Bittersweet

ianrush

If I wasn't so stuffed with chocolate I would hurl my remote control at the tv. At best it's a below average soap and that's being very generous.

gcgirl

sorry missed it !! Was looking at Friday Night Project with Elle Macpherson with alan & justin!! nearly pissed myself looking at it so funny:D:D

Boardsbud

two words, "the" and "pits" Only stayed with it to see who was responsible for it !

staker

im faffin around on the laptop, the gf's just said it was "pretty crap"

TEDDYBEAR90

I thought it was very good. Is it a one off?

Rineanna

I'm majorly irked that they're making me wait two weeks for another episode of E.R, to show that relatively dire programme!:mad:

That Una Kavanagh is having a good night tonight, though; she's been on Fair City, BitterSweet and that ad. she's in has been on several times this evening too!

anotherlostie

Complete chick flick type show, but how many would have been complaining if RTE had shown some repeat of a movie? That silly bint from Fair City who's in the milk ad was in it, as was Deirdre O'Kane, who I thought was a lot more restrained than she usually is on TV. I do remember laughing out loud at some of the dialogue between them, but in general it was pretty meh. Though Dublin looked really well and that house was fantastic. I wonder was this a pilot for a potential series?

EDIT: I WAS BEATEN TO IT!

Toto Wolfcastle

I'm torn. I think it was a stupid idea to have it as a once off because it was rushed but I also wouldn't want to have it as a series because it was a bit rubbish and also they would definitely bump ER for it again!

boxplayer1973

Definitely thought that the show looked like something that would have worked better over a number of weeks, this would have allowed some character development.

As it was, it was infantile that in 2 days they managed to completely redesign a pub, organize a launch, print business cards (!!!!!???????!?!?!?!) and find potential partners...

And the dialogue was so wooden and stilted. The main redeeming feature was playing 'spot the Fair City actors' and the weirdo date that Deirdre O'Kane had.

Bring back ER

anotherlostie

Yes the weirdo date from Thurles was definitely the highlight of the show. Telling O'Kane she looked lovely after describing the fishmonger turned out in her white coat and wellies was great, followed by his request to try on her shoes. A rare moment of hilarity, though the au pair had a few too.

And my major source of annoyance was that stupid PA for the woman who ran the PR business. Are there really women working in Dublin who dress like that?!

ianrush

jamiekate wrote: »

This was a massive pile of enormous ****. It was like a soap that was pulled half way through, and then turned into a full length drama to cut their losses. God love the actors who had to say such dreadful dialogue. Where was the story going? Was it meant to be important, meaningful, quirky? What?? Things are going downhill fast in RTE drama.

RTE drama has been over rated for a long time IMO. They do two things, either utterly depressing "isn't life awful in the (insert part of the country here)" or else they do this kind of half arsed wannabe chick lit. Time to change the record I reckon, no doubt there's a line of cloned RTE executives just waiting to take over.

I can't understand why they bothered to make this one off.
I have never seen Dublin look so good though.

G-Dogg

I thought it was first rate. Sisters doing it for themselves. Annie Lennox. Innate sense of entitlement. Foreign women = evil sluts (but thankfully too stupid to be manipulative). Orange faces. Dundrum Town Centre. Gas craic. Fair play to Montrose. Ryan Tubridy. Easy laughter. That lad who looks like a busybody toy and presents You're A Star. House of Fraser. Blaithnaid. All hail the void! Going forward.

Deflector

Top marks that man!

Don't forget the house as a typically vulgar RTÉ Showhouse home on steriods.

EamonnKeane

They even had an ad comparing it to Desperate Housewives ... fair play to RTE for admitting that the concept was lazy and derivative without a hint of originality.

Utopia Parkway

I saw the ads for it during the week and thought to myself "God that looks brutal".

Caught 15 minutes of it tonight and it was worse than that. And why was the blonde one sleeping with a 12 year old boy?

Was anyone actually expecting something decent? It's RTE people, they don't do quality original programming. Thankfully, due to a sense of self preservation and manliness I sat down and watched Next of Kin, a proper film with Irish connections. Nothing beats some Swayze, Baldwin and Neeson.

Morgans

Desperate Housewives is hardly a high standard.

Walking stereotypes on the TV last night, and since it was the same team that did Footballers wives, it is what you would expect. Disappointing that this is how RTE think women view the world - man turns up in swanky do - smelling of pooh in a neck brace.

Think the makers were more concerned with getting acclaim for making a modern, good looking program without actually tying the program together.

Awful ****e.

Rineanna

Morgans wrote: »

Desperate Housewives is hardly a high standard.

I guess that's a matter of taste and opinion.

There were some obvious similarities in theme between the two programmes, but that just, as was stated above, shows a lack of originality.

Comparisons were made in the ads between the two programmes, which wasn't the brightest idea; a series so hugely popular and successful as DH was always going to make any other programme it was being compared to look inferior. In this case, hugely inferior.

and since it was the same team that did Footballers wives, it is what you would expect. Think the makers were more concerned with getting acclaim for making a modern, good looking program without actually tying the program together.

Well, that explains a lot :eek:

Cork

Deleted User wrote: »

Was anyone actually expecting something decent? It's RTE people, they don't do quality original programming.

But the US do forgetable chick TV much better.

RTE seem unable to do drama or comedy.

Why bother making such 3rd rate programming?

Hype it up & hope the people will watch it.

The ploy probably worked.

Toto Wolfcastle

From the type of questions I just answered on this programme on the GFK Irish Media Survey it looks like they are considering the idea of turning this into a series. I, of course, told them not to bother.

efb

So desperetly trying to be something its not. Awful. Reminded me of that 20something edgy 21 century Ireland they tried a few years back (name escapes me) and failed so they mashed the last few episodes together to end it quickly.

Nolanger

The makers of this programme are imitators not innovators and probably got paid for being that way.
Found it to be overdirected, self-conscious, and forced.

gcgirl

just watched it on the rte website! its not that bad but they could of got some one else to play Carmels husband, i think Ristard Cooper is brill in stuff like Chasing the Lions and Apres Match but it was comical watching him! Is it on again or was that just a once off?

Tim Robbins

gcgirl wrote: »

just watched it on the rte website! its not that bad but they could of got some one else to play Carmels husband, i think Ristard Cooper is brill in stuff like Chasing the Lions and Apres Match but it was comical watching him! Is it on again or was that just a once off?

It was Fair City meets Desperate Housewives.

Cringe Inducing aspects:
1. The lady who worked for Ruby Red kept wearing Red
2. They gave the pub a makeover, re-vamp, and had a guest list and opening night organised in two days.
3. Some of acting was dodge. Ruby Red woman was easily the best.
4. Script was poor some really cringe inducing lines like "take a look at yourself in the mirror".
5. Realism aspect - very low. Probability of buying a merc when your business is going down the tubes = very low.
6. Plot. Very poor. Transitions years students could have written it on the way home. Man has affair with housekeeper. Woman has a toy boy. Actually i think a porno could do that.
7. Casting poor. the architect guy should have been a bit older and then would have bit a more believable.

Good aspects:
1. Good camera work
2. Good sets
3. Ruby Red woman very good actress. Should be doing bigger and better projects.

Summary:
Something like this may have work on stage. I spent most of my time laughing at it. It looked like it was thrown together. More time look spent by the camera men getting angles etc correct than on actual story / plot.

The Sparrow

G-Dogg wrote: »

I thought it was first rate. Sisters doing it for themselves. Annie Lennox. Innate sense of entitlement. Foreign women = evil sluts (but thankfully too stupid to be manipulative). Orange faces. Dundrum Town Centre. Gas craic. Fair play to Montrose. Ryan Tubridy. Easy laughter. That lad who looks like a busybody toy and presents You're A Star. House of Fraser. Blaithnaid. All hail the void! Going forward.

Class post!:D

hot fuss

I really liked it and hope it is made into a series so they can develop the characters and delve into other peoples' stories..

I didn't like the ridiculous cliche of Risteárd Cooper's character having an affair with the eastern European nanny who he had no relationship with to speak of before she pounced him in her frumpy cardigan and then suddenly she was a bunny boiler - completely ott.

also thought the turnaround time for the new pub was crazy but I don't think it was trying to be too realistic.

It was a harmless chick flick and taking it as such, I thought it was nice to see RTÉ doing something upbeat and glossy for a change instead of misery drama, which they seem to love..

mickd

Yes Ireland is the center of the universe alright. Big teeth from the midlands last week and orange faces from Dundrum this week. Can't wait for the next installment of irish drama

G-Dogg

mickd wrote: »

Yes Ireland is the center of the universe alright. Big teeth from the midlands last week and orange faces from Dundrum this week. Can't wait for the next installment of irish drama

Those big teeth belong to a great actress, Eileen Walsh (Magadalene Sisters). Respect to tha toothy one!

Elmo

Anyone see EDEN the week before? I missed both. Ok! EDEN was on Paddy's night and I was looking forward to it but I forgot to record it!

I new that BitterSweet wouldn't be any good it was obivous from the adds shown ever 30mins on RTE ONE also it was a Chick Flick and I wouldn't be too interested in that.

I watched The No 1 Ladies' Detective Agency on BBC ONE. It should turn out to be a simple Detective series.

Saint_Mel

G-Dogg wrote: »

Those big teeth belong to a great actress, Eileen Walsh (Magadalene Sisters). Respect to tha toothy one!

She definately has a face for radio ... but here's a list of her performances
(from imdb)

# Eden (2008) .... Brenda Farrell
# 33X Around the Sun (2005) .... Ruth
# "Pure Mule" .... Therese ... (5 episodes, 2005)
# Lula Fantastic (2003) (TV) (voice)
# Nicholas Nickleby (2002) .... The Infant Phenomenon
# The Magdalene Sisters (2002) .... Crispina / Harriet
# Look (2001) .... Trish
# When Brendan Met Trudy (2000) .... Siobhan
# Janice Beard 45 wpm (1999) (TV) .... Janice Beard
# Miss Julie (1999) .... Servant
# The Last Bus Home (1997) .... Carole
# Messaggi quasi segreti (1997) .... Painter
# The Van (1996) .... Crushed Girl

RoseBlossom

In deference to Eastern European nannies everywhere - she might have been Russian! ("Speaks Russian") or somesuch came up on the subtitles when she was ranting at the fella in front of the caravan just before he couldn't start the car.

Any Russian speakers here to clear it up?

dodgyme

Mod Edit: Distasteful post removed. Not funny.

corcaighcailin9

I only watched it last night but I quite liked it. It's a pity it was a one off as they could easily have made a series out of it. I thought it was a bit sh!t when Deirdre O Kane is sitting on the fancy couch in the fab apartment and you get a quick glimpse of her tv - it's ancient and non flat-screen, what would the Beeny say

Fast_Mover

I was out that Sunday it was on, but told them at home to tape it for me. They did and asked my mother the next day what it was like and she said it was utter sh!te, she only watched it as there was nothing else on..havn't watchedit yet needless to say!:D