The string vest-wearing, permanently sozzled Rab C Nesbitt is an armchair philosopher, living a life of near poverty in Glasgow's Govan.
In many ways a Scots prototype for Jim Royle, the character represented a career best performance from real life alter ego Gregor Fisher.
First appearing on Scotland's Naked Video sketch show, Rab graduated to his own series after a Christmas special in 1988.
Writer Ian Pattison expanded on his creation's life, introducing us to long-suffering wife Mary and children Gash and Burney. Plus, there was Rab's slippery best mate Jamesie and his other half, Ella.
Despite the strong cast, the show was very much Rab's. Regularly making asides directly into camera, he was proud of two things - being a work-shy scrounger ("I am a waster! My father before me was a waster!"), and being Scottish.
On this point, Pattison deftly trod a fine line. While vocalising many of his countrymen's grievances about the 'auld enemy', he also poked fun at the sanctimonious nature of nationalism.
That said, it was in its very Scottishness Rab C Nesbitt caught viewers' imagination. While those north of Hadrian's Wall embraced him as a voice of the people, southerners were often left baffled by his undiluted Glaswegian brogue.
Nevertheless, even if you couldn't understand him, somehow Rab's rants remained killingly funny.
Although the humour was broad, occasionally the show touched on more sensitive matters. Series six, for example, brought a cancer scare for Rab, prompting him to reflect on life. And then, come series eight, he was blessed with a grandchild, Peaches.
His advice to the nipper probably best sums up the series' philosophy: "You'll be skint, battered, exploited, lied to, cheated and despised. But at least you'll no' be bored."
