Love is the Drug

ixoy

Ì had a looksie at this, more to see if it's a case of "The Big Bow 2: This Time It's Really Really ****" or actually half-decent. Fortunately, it's the latter. Sure the acting's not outstanding but it's not wince inducing either. The dialogue seems pretty naturally, as do the characters - not too carboardy.

Production wise it wasn't too bad either. The songs are primarily contemporary and recognisable as well. There was some "fancy" editing by way of speeded up camera work, etc. but it wasn't too distracting and it fit in fairly well with the show's tone.

All in all a very big step up from "The Big Bow Wow". Maybe they're finally learning something.

SprostonGreen

Generally accents reflect where the shows are based eg

Coronation St - Manchester/Salford
Eastenders - London
Emmerdale - Yorkshire
Fair City - Dublin

So its natural that a prog based in Drogheda would have people with Drogheda accents. I'm not whinging, I didnt even see the f**king show, just pointing out the obvious.

Elmo

Coronation St - Manchester/Salford
Eastenders - London
Emmerdale - Yorkshire
Fair City - Dublin

Emmerdale mmmm bit dodge as far as accents are concerned most of the characters are blow ins.
Eastenders I think they do good stage eastend accents
Same with Fair City (Good stage dublin if they are arsed)
Coronation st. make a point of it. But they all need to learn to pronounce RING.

I think the people in this show don't have D4 accents but nutral Irish Accents.

I don't personnel thinks it makes much of a difference. However I would say the Droghead accent is awful, sorry lads but it is.

simu

Elmo wrote:

I think the people in this show don't have D4 accents but nutral Irish Accents.

The thing is that people all over Ireland are switching to the d4 accent.

I do think it would be hilarious/horrifying if they did a show set in Cork with Cork accents, though. It's the country's second largest city and no soap/series like "Love is the Drug" has been made there afaik.

Spalk0

Dunno exactly what a d4 accent is!maybe because i dont know anyone there!I dont everyone is getting a d4 accent though!Dublin alone has numerous different ones!I have a North county/Balbriggan accent and if anything i aint losing it but its getting stronger!

Yeah i have loads of relatives in Cork from my mams side of the family and every time im down there it cracks me up the way they talk!(thats if i can understand them) they dont even have to say something funny, it just is!so a show with actors from down there wont even have to try and be funny it just will!

flamin moe

the accent is irrelevant - do people really want the characters to talk like ian harte. it had to be set somewhere, and the writer/producer is from the town so i presume that swung it.

found it very enjoyable, especially for rte, there were very few cringing moments. not sure if being from drogheda has biased my opinion of it though. it was unusual to see your local on tv :eek:

Lainey

i thought it was good programme.. i will def watch on monday night.. the fake tan was great and the handing over wrong money haha
most of my friends looked at it and liked it too..

Fysh

Saw it on monday, sorely missing the Panel already. Before I talk about it, I'll chip in about the accents. I really couldn't care less if the accents were accurate or not because, frankly, most accents are a pain in the arse to listen to/decipher if you're not from the place and, of the irish population, most of us *don't* come from Drogheda. Yes, it's annoying and a bit crap that the dublin accent is becoming more prevalent. Then again, it's only a tv show, I'm pretty sure most of us can cope without having to have emotional readjustment classes or anything extreme like that.

So. Onto the show itself. It wasn't bad, but on the other hand it wasn't very good either. The lad character, for the first time in ages, looks younger than he is supposed to be (he looks more like an 18 year old to me); the songs were, for the first half hour or so, very dated (yes, I know, they're only about 3 or 4 years old; in the world of unremarkable chart dance music that's ancient) and the explanation (the club's a hole with a tight-arse running it) doesn't make sense when they later use more recent songs. There were also some cringeworthy moments which still annoy me, because they felt like someone was trying (and failing) to capture the gloriously awkward feeling that the Office did so well.

That said, given other programmes that RTE have bestowed upon us, I guess it's a step in the right direction at least. The production was pretty good, in fairness to it, and the cast was pretty good (although the main character didn't really grab my interest enough; hell, I can't even remember his name). Hopefully the script will sharpen up as the series progresses.

A soap with cork accents would be....well, novel. And horrifying. But I'd probably end up watching it, in the same way that people slow down when they're passing the wreckage of a truck having ploughed into a pram at two hundred miles an hour. There's something compellingly foul about the idea that you just can't resist...

Selik

I saw the last 15mins or so and I have to say I quite liked it!

Characters are all a little over quirky, especially those two bouncers but as has already been mentioned -The Big Bow Wow. Try to be too serious and it almost never works.

Looking forward to the next episode if I remember to watch it!

MastaBlasta

They're a family living in drogheda but speak with South-Dublin accents.....Maybe they just watch too many RTE produced tv shows.

Sarky

Bleh. It was alright, but not great. Whether I watch it again or not will depend on something better being on another channel. And given that it was alright, but not great, there probably will be.

Elmo

I do think it would be hilarious/horrifying if they did a show set in Cork with Cork accents, though. It's the country's second largest city and no soap/series like "Love is the Drug" has been made there afaik.

Actually one of the first soaps produced by RTE was based in Cork it was called SOUTHSIDE. It ran for two years. Also based in cork was Falling for a Dancer.

Waterford had DDU and making the cut And it defo had no Waterford accents. Is sean McGinley from Wexford? Most of the time you did even realise that it was in Waterford, they had a few shots of the garda station and that was it.

Tha Gopher

Its hilarious that the Big Bow Wow was so absoloutely terrible that its now used as the measuring bar for all RTE comedy drama home produced programming,and will continue to be used as the measure until something worse than Bow Wow comes along(that could be a while)

I thought this was quite good tbh. Fair enough,one or two RTE dramish moments in terms of awkwardness or cheese,but not a bad show either

Mind you,the lad was so odd behaving and psychotic looking when he was trying to get with the black girl while she was doing her tour with the schoolkids that hes lucky he didnt get arrested
And I somehow doubt that a gang of 6 foot well built bikers would give a ****e that an irishman was harrasing a Romanian gypsy. Lads like this I know wouldnt exactly be known for their liberal views-they would be more likely to assume she had conned him in some way

Anyways,so many Dubs have moved to Meath,Louth,Cavan,Kildare,Wicklow etc that some peoples accents in these areas are starting to Dublizise a bit

Sarky

Tha Gopher wrote:

until something worse than Bow Wow comes along(that could be a while)

I think you have a bit too much faith in RTE.

And I somehow doubt that a gang of 6 foot well built bikers would give a ****e that an irishman was harrasing a Romanian gypsy.

I think that was supposed to be the point. A sort of "Look! people acting differently to their traditional stereotypes! How cool is THAT?!" humour. Personally, that was one of the biggest failures of the episode.

Fysh

Tha Gopher wrote:

Its hilarious that the Big Bow Wow was so absoloutely terrible that its now used as the measuring bar for all RTE comedy drama home produced programming,and will continue to be used as the measure until something worse than Bow Wow comes along(that could be a while)

Let's hope so, I felt violated after watching Bow Wow...sort of like being flashed by a pervy old man, only for the length of an entire episode. Ugh. God, I wish they'd learned from that.

That said, RTE-made programming misses the mark more often than it hits it, not least because apparently they subscribe to some variant of the infinite monkeys with typewriters school of selecting screenplays & scripts....well, that and the fact that they can't even accurately plan a schedule for the shows they do commision (at least, I assume this from the fact that they had to re-air the first episode of stew one week after what I assume was the last episode aired, to fill a gap in the schedule a few days ago).

Elmo

will continue to be used as the measure until something worse than Bow Wow comes along(that could be a while)

well, that and the fact that they can't even accurately plan a schedule for the shows they do commision

If only we could give The Big Bow Wow the title of worst Drama ever to come from RTE up to now.

However, this is not the case.

The schedulers worked long and hard to find a suitable time for the Drama that was "The Choose".

12AM ON THURSDAY NIGHT. You might still catch this rubbish and be thankful that Love is the Drug is so good.

Fr Dougal

Has any one seen the ad for tonites episode?

Shows a guy popping a couple of E's at a party or club.

I know it happens and it's after 9pm but think they seem to be glamourising drugs?

Elmo

I know it happens and it's after 9pm but think they seem to be glamourising drugs?

It's based in droghead (sp?) Oh! the glamour.

Sorry just had to. :rolleyes:

bringitdown

fysh wrote:

because apparently they subscribe to some variant of the infinite monkeys with typewriters school of selecting screenplays & scripts

Hey some of those monkeys are cool, its the rest of them uppity D4 monkeys that ruin it for everyone with their rediculous meanderings on the meaning of life whilst feasting on their Donnybrook fair bananas and such. Some of those monkeys have never even been to Drogheda let alone north of the river!

doh.ie

I take my TV drama-watching pretty seriously, to the point where most of what I watch drama-wise isn't made in this country. So I didn't expect Love Is The Drug to be much different to The Big Bow Wow are any of the other material RTE has made in the past 15 years.

I have to say, though, this really is the exception. I was very impressed by the first two episodes of this. Some embarrassing moments acting-wise and some slightly odd concepts plot-wise, but on the whole this is very, very good, IMO.

I would have used this to launch the new RTE TWO rather than Stew (?!?!?) if the point what to show how decent domestic productions could be.

Good start anyway. Will be interesting to see if the standard holds up right through. For now, they've got good scripts, good actors, incredibly high production values (for RTE) and the potential for a long-running series.

Elmo

Good start anyway. Will be interesting to see if the standard holds up right through. For now, they've got good scripts, good actors, incredibly high production values (for RTE) and the potential for a long-running series.

I think the clinic has high production values(the script however could be alot tighter). I thought paths to freedom was class but perhaps not a drama.

The family, why don't they produce "the woman who walked into doors".

I don't know I don't wish long-running series on anyone unless they are american.

If your british and you get a long running series you're there for 20 years (and generally they're the worst kind of shows). Suppose this programme could only really last 5 years anyway.

Currently the Americans have the best Dramas IMO. But then they produce so much more.

doh.ie

Agree that the Americans do the best dramas. When I said long-running above, I meant more than the single series most RTE shows have. Long-running would be two series on RTE!

Clinic is passable, but not great. Too melodramatic for my liking.

Elmo

Long-running would be two series on RTE!

lol

IMO and perhaps RTE should listen

long running series = 5 years min - 15 years max
= 15 episodes per season min - 22 per season max

HBO seems to get away with a few episodes but I think thats because they produce TV shows like movies IMO.

doh.ie

HBO also run stuff outside usual network airing times, so less episodes are needed. I'd rather have 13 of something where ever episode was decent than 22 where several were pretty bad.

RTE will never have a series that runs five years, beyond soaps. Closest we've had in to anything like that has been the BBC's Ballykissangel.

In any case, thankfully most of RTE's drama attempts so far have been so dire, a second series was not even considered. Will be interesting to see if The Clinic is judged worthy of a third year. Haven't been keeping an eye on how it's doing.

Elmo

Haven't been keeping an eye on how it's doing.

I think it will IMO since the viewing figures are better then On Home Ground and its got good reviews all round.

Closest we've had in to anything like that has been the BBC's Ballykissangel.

Yeah well as I said its usually the crap on British TV that lasts.

In any case, thankfully most of RTE's drama attempts so far have been so dire, a second series was not even considered.

I get what ur saying but it sounds like ur thankful that no series last more then one year know matter how good.

Also Proof 2 will be shown next year.

OLDYELLAR

yea im really getin into that now..me likes

doh.ie

Elmo wrote:

I think it will IMO since the viewing figures are better then On Home Ground and its got good reviews all round. I get what ur saying but it sounds like ur thankful that no series last more then one year know matter how good. Also Proof 2 will be shown next year.

I meant I'm glad no series has lasted more than a year cos so far (until LITD) I've seen nothing that's worth a second year (to me, anyway.)

I agree The Clinic and Proof were better than average, and it's good that they have a chance to get a second run. But I didn't particularly enjoy either of them.

Love Is The Drug is superior to both - decent acting, great story and production values. My only concern here is that the actors and production team will hopefully stay interested to allow for a second series. For something from RTE Drama to be this good after three episodes is barely believable. I'm glad the reviews and viewing figures are reflecting that, so hopefully this will at least be back for a second run.

Fysh

Last Monday's episode....better than i expected, partly because the soon-to-be-married bouncer's character is starting to make more sense now (felt a bit caricatured before), plus the main character (Shane?) is acting more like the pillock he came across as (presumable so that he can subsequently undergo "character development").

I found it hilarious that someone thought the pill-popping scene was "glamourising drugs", given that it happens to a shifty and uncomfortable-looking bloke surrounded by people only just over half his age, and it

could end up being responsible for his relationship falling apart.

. Glamorous indeed.

Personally, I thought it was actually a pretty good depiction all things told, with the possible exception of the girl passing him the pill - I know it's a crappy club in the arse of nowhere, but surely people wouldn't be that blatant with their drug taking? (as in, shouting "here's your half of the pill, give it half an hour and you'll be having the time of your life" to someone next to you, loud enough to be heard over the music )