BBC Scotland’s long-running soap River City is pulling a major move with the addition of Simone Lahbib, who boards the cast as Vivienne ‘Viv’ Barton—a gangster’s wife thought to be dead, now crashing back into Shieldinch with unfinished business and a target on her back.
Lahbib, best known for her turns in Bad Girls and Wire in the Blood, makes her first appearance on June 23 via BBC iPlayer, followed by a linear debut June 25 on BBC Scotland. The character is a former Foulkes family insider and ex-wife to crime boss Harry Foulkes (Jim Sturgeon), who’s spent years telling anyone who’d listen that she was six feet under.
Viv’s back with a mission: reconnect with her estranged son Tyler (Cameron Fulton), whose recent accident pushed her to resurface. But her return doesn’t sit well with Eddie Corrigan (Rob Jarvis), who’s stunned to see the woman he was told had died. And with Harry’s body count and track record, Viv’s reappearance isn’t just emotional—it’s dangerous.
The new episodes also bring in fresh blood: Michael Moreland, James Young, and Graeme Dalling join the cast as the show reboots its slate across multiple platforms. River City resumes its regular run on BBC iPlayer from June 16, with airings on BBC Scotland (Mondays and Wednesdays) and BBC One Scotland (Tuesdays and Thursdays).
