Forgotten Irish sitcoms.

Hangdogroad

I'll get the ball rolling with Molloy from 1989. RTE sitcom that lasted one series. Starred the future Bishop Brennnan Jim Norton as the title character. No one of my own age I've mentioned it to remembers it and there are no clips online. I think he was a retiree. Most of it revolved around his local pub. One of his sons was an uptight yuppie and the other was a punk. The only bit I remember finding funny was when the yuppie son passed out in the pub and a drunk lad tries to do CPR on him to which yuppie shouts "get off me you smelly sex maniac"

Hodors Appletart

Upwardly Mobile

it should remain forgotten

EmmetSpiceland

‘Upwardly Mobile’, had a massive “thing” for Hilary Fannin. Still do.

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

There were two that aired around the same time back in the early 2000s that weer good.

Fergus's Wedding (young engaged couple hiring a professional wedding planner to arrange a kinky swinger wedding)

Paths to Freedom (mockumentary about the experiences of a weatlthy gynocologist who was found guilty of a hit-and-run and an inner city rap artist/career petty criminal upon their release from prison)

The Mulk

EmmetSpiceland wrote: »

‘Upwardly Mobile’, had a massive “thing” for Hilary Fannin. Still do.

You probably loved her in Extra Extra, Read all about it.

I can only remember Lorraine Pilkington being in it!

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0297557/

Hangdogroad

Princess Consuela Bananahammock wrote: »

There were two that aired around the same time back in the early 2000s that weer good.

Fergus's Wedding (young engaged couple hiring a professional wedding planner to arrange a kinky swinger wedding)

Paths to Freedom (mockumentary about the experiences of a weatlthy gynocologist who was found guilty of a hit-and-run and an inner city rap artist/career petty criminal upon their release from prison)

The same makers were behind both. Paths To Freedon was one of the funniest things RTE have done. Fergus Wedding came afterwards, I was a bit underwhelmed by it at the time, maybe was expecting to much after PTF.

Hangdogroad

The Fitz was basically BBC trying to copy the success of Fr Ted. Lasted just one series in 2000. The "joke" was the family in it lived in a house that was half in the Republic and half in Northern Ireland and they all had red wigs for some reason. Was shockingly bad.

the purple tin

Hodors Appletart wrote: »

Upwardly Mobile

it should remain forgotten

The only good thing I remember about it was David Kelly as the barman.

Hangdogroad

The Mulk wrote: »

You probably loved her in Extra Extra, Read all about it.

I can only remember Lorraine Pilkington being in it!

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0297557/

That was just awful. I remember seeing just one episode and thinking how did this shyte get commissioned?

The Mulk

Hangdogroad wrote: »

That was just awful. I remember seeing just one episode and thinking how did this shyte get commissioned?

I know, even the theme song was rubbish,
I remember looks to camera and canned laughter

COVID

I've forgotten all of them.

Hangdogroad

Leave It To Mrs O Brien. Anna Manahan was wasted in this rubbish.

El Tarangu

Hangdogroad wrote: »

The Fitz was basically BBC trying to copy the success of Fr Ted. Lasted just one series in 2000. The "joke" was the family in it lived in a house that was half in the Republic and half in Northern Ireland and they all had red wigs for some reason. Was shockingly bad.

Was just going to post about this - "baddies"/comic relief was a British Army patrol that was always creeping around their house because they suspected them of something. Reminiscent of "Give my head peace".

El Tarangu

Hodors Appletart wrote: »

Upwardly Mobile

it should remain forgotten

When the actor playing the little chubby fellow died, he was given a full paramilitary funeral - it turns out he was a member of the Real IRA.

Hangdogroad

El Tarangu wrote: »

Was just going to post about this - "baddies"/comic relief was a British Army patrol that was always creeping around their house because they suspected them of something. Reminiscent of "Give my head peace".

Yeah, the scenes with the soldiers creeping about would be accompanied by "comical" military drumming music. One of the soldiers was black and gay in what I presume was a nod to the Crying Game.

keano_afc

The Cassidys. Best forgotten.
Dan & Becs. Ditto.

Gregor Samsa

Paths To Freedom, as mentioned above, was absolutely brilliant. I have the DVD, watched it there again over the summer. Still laugh out loud funny.

whisky_galore

Ryantown. If RTE had sense they'd have burned all the tapes.

Hangdogroad

keano_afc wrote: »

The Cassidys. Best forgotten.
Dan & Becs. Ditto.

The thing I mainly remember about the Casdidys was in the opening scene Ed Byrne started getting off with who i thought was his characters sister.

Feisar

Hodors Appletart wrote: »

Upwardly Mobile

it should remain forgotten

I thought it was called Belvedere something. The place they moved to was Belvedere Downs.

global23214124

Bachelors Walk? Maybe not forgotten but it went years and years without being available on the RTE player and you could only see random episodes on YouTube.

Beechwoodspark

Hot Milk and Pepper

Not a sitcom more of a “vehicle” for Brendan o Carroll and his sidekick at the time Gerry Browne.

Was pretty bad

Beechwoodspark

“mattie”

Just when you think it can’t get much worse than killinascully, along comes a sitcom featuring pat short as a country detective in the big city

COVID

Beechwoodspark wrote: »

Hot Milk and Pepper

Not a sitcom more of a “vehicle” for Brendan o Carroll and his sidekick at the time

Was pretty bad

No. That was a terrible quiz show rather than a very bad sit-com.

Hangdogroad

Beechwoodspark wrote: »

“mattie”

Just when you think it can’t get much worse than killinascully, along comes a sitcom featuring pat short as a country detective in the big city

Jesus, yes. It was so poor that I dont think even his audience from Killianaskully took to it.. If that wasnt bad enough it was retconned for another series under the title Sargent Mattie where the events of the previous series apparently didn't happen, this managed to be even worse.

mailforkev

There was one a few years back that I actually thought wasn’t bad. Can’t remember the name, it was a family surname. Everyone, kids and parents, were played by actors roughly the same age.

Edit: found it on Google there, looks like it was called The Walshes and Graham Linehan was involved.

El Tarangu

There was a sitcom 10 years' ago about a load of people living in a houseshare in Rathmines or something called 'The Roaring Twenties' - apparently it wasn't very good. Anyway, there was some online discussion (on Boards, maybe?) that was generally slating it; one of the producers jumped in and got involved in loads of name-calling with the other posters - very unedifying.

Hangdogroad

mailforkev wrote: »

There was one a few years back that I actually thought wasn’t bad. Can’t remember the name, it was a family surname. Everyone, kids and parents, were played by actors roughly the same age.

The Walshes?

MrMusician18

Val Falvey TD.
Not as old as some mentioned, but equally deserving to be forgotten.

the purple tin

Damo and Ivor. Has it been forgotten yet?

Hangdogroad

the purple tin wrote: »

Damo and Ivor. Has it been forgotten yet?

At least most of the terrible comedies mentioned so far had the good grace to last one or two series. Nothing worse than when pure muck keeps getting recommissioned.

the purple tin

Soupy Norman.
A Polish soap opera overdubbed by Mario Rosenstock.
Gas craic it was.

Hangdogroad

A prime example of a forgotten sitcom is the Fatheads which aired in either 1992 or 93. It Starred Joe Rooney and Paul Tylak as two guys with massive Teddy Boy type quiffs sharing a flat. Vaguely like a toned down Bottom. It was shown in I think an early morning slot on Network 2, maybe on a saturday. Theres absolutely nothing about it online.

Edit: I got the title wrong, it was called the Flatheads. No wonder I couldn't find anything about it. It seems it might have been part of another show rather than a programme in it's own right.

COVID

MrMusician18 wrote: »

Val Falvey TD.
Not as old as some mentioned, but equally deserving to be forgotten.

Created and co-written by Arthur Matthews...who co-wrote Fr. Ted.

Then again, Paul McCartney wrote 'Penny Lane' and 'Say Say Say'.

Gregor Samsa

COVID wrote: »

Created and co-written by Arthur Matthews...who co-wrote Fr. Ted.

Then again, Paul McCartney wrote 'Penny Lane' and 'Say Say Say'.

I think "We All Stand Together" (The Frog Chorus) is an even more apt metaphor there.

mloc123

El Tarangu wrote: »

When the actor playing the little chubby fellow died, he was given a full paramilitary funeral - it turns out he was a member of the Real IRA.

At first I thought you meant this was story line in the series :eek:

Hangdogroad

mloc123 wrote: »

At first I thought you meant this was story line in the series :eek:

If I remember right he bad a row with bouncers at a nightclub, maybe refused entry. He came back with a baseball bat and in the altercation he died of a heart attack, was found to have cocaine in his system.

the purple tin

the purple tin wrote: »

Soupy Norman.
A Polish soap opera overdubbed by Mario Rosenstock.
Gas craic it was.

It was hilarious

El Tarangu

mloc123 wrote: »

At first I thought you meant this was story line in the series :eek:

That would have been a lot more fun.

"S2 E3: The Keoghs join the Moriartys for a dinner party full of comic misunderstandings; will Willy have time to kneecap a drugdealer, and still get there in time for dessert? "

Church on Tuesday

In terms of pure sitcom there's Paths to Freedom and then nothing else.

Edit; Hardy Bucks too but that was more YouTube and RTÉ then took the edge of it anyways.

RWCNT

I used to enjoy Give My Head Peace.

Also discovered that Paths to Freedom is up on YouTube in its entirety. It's aged really well and still cracks me up.

COVID

El Tarangu wrote: »

That would have been a lot more fun.

"S2 E3: The Keoghs join the Moriartys for a dinner party full of comic misunderstandings; will Willy have time to kneecap a drugdealer, and still get there in time for dessert? "

Moriarty: 'Oh, so you're back for dessert Mr.Keogh''.

Keogh: 'Yep, just making sure someone got their just deserts first!'

Dr Bob

El Tarangu wrote: »

There was a sitcom 10 years' ago about a load of people living in a houseshare in Rathmines or something called 'The Roaring Twenties' - apparently it wasn't very good. Anyway, there was some online discussion (on Boards, maybe?) that was generally slating it; one of the producers jumped in and got involved in loads of name-calling with the other posters - very unedifying.

https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055212180
it got a bit messy

the purple tin

Dr Bob wrote: »

https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055212180
it got a bit messy

The mention The English Class in that thread a lot. Now that really stunk.

Does anyone know what happened to Mr Stubbs? Did he do any more shows?

Church on Tuesday

COVID wrote: »

Moriarty: 'Oh, so you're back for dessert Mr.Keogh''.

Keogh: 'Yep, just making sure someone got their just deserts first!'

* Canned laughter

Dr Bob

the purple tin wrote: »

The mention The English Class in that thread a lot. Now that really stunk.

Does anyone know what happened to Mr Stubbs? Did he do any more shows?

I'm not sure but one thing I've learned is that if you're involved with something like a TV show , engaging with viewers directly is a really bad idea.

Del.Monte

Beechwoodspark wrote: »

“mattie”

Just when you think it can’t get much worse than killinascully, along comes a sitcom featuring pat short as a country detective in the big city

Strangely I liked both of them and have them on my DVD stack to watch again some day. I suspect that it's due to my time spent living in the bog - Leitrim - as I recognise many of the characters.

Gregor Samsa

the purple tin wrote: »

The mention The English Class in that thread a lot. Now that really stunk.

Does anyone know what happened to Mr Stubbs? Did he do any more shows?

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2219927/

Feisar

Pure Mule anyone?

Hangdogroad

Feisar wrote: »

Pure Mule anyone?

Wasnt a comedy.

Hangdogroad

Hangdogroad wrote: »

I'll get the ball rolling with Molloy from 1989. RTE sitcom that lasted one series. Starred the future Bishop Brennnan Jim Norton as the title character. No one of my own age I've mentioned it to remembers it and there are no clips online. I think he was a retiree. Most of it revolved around his local pub. One of his sons was an uptight yuppie and the other was a punk. The only bit I remember finding funny was when the yuppie son passed out in the pub and a drunk lad tries to do CPR on him to which yuppie shouts "get off me you smelly sex maniac"

Incidentally does anyone else here other than me remember this?