Glenroe

Scaramanga 4

Did it deserve to be axed ?

padd b1975

No, absolutely not.

However, it had gone very stale and needed major freshening up.

Unfortunately RTE felt it had run it's course and were not prepared to this and decided to concentrate resources on Fair City.

It 'jumped the shark' when Miley shagged Fidelma in the hayshed.

SuperInfinity

What if we all started with Glenroe from the very beginning, switched on one episode Sunday night at 8:30 and gave our comments on what happened?

So who's in? :P

nlgbbbblth

SuperInfinity wrote: »

What if we all started with Glenroe from the very beginning, switched on one episode Sunday night at 8:30 and gave our comments on what happened?

So who's in? :P

Let's pretend it's September 1983.

Where will we source the episodes? I didn't record any.

gobo99

Biddy dies!

:eek:

BuilderPlumber

I hated Glenroe at the time and still cannot see its attraction. Apart from it being a bit of a laugh! I am unsure of what 1983-1986 episodes were like as I didn't watch these and cannot remember much of the 1987-1993 ones either. But, the ones I do remember from 1994 to 2001 were pretty poor. The family were addicts and thus I often had no choice but to see many episodes.

BUT: did it deserve to be axed? I can't answer. I don't know what the early episodes were like and know the later ones were not written by the original writer. Certainly, the programme that followed it (On Home Ground) was more of the same (it was like a later season Glenroe sans Dinny and Miley with a GAA focus) and had the feel as someone else once said of a feature length Barry's Tea ad! Fair City more or less took its place Sundays ever after.

What were Glenroe's main faults? I think it was mainly silly characters doing silly things and saying silly things. When the focus was on Dick Moran, it kept things interesting. A good actor and character. Dinny and Miley were more suited as comic characters and would have been perfect in Killinaskully as rivals of Dan Clancy. But Glenroe was a soap not a comedy. Biddy's character was often not consistent. She somehow went almost automatically from religious conservative housewife to atheist contradicter of the church overnight!!

Fair City had innocent starts in the late 1980s too but developed into a far more compelling soap that was at its best when the storylines involved drug dealers. By 2001, Glenroe was in its final year and could not compete with Billy Meehan who dominated 2001s Fair City series. In the era of Love/Hate, I think people want to see more Nidge than Miley today somehow. A reflection of more innocent times or a cash cow with no invention, Glenroe definitely belongs in its era and it was clear it was not reflective of 2001 Ireland. It could have been revamped (look at how the UK's equivalent Emmerdale Farm became Emmerdale?) but no one seemed interested: Mick Lally wanted to move on and Mary McEvoy already had. Other major actors in the series were dead as well and others wanted to do other things. The original writer (Wesley Burrowes) had left it long before, too, and only occasionally contributed the odd episode (admittedly, the ones he wrote were much better).

road_high

Bring it back

branie

road_high wrote: »

Bring it back

It wouldn't be the same without Miley, though

foxy farmer

Bring it back by all means but not 5 nights a week. One badly made irish soap is one thing but 2? Thats more than I could cope with. What about using kids from old series as main characters? Some lovely women on it back in the day.

BuilderPlumber

foxy farmer wrote: »

Bring it back by all means but not 5 nights a week. One badly made irish soap is one thing but 2? Thats more than I could cope with. What about using kids from old series as main characters? Some lovely women on it back in the day.

The new Glenroe has to have Tom Vaughn-Lawlor and Peter Coonan as the main characters and be written by Stuart Carolan. The theme would be Dublin criminals relocating to a rural area and upsetting the lives of the locals (the sons and daughters of Miley and co).

nlgbbbblth

foxy farmer wrote: »

Bring it back by all means but not 5 nights a week. One badly made irish soap is one thing but 2? Thats more than I could cope with. What about using kids from old series as main characters? Some lovely women on it back in the day.

Always thought it would have worked better with a couple of episodes a week.

Your plan would only be credible if they used the same actors/actresses.

foxy farmer

Soaps become tiresome if they're on too often. Pressure on production team to come up with new storylines and dialogue becomes small talk chit chat. Fair city was good in early days but now it's on 4 nights a week the storylines and acting have gone downhill. Anyway if Glenroe came back Fair City would suffer seeing as some of its cast would have to leave to play Glenroe characters.

nlgbbbblth

Do you remember The Sullivans being broadcast by RTE?

It became the butt of jokes from journalists and TV guide writers in Ireland. It was shown once a week [and bumped for snooker or showjumping] and ran from 1978 until the late 1990s. The typical comments were "the soap that's running for twice as long as the war in which it's set".

In Australia it was shown five times a week and evolved at a natural pace.

Bebo Rocks

nlgbbbblth wrote: »

Do you remember The Sullivans being broadcast by RTE?

It used to be on thursday at 6.30 pm on RTE 2 in the 80s IIRC.

Go Harvey Go

BuilderPlumber wrote: »

The new Glenroe has to have Tom Vaughn-Lawlor and Peter Coonan as the main characters and be written by Stuart Carolan. The theme would be Dublin criminals relocating to a rural area and upsetting the lives of the locals (the sons and daughters of Miley and co).

Sorry, but one facepalm really doesn't cut it here.

And Mick Lally would probably turn in his grave at that comment, too.

spurious

One of the funniest ad-libs I ever saw on TV was from the great Mick Lally in an early Glenroe episode.

He was at a dance, holding up the wall of course, with a bottle of Club Orange or similar with two straws in it. In the background of the scene, with his mouth around the straws, he tipped up the bottle to take a slug out of it. Of course the drink spilled down the front of his lovely gansey. Unscripted and brilliant I thought.

nlgbbbblth

Bebo Rocks wrote: »

It used to be on thursday at 6.30 pm on RTE 2 in the 80s IIRC.

Not on RTE 2 as far as I recall.

Wednesdays or Fridays on RTE 1. Around 5.30/5.35pm.

JONJO THE MISER

nlgbbbblth wrote: »

Not on RTE 2 as far as I recall.

Wednesdays or Fridays on RTE 1. Around 5.30/5.35pm.

Yeah your right, oh and i nearly forgot about country practice.

nlgbbbblth

JONJO THE MISER wrote: »

Yeah your right, oh and i nearly forgot about country practice.

A Country Practice started on RTE 2 in September 1985.

It was on every weekday at about 6.30pm.
Episodes were 25 minutes long.

When I started buying the DVD releases [from Australia] I was surprised to see that each episode was 50 minutes. Over there it was shown twice a week.
RTE split each episode in half and showed them over two days.

JONJO THE MISER

nlgbbbblth wrote: »

A Country Practice started on RTE 2 in September 1985.

It was on every weekday at about 6.30pm.
Episodes were 25 minutes long.

Then i think it changed to RTE 1 and used to be on around 5.30.

Radio5

One of the actors from a Country Practice is now in Home and Away playing John Palmer. He used to play one of the docs in a Country Practice.

branie

Nicole Kidman guest starred in A Country Practice for a few episodes

foxy farmer

Were biddy and miley held hostage twice? Can remember one episode when the criminals are caught Miley gets thick with one of them giving out about them contaminating the pucees (mushrooms) in the back of the van. Hilarious. Always thought Georges wife had a sexy voice. Remember her doing radio ads for Gap. Can't think of her name though.

nlgbbbblth

Shirley (played by Susan Slott)

Sam Kade

Anyone know that program that Mick Lally was in, it aired in 1985? Eamon Kelly was also in it he used to call Mick Mocky and always said "how are you Mocky my lovely boy"

BuilderPlumber

foxy farmer wrote: »

Were biddy and miley held hostage twice? Can remember one episode when the criminals are caught Miley gets thick with one of them giving out about them contaminating the pucees (mushrooms) in the back of the van. Hilarious. Always thought Georges wife had a sexy voice. Remember her doing radio ads for Gap. Can't think of her name though.

Coola Boola, Miley!

Also Starring LeVar Burton

Have Yis Seen This?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SsB6-GbpQxQ

George White

nlgbbbblth wrote: »

Do you remember The Sullivans being broadcast by RTE?

It became the butt of jokes from journalists and TV guide writers in Ireland. It was shown once a week [and bumped for snooker or showjumping] and ran from 1978 until the late 1990s. The typical comments were "the soap that's running for twice as long as the war in which it's set".

In Australia it was shown five times a week and evolved at a natural pace.

Wasn't the daughter in it supposed to be twelve and the actress was clearly about twenty-eight or so at least at the start, and then they began to forget how young she was IIRC, as she went off with Sam Neill...

nlgbbbblth

George White wrote: »

Wasn't the daughter in it supposed to be twelve and the actress was clearly about twenty-eight or so at least at the start, and then they began to forget how young she was IIRC, as she went off with Sam Neill...

Susan Hannaford - a mysterious girl.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHHwWEQKqSk

Yep, she and Sam Neill got it together. Much to the annoyance of her father Dave Sullivan.

George White

they say she's 60-odd, though at the beginning, she looked young enough, then within a few months, just looked older, and her character profile on IMDB says she was playing ten. Though she looked at the least in the early years perhaps twelve, thirteen-ish.

nlgbbbblth

George White wrote: »

they say she's 60-odd, though at the beginning, she looked young enough, then within a few months, just looked older, and her character profile on IMDB says she was playing ten. Though she looked at the least in the early years perhaps twelve, thirteen-ish.

She was born in 1959. Was 17 playing a 12 year old at the start of The Sullivans (November 1976).

s8n

I don't think glenroe is coming back

BuilderPlumber

s8n wrote: »

I don't think glenroe is coming back

It would be interesting to see what type of series a 2010s Glenroe would be. The innocence of the 1980s series would not attract an audience today clearly and the fact that it did not move with the times killed it in 2001.

Shades of Love/Hate styled crime drama would have to be added into it while also issues like the banking crisis, land sold for development and other issues and their effect on farming would feature. In other words, an Irish version of Emmerdale!

joebloggs32

Sons and Daughters was another Aussie import at the time iirc

Radio5

Gas to think of Mario Rosenstock in Glenore all those years ago.

branie2

Remember when Mary accidently took magic mushrooms?

JP Liz V1

Is it getting a repeat, some images in RTE Christmas highlights

Also Starring LeVar Burton

JP Liz V1 wrote: »

Is it getting a repeat, some images in RTE Christmas highlights

There's a special episode airing on December 27th called "Well Holy God It's Glenroe" with some of the cast looking back on the series as well as paying tribute to some of the cast members who have since passed away.

Radio5

Also Starring LeVar Burton wrote: »

There's a special episode airing on December 27th called "Well Holy God It's Glenroe" with some of the cast looking back on the series as well as paying tribute to some of the cast members who have since passed away.

That should be good so long it's just cast members who feature and we are spared the usual talking head rent a quotes who always seem to turn up on these type of programmes. :rolleyes:

sligeach

That was a nice trip down memory lane. Stevie was a big character in the soap and didn't get a look in really. Then I seen Mina in one of the photos, remember that cantankerous old boot? They'd only an hour so there's only so much you can squeeze in. Loved David Kellys character. It was full of nostalgia overload.

Maryanne40

Really enjoyed that programme just now. Sad to think how many of them are no longer with us....no wonder Mary McEvoy shed a few tears on her way to meet Blathnaid Treacey at the farm.....it must have been so nostalgic for her.

Maryanne40

sligeach wrote: »

That was a nice trip down memory lane. Stevie was a big character in the soap and didn't get a look in really. Then I seen Mina in one of the photos, remember that cantankerous old boot? They'd only an hour so there's only so much you can squeeze in. Loved David Kellys character. It was full of nostalgia overload.

God yeah, Mina Timlin I think her name was.....she'd a finger in every pie....I seem to remember her making Michelle's life a misery....Michelle was a pretty girl, blonde...was she a barmaid or something?

Strazdas

Maryanne40 wrote: »

God yeah, Mina Timlin I think her name was.....she'd a finger in every pie....I seem to remember her making Michelle's life a misery....Michelle was a pretty girl, blonde...was she a barmaid or something?

A barmaid and I think she may have been the only Dublin character on the show.

Also Starring LeVar Burton

Great little trip down memory lane. It's a shame they didn't make a two or three part series out of it though - plenty of long serving characters like Michelle and her lot didn't get mentioned at all, and Stephen and Blackie (two of the most popular characters) only got mentioned in passing.

I know I've posted this already, but seems like perfect opportunity for a re-post...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SsB6-GbpQxQ

monkey9

What a brilliant exchange between Fr Devereaux and Dinny.

Fr Devereaux: You know, Dinny. In all my time, i've never come across a more devious man as yourself.

Dinny: Thanks very much, Father. A man can only try his best.

Red Kev

I think Glenroe ran out of steam at the end, it was an excellent programme at times, maintained it's innocence whilst still moving with the times and dealing with topical issues, such as Biddy losing her faith, the priest leaving the church, issues with travellers.

I also think the once a week format suited it, as someone else here said it leads to better writing, less exaggerated storylines and better production overall.

Is there place for a rural Ireland based soap in the mould of The Riordans or Glenroe?

Probably.

But it needs good production and good stories dealing with rural issues. It needs to stay away from wildly exaggerated stories but it can still deal with contemporary issues like abortion, homelessness, alcoholism, immigration/emigration and still have a few funny one liners. For this it needs good writers and a decent budget from RTE. If it all comes together then a 60 minute programme once a week is a possibility.

Red Rock shows that the acting and writing talent and the production expertise is there, RTE just need to get their collective finger out and get on board.


BTW, I always preferred Bracken to Glenroe, pity it had such a short run. I remember it being seriously controversial at the time, even tough I was about 10 when it ran.

George White

Bracken also has good actors. Dana Wynter, star of Invasion of the Body Snatchers being one of them, bizarrely, as she lived in Ireland at the time.