Irish TV Drama

Elmo

Overall Irish TV Drama is not bad. For all the criticisms of Fair City Irish TV drama over the past 20 years has been strong. I am not going to list all those drama's but there are plenty from Bachelor's Walk to Love/Hate.

TG4 outside of Ros Na Run as brought some interesting dramas to the screen including early comedies CU Burn and more recently western An Klondike.

TV3 has in more recent years done not to badly, with Cardboard Gangsters and Smalltown. And after loosing Coro St the introduction of Red Rock.

Red Rock is on the way out and that is clear. TV3 stopped production and the audience figures have been down from previous episodes. TV3 IMO sabotaged the series over its run. It now suits them to axe the show.

A question was raised by politicalanalysts (in the TV3 THREAD) about the chances of RTÉ wanting to pick up Red Rock a "TV3 cast off". I don't rate Red Rock, Ros Na Run or Fair City, but I see there value, to train Irish screenwriters and where possible to get some acting talent work.

While RTÉ might have some strong drama largely speaking its drama consists of Fair City, one RTÉ funded drama (Striking Out), a few RTÉ only funded comedies (Can't Cope Won't Cope, Hardy Bucks and Bridget and Eamonn) the rest are largely co-productions (Acceptable Risk) and FDI's (Young Offenders and perhaps Derry Girls at some point).

But RTÉ are coming closer and closer to co-productions only and FDI, both of which they have no control over and next or the year after may not happen.

RTÉ focus in their strategy is on Drama but its vague and reliant on more funding. Red Rock is a quality returning series that can provide actors, writers and directors an income while also providing much needed experience. If we let go of experience and continued film making on a local basis, if we see FDI and Co-Productions leave the country for a few years and then to return to an inexperienced group of filmmakers where does that leave production?

political analyst

Last April I read in The Sunday Times that RTÉ will broadcast an eight-part TV adaptation of the Stuart Neville novel "Ratlines".

I believe it stands a significant chance of success because of its subject matter - ex-Nazis living in Ireland after World War Two.

Elmo

political analyst wrote: »

Last April I read in The Sunday Times that RTÉ will broadcast an eight-part TV adaptation of the Stuart Neville novel "Ratlines".

I believe it stands a significant chance of success because of its subject matter - ex-Nazis living in Ireland after World War Two.

When? RTÉ have a habit of doing this I imagine it will be 2019. And I am not arguing that RTÉ produce Drama or good Drama, they don't do very much and it's is underfunded.