[3] Produced by BBC Scotland, it focuses on the title character, Robert "Rab" C. Nesbitt (portrayed by Gregor Fisher), an alcoholic Glaswegian who seeks unemployment as a lifestyle choice.

[6] The pilot episode, made for BBC Scotland in 1988, was a Christmas special entitled Rab C Nesbitt's Seasonal Greet, which was broadcast on 22 December 1988 and then repeated on the network the following year.

The show's return received a good critical response and high audience figures, leading to a tenth series being commissioned by the BBC for broadcast in 2011.

[7] Following a two-year break, Elaine C. Smith confirmed on her Twitter page that a new year's special had completed filming on 10 October 2013, and was aired on BBC Two on 2 January 2014.

The series is also known for its uncompromising use of Glaswegian accents and dialect, and its technique of breaking the fourth wall by frequently having Rab address the viewer directly.

The series has featured guest appearances from the likes of Norman Lovett, Peter Mullan, Rikki Fulton, Mary Lee, Anita Dobson, Timothy Spall, Stanley Baxter, Kevin McNally, Clive Russell, Jerry Sadowitz, Viv Lumsden, Sylvester McCoy, Russell Hunter, Peter Capaldi and then-unknowns David Tennant, Ashley Jensen, Ford Kiernan, Greg Hemphill, Karen Dunbar, Elaine Ellis, Jane McCarry and Paul Riley.

Johnny Depp based his Glaswegian accent for the role of Tarrant Hightopp, The Mad Hatter in the 2010 film Alice in Wonderland, on Rab C Nesbitt's.