SMOOTH SCOTCH

HIGHLY ENJOYABLE SCOTTISH SOAP OPERA, DOCTOR FINLAY FOLLOWS THE ROUNDS OF A WORLD WAR II-ERA GENERAL PRACTITIONER (DAVID RINTOUL) IN THE SMALL VILLAGE OF TANNOCHBRAE. A SIX-PART SERIES BASED ON CHARACTERS CREATED BY NOVELIST A.J. CRONIN (THE CITADEL), FINLAY FEATURES MEDICAL PLOTS UTTERLY FAMILIAR TO ANYONE WHO HAS SEEN AN AMERICAN DOCTOR DRAMA, BUT FINLAY GLOWS WITH COZY ESCAPISM. THERE ARE GORGEOUS SCENES OF SCOTLAND'S COUNTRYSIDE AND A FIRM-JAWED PERFORMANCE BY RINTOUL, WHOM JANE AUSTEN BUFFS MAY REMEMBER AS AN AMUSINGLY PRIM DARCY IN MASTERPIECE'S 1980 PRODUCTION OF PRIDE AND PREJUDICE. HERE RINTOUL MANAGES TO BRING WARMTH AND WRYNESS TO FINLAY'S STRAIGHT-ARROW PROFESSIONALISM. B+