers that his wife was sexually abused as a child by the Chairman of the Line, also her godfather. With her assistance, Ruben plots murder on the Brighton Express.
Cruel Train

A Wanted Man is a groundbreaking three‐part British miniseries first shown on BBC2 in September 1989. Directed by Nicholas Renton and written by Malcolm McKay, it evolved from his earlier one‐off play “The Interrogation of John” into a daring trilogy. The series follows the capture, trial, and psychological unravelling of a serial killer, offering an in‐depth exploration of criminal behavior and the ethical dilemmas faced by the justice system. With deliberate pacing, stark realism, and an unflinching look at human darkness, it challenges conventional crime dramas and compels viewers to confront unsettling questions about responsibility, morality, and the nature of evil. Critically acclaimed and award‐winning, A Wanted Man remains essential viewing for anyone seeking a thought‐provoking, intense, and unforgettable drama experience that not only entertains but also forces a deep reflection on the fragility of human nature and the complexities of justice.
A Wanted Man

A husband drives throughout the night on a voyage of self-discovery, while his wife waits at home, raking over the ashes of their marriage as their child sleeps in the next room.
Wedded

Hidden beneath an airbase the elite F-111 pilots live in a secret fantasy world as they wait, primed for the ultimate war game of World War Three. The arrival of the delicious Lieutenant Madeline Kohler detonates a chain reaction of deep rooted antagonism that explodes with cataclysmic consequences.
Airbase

A man discovers his love for his wife as he prepares to live without her
Afters

A play about the gunpowder plot written from a new angle by Jimmy McGovern.