"Stone Cold Sober" - what's the point ?

Liam Byrne

I can't really see how someone managed to think this was a good idea.

So some guys are going to spend 6 months without any drink - or "without a hangover" as the promo puts it......so ****what ???? :rolleyes:

I reckon I've had one minor hangover in 6 months......it's called sensible drinking, and having decent, fun nights out with friends instead of getting polluted.

I know there's some ridiculous programmes (55 stone virgins and druggies sex fetishes, etc, etc) on the rubbish satellite channels, but I would have expected much, much more from RTE.

What happened to the days when people got onto TV because they actually achieved something worthwhile, rather than simply being sensible and leading a normal life ?

As I said, I'd expect it from some of the brain-dead channels, but RTE ?

Have they sunk to a new banal low with this ?

Mossy Monk

6 months without drink. Is this supposed to be impressive?

dloob

No doubt they go on a big binge once the six months are up as the series finale

Hank_Jones

I've been off the drink for over 6 months in a row before.

I'm expecting my phone call of congratulations from the president any time soon....

amacachi

Because anyone who drinks at all is obviously an alcoholic and the only way to prove you're not is to go ages without doing something you enjoy.

MAB83

Maybe he isn't your average sensible drinker and drinks to excess yet isn't an alcoholic so they want to show your typical guy that gets pissed too often and show them what it's doing to their body, and how much better they will feel and look without it or something?

Not backing up RTE (God forbid!) but maybe they might show the health benefits etc and it might cop a few people on.

The recession must really be hitting RTE, their new progams just get bad to worse.

AlmightyCushion

Rte have another new show coming out called "With cheese, please". A group of six people have to go a whole year only eating foods that contain cheese and we follow what impact this has on their life.

phasers

Is the show about finding night time social activities that don't involve drink? If so it's gonna be a whole series about bowling, drugs and hookers.

It would be alright as a once off special I suppose, maybe showing some heavy drinkers trying to fill their evenings with other persuits

amacachi

AlmightyCushion wrote: »

Rte have another new show coming out called "With cheese, please". A group of six people have to go a whole year only eating foods that contain cheese and we follow what impact this has on their life.

Yeah I'm part of that show, still waiting for the e-mail telling me to stop.

phasers

AlmightyCushion wrote: »

Rte have another new show coming out called "With cheese, please". A group of six people have to go a whole year only eating foods that contain cheese and we follow what impact this has on their life.

And of course not forgetting the spin-off, "Celebrity with cheese, please", coming in the Summer.

It stars such huge names as Katherine Lynch, one of those interchangeable women off xpose and Marty Whelan

mikom

Liam Byrne wrote: »

As I said, I'd expect it from some of the brain-dead channels, but RTE ?

Don't cod yourself.
RTE are just a step away from producing a show called "Monkey tennis" with Pat Shortt.

Elmo

Maybe they are all alcoholics and this is a serious documentary about life after 6 months sober. Maybe not!

The point is to have boards complain about 6 months of god awful TV from RTÉ Two. They are testing boards posters IMO.

Also why are there 2 threads about this?

MikeC101

dloob wrote: »

No doubt they go on a big binge once the six months are up as the series finale

I have a feeling at least one of them will have found the whole experience so profound that he will announce that he'll never drink again. "I found I didn't need drink, nobody really needs it. I was just using it as a crutch, and it was holding me back. I feel like I have a whole new lease on life. This is just the beginning." Cue shot of him looking pensive as the sun sets in the background.

Actually I'm expecting their reactions to be massively over the top, with lots of deep meaningful stuff about how it's changing their view on life and so on. Added to the cringe factor of seeing people plastered in crappy nightclubs while the guys tell us how awkward it is not to be drinking in such venues (that's why people drink when they go to nightclubs!), well, I'm not hopeful.

Elmo wrote: »

The point is to have boards complain about 6 months of god awful TV from RTÉ Two. They are testing boards posters IMO.

You might be right!

Elmo wrote: »

Also why are there 2 threads about this?

I'd say because the OP gave the other thread the generic title of "new show on RTE". I didn't even notice it.

JonathanAnon

I havent read through all of the previous contributions but I was thinking about setting up a similar thread.. I mean a friend of mine gave up the beer for good one morning for no apparent reason and is still off it six years later. Should he get a show for himself too?..

MikeC101

JonathanAnon wrote: »

I havent read through all of the previous contributions but I was thinking about setting up a similar thread.. I mean a friend of mine gave up the beer for good one morning for no apparent reason and is still off it six years later. Should he get a show for himself too?..

Definitely. A show at least six seasons long by my reckoning.

BUT he may have to be wacky, zany, mad craic altogether, an awful crazy yoke, or some combination of those, and do madcap things such as "going on a rollercoaster."

ToniTuddle

Oooh lighten up folks.

Might be funny in parts. I'm going to be checking it out anyway

If done right it might show other lads/lassies that you can go out and have fun without drink every weekend. No harm in that is there!

Plus show folks how it isn't easy for alot of people to just stop drinking.

MikeC101

It's a defence mechanism for me - I always assume any new RTE show will be the absolute worst it could possibly be. That way, I can only ever be pleasantly surprised!

Somehow they usually manage to disappoint me regardless of that.

I keep revising my expectations downwards and RTE keeps on making their shows even worse.

AJ STYLES

so much rubbish i mean cum on how big a deal is it? are u so weak that alcool is so important to ur existence? omg

ToniTuddle

MikeC101 wrote: »

It's a defence mechanism for me - I always assume any new RTE show will be the absolute worst it could possibly be. That way, I can only ever be pleasantly surprised!

Somehow they usually manage to disappoint me regardless of that.

I keep revising my expectations downwards and RTE keeps on making their shows even worse.

I've noticed this defence mechanism seems to happen a few times with people!

Can people not write into them and suggest ideas for what they would like to see? I'm talking sensible ideas and not smart arse ones. I'm also not saying give away brand new series ideas incase you are onto something and could make your own tv show!

I'd say RTE don't have a clue what the folks of Ireland think and so keep ploughing on with the stuff they are giving us.


Anyway that's just me thinking to meself! I'm not sure how they will play this story out but here's hoping it turns into something worthwhile.
It's on bit late though aint it?

mickydoomsux

Liam Byrne wrote: »

but I would have expected much, much more from RTE.

Why though?

RTE have jumped on the reality TV bandwagon (5 years too late, mind) so now every second primetime show has to be some cheaply produced crap like this.

I now feel genuinely annoyed at having to pay a license fee. If it was optional, i wouldn't. RTE doesn't have a single redeeming show on any of it's channels.

mikom

ToniTuddle wrote: »

I'd say RTE don't have a clue what the folks of Ireland think

No, it's that they just don't care.

Elmo

mickydoomsux wrote: »

RTE have jumped on the reality TV bandwagon (5 years too late, mind) so now every second primetime show has to be some cheaply produced crap like this.

I now feel genuinely annoyed at having to pay a license fee. If it was optional, i wouldn't. RTE doesn't have a single redeeming show on any of it's channels.

The problem is that these terrible "entertainment" shows stand out. There are other better commissioned shows on RTÉ and if you were to just look at RTÉ Factual, Current Affairs, News, Documentary and even Feature/Lifestyle programming you would be questioning how they could possible get "entertainment" so wrong.

And RTE have been producing Reality TV since 2000 but right across all TV channel we have seen an increase is bloody reality type television from Gok Wong's how to look good naked to The F Word.

steve_oh

rte is dead and buried IMO. Irelands got talent, winning streak, ryan tubridy, its becoming a national embarassment....scrap it and give me my f#ckin tv license money back

pixelburp

I also like the insinuations the ads make that "my god, apart from drinking youself into oblivion in a pub, there's nothing to do in Dublin!!eleven". As a casual drinker who - shock horror - can enjoy a sensible number of drinks over the course of an evening, I'm vaguely embarrassed at the whole idea of this show. Particularly this suggestion that there's no social activities beyond drinking your liver into a shriveled husk (although I haven't seen the show - yet - an interview on the radio with these men confirmed that this seemed to be the line that they were going for).

Oh and I don't mind admitting that my judgmental nature immediately kicked-in upon seeing these clowns & thought to myself "Jesus, they even look like a pack of douchebags anyway, whose only ideas of 'fun' is inebriation".

Elmo

JonathanAnon

pixelburp wrote: »

I also like the insinuations the ads make that "my god, apart from drinking youself into oblivion in a pub, there's nothing to do in Dublin!!eleven".

I thought the sensationalist promo for it was ridiculous. You'd swear the stereotype of the "Irish lads always drunk" was true. I can imagine what visitors to the country would make of this... "Jesus the irish consider not drinking such a big deal, they have a show about a lad who tried to give it up"... My point is that the whole pretext for the show is an exaggeration of the dependency that Irish people have on alcohol.

Why dont they head to the first session of an AA meeting and drag six lads out of that? At least something constructive would be achieved with this like the Operation Transformation. How about Operation Detoxification?

Can you imagine it... There'd be none of this "Oh Gerry, I had a weak moment yesterday... and I took out the frying pan" *starts crying".... It would be more like "I had a weak moment yesterday.. I drank four bottles of Paddy and six cans of Tuborg" and film him as he falls off the wagon

Konata

I think it's a sad reflection of our society that the idea for this show was ever even considered. Yes, I thinks it's a load of codswallop (6 months off the drink, big effing wow), but I CAN understand how it came to be. The nightclub/getting absolutely off your face culture amongst 16 - 30 year olds (but primarily the 18-24 age group) is absolutely disgraceful. I'm 20, and yes I've gotten too drunk at times in my life but not to the frequency and extent that many of my peers do. Week in, week out, same routine over and over - drink, go out, get plastered, drink, go out, get plastered, drink, go out, get plastered.

Sure there's many people my age who drink and go out and do it all sensibly but there are also vast numbers who can't imagine their lifes without alcohol. Not that they are alcoholics so to speak, but they are utterly dependent on this nightclub/house party/getting-plastered culture. To them, 6 months without it is incomprehensible.

Unfortunately, this show does have some relevance to young people. I hope it's filled with scare tactics that might inspire some people to change their relationship with alcohol. However, most likely the people who need to see it won't even watch it.

They'll be too busy getting plastered.

the_syco

Liam Byrne wrote: »

So some guys are going to spend 6 months without any drink - or "without a hangover" as the promo puts it......so ****what ???? :rolleyes:

Wonder will the scumbags be off drugs as well?

cortcookie

the reason for the show was to show that there was other things to do other than drinkin it wasnt just about giving up drink and they did that. they also raised 20 thousand for charity so how can u say whats the point ? if u watch the show ull see how funny the lads are and what its actually about.

tvbuff10

im from around the area where the show was filmed and the lads did this show for a bit of fun and if it changed the minds of a few people when it comes to drinkin it would be worth while, if you would take the time to watch the show first you would see that the lads raised around 20 thousand euro for charity so that alone makes the show worthwhile in my eyes, i bet most of you sittin around giving bad comments to people you dont know havent raised that much money for charity, give them a break, they have done you no harm and have done a great thing for a charity and could possibly change some youngsters views on alcohol

RobertFoster

Nice of you both to sign up. Tell me, did you miss the drink for 6 months?

cortcookie

i wasnt off the drink i just know the lads that were!!!!!!

Shea O'Meara

mikom wrote: »

Don't cod yourself.
RTE are just a step away from producing a show called "Monkey tennis" with Pat Shortt.

I would watch Monkey Tennis.

Shea O'Meara

cortcookie wrote: »

i wasnt off the drink i just know the lads that were!!!!!!

Please can you honestly tell me how this all came about? Did the lads contact RTE, put a production proposal together, pitch to RTE? Or as I suspect, some RTE hacks were kicking about the office hungover and thought 'Hey lets call two people we know and make a show about boozin'?
Seriously, as someone who co-financed this production I would love to know.

tvbuff10

im not sure wat way they went about it but all i know is they dont deserve to get a hard time just because their show got accepted, as i said before they took the oppertunity and used it to raise money for a good cause, whats the harm in it

Elmo

Shea O'Meara wrote: »

Please can you honestly tell me how this all came about? Did the lads contact RTE, put a production proposal together, pitch to RTE? Or as I suspect, some RTE hacks were kicking about the office hungover and thought 'Hey lets call two people we know and make a show about boozin'?
Seriously, as someone who co-financed this production I would love to know.

RTÉ have a commissioning editor of Entertainment. Independent production companies put a production proposal together and pitch it to RTÉ. Unfortunately as we are all beginning to realize the Commissioning Editor of Entertainment isn't up to much.

Well done to the lads for raising the money, it is no fault of their's.

Jazzy

retarded & sh1te programming

tvbuff10

Elmo wrote: »

RTÉ have a commissioning editor of Entertainment. Independent production companies put a production proposal together and pitch it to RTÉ. Unfortunately as we are all beginning to realize the Commissioning Editor of Entertainment isn't up to much.

Well done to the lads for raising the money, it is no fault of their's.

Thanks for the comment Elmo, thats the point im making, its not the lads fault, dont understand why people are criticizing them?

Richard Dower

I'm off the drink for 11 years...where's my show RTE!?

Shea O'Meara

Elmo wrote: »

RTÉ have a commissioning editor of Entertainment. Independent production companies put a production proposal together and pitch it to RTÉ. Unfortunately as we are all beginning to realize the Commissioning Editor of Entertainment isn't up to much.

Well done to the lads for raising the money, it is no fault of their's.

I was hoping to find out the genesis of this particular program; who's idea was it, why these two lads? etc.

tvbuff10 wrote: »

Thanks for the comment Elmo, thats the point im making, its not the lads fault, dont understand why people are criticizing them?

Personally, I'm curious how such a bland show came into being, no interest in slagging the lads, mere camera fodder for RTE.

EDIT:
EO Telifis produced; they approached lads, lads approached them? Company has a background for Irish speaking programmes, not based in Dublin 11 anyhoo. Make shows for RTE/TG4.

AJ STYLES

ye i say fair play to guys for going on show, and maby they will be funny but its such a stupid show even for ireland.

Elmo

Shea O'Meara wrote: »

I was hoping to find out the genesis of this particular program; who's idea was it, why these two lads? etc.

Perhaps they were doing it for charity and a production company heard about it and offered to RTÉ as a Reality TV show and RTÉ said alright.

It seems that that is what happened.

Gerry then made a pilot film of his friends and sent it to television production companies, with EO Teilifis taking the bait.

EO Teilifis also produce Ros Na Run.

It is 6 guys not just 2.

http://www.carlowpeople.ie/news/six-are-stone-cold-sober-1999308.html

mknotaro

I might be wrong, as I think this show is starting tonight so I haven't seen it yet, but are we sure that it's a comissioned from Entertainment.

It could be another one of those badly thought-out Lifestyle offerings (ie. Baz's Culture Clash).

But I do agree with the original question: Stone Cold Sober - What's The Point?

Elmo

mknotaro wrote: »

I might be wrong, as I think this show is starting tonight so I haven't seen it yet, but are we sure that it's a comissioned from Entertainment.

It could be another one of those badly thought-out Lifestyle offerings (ie. Baz's Culture Clash).

Starts tonight at 10.25pm

The RTE website seems to suggest Lifestyle alright. Generally Lifestyle are commissioning on RTÉ One.

iguana

Richard Dower wrote: »

I'm off the drink for 11 years...where's my show RTE!?

Y'know Richard I think I'd watch a show about you. It could be all about you not drinking and nefariously receiving and watching tv shows from all around the world. The best would be the episodes where you are getting all excited waiting for a show you love and then it would be a terrible episode and you'd be really upset and angry. It would also be pretty good when you love an episode and then go online to rave about it and everyone else thinks it stinks.:D

ToniTuddle

pixelburp wrote: »

I also like the insinuations the ads make that "my god, apart from drinking youself into oblivion in a pub, there's nothing to do in Dublin!!eleven". Particularly this suggestion that there's no social activities beyond drinking your liver into a shriveled husk

There are loads of social activities for kids and teenagers up to the age of about 14/15 eg youth clubs, swimming clubs etc.

There is FEIC all for ones aged 16 upwards. This is where alot of the drinking starts and a trend is set and continues into adulthood.

FallingSlowly wrote: »

yes I've gotten too drunk at times in my life but not to the frequency and extent that many of my peers do. Week in, week out, same routine over and over - drink, go out, get plastered, drink, go out, get plastered, drink, go out, get plastered.

There are also vast numbers who can't imagine their lifes without alcohol. Not that they are alcoholics so to speak, but they are utterly dependent on this nightclub/house party/getting-plastered culture. To them, 6 months without it is incomprehensible.

Not alcoholics eh?

amacachi

ToniTuddle wrote: »

Not alcoholics eh?

Not necessarily, they may be "addicted" to getting ****ed up, different than being an alcoholic. I know I enjoy getting ****ed up on different things at different times, I'm not addicted to any of them in particular.

Liam Byrne

amacachi wrote: »

I know I enjoy getting ****ed up on different things at different times

Sounds like a strange definition of enjoyment, but each to their own, I guess.

aidan_walsh

iguana wrote: »

Y'know Richard I think I'd watch a show about you. It could be all about you not drinking and nefariously receiving and watching tv shows from all around the world. The best would be the episodes where you are getting all excited waiting for a show you love and then it would be a terrible episode and you'd be really upset and angry. It would also be pretty good when you love an episode and then go online to rave about it and everyone else thinks it stinks.:D

Someone get this man a camera and a podcasting kit, stat!

PCPhoto

I just cant get over the promo's for the ...."show"

I haven't seen it (obviously as it hasnt been aired yet) ...so will reserve judgement.

but the idea of a TV show.... documenting 6 lads going off the beer .... couldnt they have just brought a camera to an AA meeting for six months.

whats next..... junkies ....goto rehab !!