RTE The Clinic - cancelled

JP Liz

Its a shame its cancelled

So was the last series it or is there one more final series?

gubby

I missed last sunday night... was that the last one? where can I see it again anyone?

WestWicklow1

I guess it'll be available here soon....

http://www.rte.ie/player/#v=1060141

jpfahy

Goodbye Amy, I'll miss you

The Pontiac

I heard Ian Dempsey mention on the radio that TV3 want to take over The Clinic and keep it running. I'm not sure if RTE owns the production company that makes the series or anything, but thought I'd mention it. I've never watched a single episode in my life so I can't comment on its greatness or awfulness, sorry.

obutler wrote: »

I CANT BELIEVE THEY ARE AXING THE CLINIC - LIKE BACHELORS WALK AND BULL ISLAND. 3 GREAT PROGRAMMES WITH GOOD ACTING AND THEY KEEP FAIR CITY ON 6 TIMES A WEEK!! TV LICENCE EXPENSIVE ENOUGH. JUST TYPICAL

I loved Bachelors Walk, the acting was top notch and the storyline was great. It ran for three seasons, with a total of only thirteen episodes. You'd think such a great drama would be turned into a full 12-13 episode per season and left to run for a few years, like the US TV dramas. Pure Mule was the same, with only six episodes ever made. What is the reasoning behind this? These show had very high ratings and were properly made (good acting etc), and then get scrapped very prematurely.

Fair City, although only a soap opera, is the worst thing I've ever seen in my life. The acting is just atrocious. It borders on a comedy at times.

JonathanAnon wrote: »

Maybe they would be better off cancelling the Reeling In The Years. Can you imagine Reeling In The Years for 2009:

Banking system all but collapses, National strikes.
Dell and other multi nationals leave, Mass unemployment.
Cheating French and FIFA deny Ireland a chance of going to the WC
Flooding, torrential rainfall and overall sh1te-er weather than usual.
Michael Jackson dies, and Jedward live.
Published reports of sex abuse in the church,
Tubridy takes over the Late Late Show.

Say you would end up swinging from the rafters after watching that. I'd nearly rather watch Val Falvery TD again.. well almost.

It all sounds very depressing alright. You could add the Cork Hurling strike, the PS strike..the list just goes on and on..

sonyair

Ya tv3 are to take the clinic on if it is profitable and it seems to be, the production company is seperate to rté

The Express

sonyair wrote: »

Ya tv3 are to take the clinic on if it is profitable and it seems to be, the production company is seperate to rté

Supposedly foreign sales were good

SeanOBigMan

This is a PR stunt by TV3 to ride the wave of public discontent at The Clinic's cancellation. They'll look like the knights in shining armour who wanted to come to the beloved Clinic's rescue. It will quietly fizzle away to nothing. The Clinic twice a week? A soap? Sure, but it wouldn't be The Clinic.... it would be something else completely that happened to be filmed on the same set. None of the actors involved would want to be associated with that! Look at the calibre of the cast. Daft cynical ploy. Can't believe anyone's taking it seriously.

DO'Carlo/Wex

It was One of RTEs' Cash Cows I would've thought.
Prime Time Viewing on a Sunday Night.
What've we got since? Battle of the Sexes for TWO Shows.
Not a Metrosexual, ALL Man but I enjoyed The Clinic & don't give Private Practice, Nurse Jackie or E.R. time of day.
IF TV3 do commission it, I'd like it to be on more regular than what it was on RTE for. I.e. September to November Maximum.
Say a 6 Month Stint. Don't want it as a Soap though.
And the same production values need to be applied.
Obviously a 1 Hour Show with Ads would have to be stretched-out to 1 & 15?
Didn't they bring out a DVD of The Clinic last year or two?
The Box Set should be out soon so!

Shane10

sicken rte if tv3 take it over and by all sounds looks like they will.

TheBlock

Shane10 wrote: »

sicken rte if tv3 take it over and by all sounds looks like they will.

At 500k an epiosde I don't think the clinic RTE provided will be the Clinic TV3 provide. It did sell well but there is no way on earth that TV3 will be commisiong it as it stands a watered down version with a complete new cast and significantly lower production values maybe, but then it would be more like that Austrailian soap ****e that goes out at lunchtime daily.

Shane10

500,000 an episode?? on what?

Elmo

Shane10 wrote: »

500,000 an episode?? on what?

Locations
Sets
Scripts
Directors
Camera
Lighting
Actors
Make Up
Costumes

And other things that you need to make a drama.

It was One of RTEs' Cash Cows I would've thought.
Prime Time Viewing on a Sunday Night.

IMO I think shows should finish and make way for new shows, US serial only last for the max of 12 years and even that is some times too long e.g. ER.

What've we got since? Battle of the Sexes for TWO Shows.
Not a Metrosexual, ALL Man but I enjoyed The Clinic & don't give Private Practice, Nurse Jackie or E.R. time of day.

I don't think you can put Private Practice in the same sentence as Nurse Jackie or ER. I would rate the Clinic with both NJ and ER and far a head of Gray's or PP.

IF TV3 do commission it, I'd like it to be on more regular than what it was on RTE for. I.e. September to November Maximum.
Say a 6 Month Stint. Don't want it as a Soap though.
And the same production values need to be applied.

If you want the same quality you won't have the show on for 22 episodes like a US series, because it would cost too much for either RTÉ or TV3, (11million at the very least that is 1/6th of TV3 turnover and 1/12th of RTÉ One's budget. If they were to do that it would have to become a soap like Casualty.

Obviously a 1 Hour Show with Ads would have to be stretched-out to 1 & 15?
Didn't they bring out a DVD of The Clinic last year or two?
The Box Set should be out soon s

The show goes out for 52mins on RTÉ, TV3 would possible only want a 45min episode like a US drama to squeas in more advertising, thus keeping it to 1hour rather than 1hr 15mins.

I think Season 1 - 4 is available in shops.

Also RTÉ plan to replace it with another drama, which is in development.

DublinDecco

I loved The Clinic on RTE, it was a great programme. I really do hope that TV3 do buy the rights to continue the programme, as it has lots of potential with it. However I am not entirely sure that changing its category from drama series to soap opera woud necessarily go down well with fans like myself. I suggest that possibly it stays a weekly drama series like BBC's successful series Casuality, or perhaps becomes a twice weekly half hour episode like ITV's The Bill was was for a few years. I gather that TV3 maybe thinking of creating an Irish version of the Doctors, that is a popular BBC series/Soap.

I personally think TV3 should buy it, and screen in the present format, once weekly prime time show. But please don't let our Clinic go to join the likes of Glenroe and co up in the RTE archives heaven.

ITS TOO GOOD A PROGRAMME!

gubby

can somebody clarify for that the last episode was on the 15th November?? that seems to be the last one on rte player

Elmo

DublinDecco wrote: »

But please don't let our Clinic go to join the likes of Glenroe and co up in the RTE archives heaven.

Why not? 50 year even 10 years of anyone drama series is too long. Why can't the Bill, Casualty, EastEnders, Coronation Street, Holby City, Emmerdale be part of ITV and BBC Archive heaven.

I actually like remembering serieals like Hill Street Blues, I would hate to see it still on the air to this day. 5 years for anyone show is enough and if it has legs perhaps 10 years. But after that it has had its day.

Old shows should make way for new shows. I hope that TV3 do pick it up, and I look forward to seeing RTÉs new Sunday night drama. I will tune in for both.

SeanOBigMan

I agree with Elmo. It's right that the old make way for the new. New can be exciting and innovative. We wouldn't have had The Clinic if older dramas had stayed. The Clinic was fresh and exciting. It was filmed in a way that hadn't been seen on home produced dramas before. The cast were exceptional. The scripts assumed a level of intelligence in the viewer. The last series of The Clinic seemed to lose some of its original qualities. It seemed to lose trust in its audience and pandered to a lower common denominator. The scenes were quicker and the story beats far too obvious. Character made way for exposition. In the past The Clinic wasn't afraid to take its time and dwell. Not in the last series. The introduction of Ishka - the nightclub - was a joke. A transparent and laughable attempt to seduce a younger demographic. But it looked all too much like the embarrassing uncle sporting a new earring. Any young person could see that it was a) nothing like a club that they knew and b) if it was, it was a club that they wouldn't be seen dead in. Add to that the ridiculous idea that it would become the after hours meeting place of all the staff.....! Nuts. But the stories became desperate. The characters became foils to ever melodramatic plot twists and the original integrity was lost. The people that the audience had grown to know became alienated. How to balls up a well loved television series - The Clinic, textbook case number one. Nevertheless, there were still many good things left in the series. The regular characters still had their souls in tact, just about. I strongly believe that The Clinic could continue as a wonderful show... IF the producers (whoever they are, TV3, whoever) learn the lesson that THE IRISH TELEVISION AUDIENCE IS NOT STUPID. To bring The Clinic back as a soap, or with significantly lower production values or with tabloidy, cheap and quickfire story lines, would not only kill it stone dead - it would tarnish the memory of what was, at its best, one of the best Irish TV dramas ever.

Elmo

gubby wrote: »

can somebody clarify for that the last episode was on the 15th November?? that seems to be the last one on rte player

That is what it says according to RTÉ player alright. Which seem to be right since Men V Women started last week.

Nolanger

What a load of sh*te - photogenic and posh characters, dirge-like music on the soundtrack, crap direction, 'realistic' lighting, stupid storylines, and pretentious camera angles.
Good riddance - bring back The Riordans!

Keth_tgi

Never liked it. Was one of those shows that was all-talk, not that thats a bad thing, but never any real gusto or tension either. Agree it had a certain style and one could see where the money was spent.... but was a little too stylish over content. Good luck with it TV3!

Twizzler

I’m watching The Clinic on the RTE Player at the moment. I’m as far as Season 6. The thing that’s really annoyed me so far is characters disappearing without that being adequately explained. For example:

1) At the end of Season 5, Cathy asks Aine to be godmother to her baby. In the next episode at the start of Season 6, Aine is nowhere to be seen at the clinic as the staff gather for the funeral. It’s clear that they wrote Aine’s character out at the end of Season 5, but could they not get the actress back for one important scene? There’s no way Aine wouldn’t have been at the funeral.

2) Mrs Fleming disappeared “for a few months”. Next thing, Dan and Cathy are planning to rent out the basement rooms to healthcare practitioners. Then Lorcan moves in there. Given that Mrs Fleming staying there was such a big deal in earlier seasons (it was a deal made as part of her sale of the clinic after her husband died), this was a really poor brushing under the carpet.

3) Fiona and Richard just disappeared at the same time. Daisy mentions something about the tension between Cathy and Dan being the cause of it, then it’s never mentioned again. Makes no sense because there was always tension between Cathy and someone and it never bothered Fiona or Richard before.

4) Jack disappeared. He’s never mentioned again. We are probably to presume it’s to do with the sexual harassment case, but we have to presume because it certainly isn’t mentioned.

I’ll watch the rest of it either way though 😄 In for a penny…!

ejmaztec

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120886352#Comment_120886352

And in the end they all disappeared. 😜

Twizzler

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120890864#Comment_120890864

😄😄