Waterways (Back after almost 20 years)

velo.2010

Just saw it advertised on RTE for next Sunday. I remember watching this as a kid and more recently RTE repeated it about 3 or 4 years ago.

Its no great shakes as a programme itself - man travels down a canal on an old barge - but made enjoyable by the laidback and very knowledgeable Dick Warner. The series (I think there were 2 series) were accompanied by a fantastic soundtrack, slightly trippy but well suited to the tone of the programme.

Actually RTE repeated a lot of those programmes from the 80's early 90's a few years ago. The likes of Hands, As the Crow Flies, Dublin Village with Shay Healy. Fascinating to lookback and see how much the country has changed since then!

mike65

Dick Warner, great fella, Is he doing the new series?

brian_t

http://tilefilms.ie/productions/waterways-final-journey/

“Waterways – The Royal Canal” is a series of 6 x 25 minute HD television documentaries, following leading naturalist and broadcaster Dick Warner as he travels by barge/canal boat, exploring the route of the Royal Canal. The series celebrates the final re-opening of the entire Royal Canal to navigation this year after more than half a century of dereliction. The purpose of the journey is to meet people, some of them experts and some of them ordinary people who live along the banks, and to learn from them about its heritage, history, and wildlife.

As Dick Warner traverses the newly-reconstructed Royal Canal he reveals the rich history of transport in Ireland – not only canal transport, but also railway history and the story of the Bianconi stage coach company. Dick will reveal how the canal was constructed in the late 18th century as a major commercial venture, and how its history mirrors the history of Irish capitalism.

Dick will unearth a treasure trove of other archaeological and historical nuggets, from the Iron Age site at Corlea in County Longford, to tales of whiskey production and consumption, famine emigration and curious anecdotes such as the story of the Ribbonmen, a 19th century rural secret society.

The series will also cover important elements of Ireland’s natural heritage, including several species of water bird, fish, butterflies, water plants, wildflowers, trees and woodland, and introduce us to the brown and black rats. Literary and artistic figures such as Brendan Behan, Oliver Goldsmith and the well-known bog oak sculptor Michael Casey will also feature.

Tile Films has re-assembled the core team from the original, award-winning “Waterways” series that was produced for RTÉ in the early 1990s – director/producer Stephen Rooke, producer Larry Masterson and writer/presenter Dick Warner.

Atlantic Dawn

Great to see a new series of it, will be real interesting to see how the canal network has changed between the boom and bust of recent times.

One pieve I have is it says it's 6 x 25 min HD, however RTÉ 1 only broadcasts in SD, why don't they instead show it on RTÉ2 HD to take advantage of the higher quality picture it will offer, really can't understand how this sort of waste is allowed?

mikemac

Dick Warner, I think he did another RTÉ show called Ironing the Land, it's to do with railways across Ireland

The Black Oil

Really looking forward to this, just need to remember that it's on.

SEPT 23 1989

On now

Atlantic Dawn

Bump, it's on now.

SEPT 23 1989

.

velo.2010

Good stuff. Fair play to the producers - they kept to the original format and made the same interesting, beautifully shot, well narrated and well scored programme thats the little gem of a programme that RTE rarely do these days!

Skid

It is funny to think that people will probably be looking at this in 2031, amazed at how Ireland has changed in the last 20 years.

Nice, old fashioned, well made programmes are the ones which stand the test of time.

velo.2010

Skid wrote: »

It is funny to think that people will probably be looking at this in 2031, amazed at how Ireland has changed little in the last 20 years.

Edited that for you. I can't see much physical change in the next 20 years. Lots of empty houses and business parks to fill before then!

squonk

Delighted to see it back too but I missed it so I'll have to catch it on the player. I wish they showed it midweek though. Sunday night is a bit gick for TV at the best of times so it's easy to forget it's on.

mike65

Missed it too, no repeat which is strange when they show crap like Four Live and the Daily Show twice every day!

tilefilms

Hope everyone enjoyed last weeks episode. Don't forget episode two is on this evening at 8.30 on RTE1. We have a mini-site on RTE' website with more information and clips: http://rte.ie and our own website http://tilefilms.ie

SEPT 23 1989

tilefilms wrote: »

Hope everyone enjoyed last weeks episode. Don't forget episode two is on this evening at 8.30 on RTE1. We have a mini-site on RTE' website with more information and clips: http://rte.ie and our own website http://tilefilms.ie

Its a great production a piece of history

Well done

EggsAckley

Perfect mid Sunday evening viewing. Dick Warner is such a classy guy, but the whole production is a joy

mike65

Forgot it again (I watch so little of RTE I never think to check, if BBC2 picked this up I'd never miss it!)

Aglomerado

Great program, such a joy to watch, perfect relaxing Sunday evening fare. Really good to see the excellent Dick Warner back on our screens.

wow i didnt realise the canal went over the m50? you'd always think of roads and railway bridges going over water even tho canals are manmade

robclay26

I was wondering after watching the old fottage of the "Harks" trip as the last boat up the canad is available to watch as a whole, it would be prett interesting to see how bad the canal was before closure. Ans if you watch the clips in the new waterways programs, they show a very different Ireland, even in the countryside, the canal banks are all muck, today we have grass and even tarmac. really interesting.

If anybody knows where i can see all the Harks trip, i would be very grateful

born2bwild

Wonder if the waterways series he did back in the early nineties is available anywhere? It's on amazon as a vhs but it's no longer in stock.

velo.2010

born2bwild wrote: »

Wonder if the waterways series he did back in the early nineties is available anywhere? It's on amazon as a vhs but it's no longer in stock.

I think emdee productions were responsible for the first two series back then. I remember reading some comments elswhere previously that you could pick up DVD copies from them but for a small premium. Actually not sure if they still exist or are now part of a bigger company?

cml387

This is what RTE do so well (or at least commission).
There are lots of hidden architectural gems and old industrial buildings around the country that could be covered.
If anyone saw the BBC series One Foot In The Past,this is the kind of series I have in mind.

born2bwild

velo.2010 wrote: »

I think emdee productions were responsible for the first two series back then. I remember reading some comments elswhere previously that you could pick up DVD copies from them but for a small premium. Actually not sure if they still exist or are now part of a bigger company?

Thanks for that - I got an email address for emdee from google and sent them an email. Wait and see...

robclay26

If anybody knows where i can see all the Harks trip on video? It has clips featured in the current series of Waterways on the Royal Canal

thetonynator

Was a very interesting series, finished up just there now.

velo.2010

Very enjoyable programme from start to finish. Nice to see 45M, the boat that Dick travelled on in the very first series way back which I remembered watching as a kid.

Mr CJ

anyone find any updates on the old series?? Why they are not available in a box set is beyond me, has anyone got all 5 series?? If the companies are not going to release a box set I will be willing to pay someone for a copy of all 5?? and before anyone mentions legalities I would gladly give emdee/tile/rte the full retail price if they provided the thing... Thanks