Forgotten Irish drama series.

bodhrandude · 07-06-2021 3:06am

Hangdogroad wrote: »

The Year Of The French. Big budget co production with Channel 4 and French company about the 1798 rising. Shown in 1982 and shelved since, no repeats or home media release.

The Chieftains, did they do the TV soundtrack for that series as I'm sure they have an album of that name.

Justin Credible Darts · 07-06-2021 3:32am

FAMILY

starred Sean McGinley as an abusive husband....wife played by Geraldine Ryan...around the early 90s, ....remember the world cup or euro champs was on the same time...so was 92 or 94

Duckworth_Luas · 07-06-2021 4:25am

Deleted User wrote: »

If I recall, Ian Harte who played Joe (Michael Collins right hand man) in Michael Collins was in it.

I remember seeing Gold in the Streets in the cinema, but never seen anything about it since. Aiden Gillen and Jared Harris were also in it. As was John Belushi's brother James.

Dr Bob wrote: »

The Treaty was actually quite good from what I remember , Gleason was a better Mick Collins than Neason.

I believe Neeson conceded that on the Michael Collins set when he shared scenes with Gleeson, who I don't recall having any lines in the movie.

Hangdogroad · 07-06-2021 9:28am

Those Access Community Drama tv plays that RTE would show mid 80s. Various amatuer drama groups would film these mini dramas with equipment provided by RTE.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=64aekUXiofQ

Montage of Feck · 07-06-2021 10:06am

Hangdogroad wrote: »

The Year Of The French. Big budget co production with Channel 4 and French company about the 1798 rising. Shown in 1982 and shelved since, no repeats or home media release.

Can this be had anywhere? I love big historical epics.

Aurelian · 07-06-2021 10:09am

Montage of Feck wrote: »

Can this be had anywhere? I love big historical epics.

Bizzare how this one has completely disappeared. Surely worth a repeat?

Hangdogroad · 07-06-2021 10:45am

Montage of Feck wrote: »

Can this be had anywhere? I love big historical epics.

I was eight when it was screened and it was a big tv event, everyone watched it which makes its subsequent burial all the more perplexing. RTE are weird that way.

NewbridgeIR · 07-06-2021 10:49am

bodhrandude wrote: »

The Chieftains, did they do the TV soundtrack for that series as I'm sure they have an album of that name.

They did; also credited to the RTE Concert Orchestra. The Chieftains also act in the series.

The album got a CD release in the US in 1989 but is quite scarce now. Vinyl copies are very plentiful.

NewbridgeIR · 07-06-2021 11:16am

The Year Of The French was also broadcast by Channel 4 sometime in 1983 and that appears to be source of the off-air copies that appeared on UK videotape trading lists in the early '90s.

I was in college with a guy from Killala who said there was serious buzz when it was being shot in the summer & autumn of 1981.
During the filming, turf was dumped on the streets of Killala every day - to give it a muddy look. He said when it was broadcast (in the run-up to Christmas 1982), people seemed more concerned with spotting their friends rather than concentrating on the story. I didn't think it was great and by all accounts, was quite inaccurate in parts. From RTE's perspective, it was an expensive failure - GBP £1.7m was the cost - and given the lukewarm critical reception it got, international sales of the programme were pretty dismal. The ideal time to repeat it was for the 200th anniversary of the rebellion in 1998 and it was noticeably absent.

Hangdogroad · 07-06-2021 11:38am

Another RTE/Channel 4 co production was Summer Lightning, from 1985. Cant remember much about the storyline but it was set in an Anglo-Irish big house in the 19th Century. The main reason I remember it was myself and the brother were watching and there was an exchange of dialogue between a husband and wife that went. Wife, in an angry frustrated tone: "Fcuk me!". Husband: "I'm nearly 40". Wife again: "**** me!". I remember the two of us looking at each other dumb struck, and glad that our mother wasnt up or shed fecking murder us for watching something with dialogue like that.

The husband was having it off with a younger fancy woman and ignoring his wife which I think was what the whole scene was about.

Zeek12 · 07-06-2021 1:05pm

Hangdogroad wrote: »

In the movie was he the guy they were trying to sell the telly to, through a dodgy shop owner middleman?

Don't think so.

He was with the group of friends they met in Stephens Green. He was the guy wearing a football jersey

Hangdogroad · 07-06-2021 9:22pm

Falling For A Dancer. Late 90s potboiler set in West Cork in the 30s. Starred Liam Cunningham and a young Colin Farrell in a supporting role.

Panthro · 07-06-2021 9:54pm

Has Roddy Doyles 1994 míní dráma Family been mentioned?

Justin Credible Darts · 07-06-2021 9:56pm

Panthro wrote: »

Has Roddy Doyles 1994 míní dráma Family been mentioned?

Yes

Justin Credible Darts wrote: »

FAMILY

starred Sean McGinley as an abusive husband....wife played by Geraldine Ryan...around the early 90s, ....remember the world cup or euro champs was on the same time...so was 92 or 94

Sgt Hartman · 08-06-2021 7:04am

Amongst Women was another one, about a family trying to escape their tyrannical father's influence. It was from the late 90's.

Also, Strumpet City which was really good, with a brilliant performance from David Kelly as Rashers Tierney.

RTE also produced a mini series based on Martin the General Cahill which came out shortly after the movie. It was said to be actually better than the movie although sadly I missed it when it came out. I'd love to be able to find it again.

SpitfireIV · 08-06-2021 8:12am

odyssey06 wrote: »

Rebel Heart, 2001 series set around 1916 to war of independence.
First episode I remember doing a great job of showing the 1916 Battle of Mount Street Bridge.
(Miles ahead of the recent Rebellion series).

Rebel Heart was quite good, at the time anyway. It covered the 1916-1922 period nicely over four episodes I believe. James D'Arcy played the main character of Ernie Coyne. For some reason or other it's not gotten any air time in recent years, even during the 2016 commemorations I thought it would have gotten an airing but no. I suppose it didn't have enough good looking people on it or a compelling enough love story?!

Hangdogroad · 08-06-2021 9:11am

SpitfireIV wrote: »

Rebel Heart was quite good, at the time anyway. It covered the 1916-1922 period nicely over four episodes I believe. James D'Arcy played the main character of Ernie Coyne. For some reason or other it's not gotten any air time in recent years, even during the 2016 commemorations I thought it would have gotten an airing but no. I suppose it didn't have enough good looking people on it or a compelling enough love story?!

The actor playing Michael Collins was about 5 foot 5. Other than that it was much superior to Rebellion.

odyssey06 · 08-06-2021 9:19am

Hangdogroad wrote: »

The actor playing Michael Collins was about 5 foot 5. Other than that it was much superior to Rebellion.

Brendan Coyle (went on to Downton Abbey) isn't a short guy (says 6 ft) I think the issue could be that the main actor in Rebel Heart James d'Arcy is very tall (says 6ft 2)...

odyssey06 · 08-06-2021 9:21am

SpitfireIV wrote: »

Rebel Heart was quite good, at the time anyway. It covered the 1916-1922 period nicely over four episodes I believe. James D'Arcy played the main character of Ernie Coyne. For some reason or other it's not gotten any air time in recent years, even during the 2016 commemorations I thought it would have gotten an airing but no. I suppose it didn't have enough good looking people on it or a compelling enough love story?!

Wiki says it got a lot of grief from Unionists... but then RTE rarely repeats any of its stuff from that period regardless of whether controversial etc

Hangdogroad · 08-06-2021 9:30am

odyssey06 wrote: »

Wiki says it got a lot of grief from Unionists... but then RTE rarely repeats any of its stuff from that period regardless of whether controversial etc

I remember Eoghan Harris losing his rag over it, quelle surprise.

Peregrinus · 08-06-2021 9:56am

odyssey06 wrote: »

Quirke... detective series starring Gabriel Byrne set in the 1950s. Thought there was potential for a great series there but they threw in way too many anachronistic characters and behaviour. Should have had the confidence to be of the time instead of viewing everything through a modern prism.

It's an adaptation of a series of novels by John Banville (written under a pseudonym) and the novels, too, are set in the 1950s but written with a very 21st century perspective.

Hangdogroad · 08-06-2021 10:38am

Sgt Hartman wrote: »

Amongst Women was another one, about a family trying to escape their tyrannical father's influence. It was from the late 90's.

Also, Strumpet City which was really good, with a brilliant performance from David Kelly as Rashers Tierney.

RTE also produced a mini series based on Martin the General Cahill which came out shortly after the movie. It was said to be actually better than the movie although sadly I missed it when it came out. I'd love to be able to find it again.

Amongst Women had Eamon Owen's in a small supporting part. One of the first things I remember seeing him in after the Butcher Boy with the exception of his cameo as young Martin Cahill as the General. After that youd often see him popping up in supporting roles playing very similar characters.The absolute nadir was in the aforementioned Big Bow Wow where he played a not very bright lad from the country. That series was so bad that I think most of the younger cast members were never seen in anything again with the exception of Michael Legge

Giblet · 08-06-2021 10:40am

odyssey06 wrote: »

Dominique McElligott played the tomboy daughter footballer in that... now starring in major US series The Boys.

I was an extra in that, I remember her in the stands, cheering on her fella. It was really low budget. Got to meet Sean McGinley though!

Giblet · 08-06-2021 10:44am

I also have a DVD of Family.

Sgt Hartman · 08-06-2021 10:56am

Hangdogroad wrote: »

Amongst Women had Eamon Owen's in a small supporting part. One of the first things I remember seeing him in after the Butcher Boy with the exception of his cameo as young Martin Cahill as the General. After that youd often see him popping up in supporting roles playing very similar characters The absolute nadir was in the aforementioned Big Bow Wow where he played a not very bright lad from the country. That series was so bad that I think most of the younger cast members were never seen in anything again with the exception of Muchael Legge

Totally! He kinda got typecast in small roles as a "mad gob****e" for the remainder of his career. The last time I saw him on tv was a very short non speaking role as one of John Boy's henchmen in Love Hate. I haven't seen him in anything since then.

The last time I saw Michael Legge was in a Limerick based film called Cowboys and Angels which also starred Allen Leech as his flamboyant gay housemate. It was pretty mediocre. It was also absurd in parts, for example, Legge's character had a friend working in Supermacs who had a D4 accent. I've been in that particular Supermacs in O'Connell street in Limerick several times and the last thing you'd hear from a staff member there is a D4 accent

Anyway I'm digressing...I remember a miniseries called The Famine from the mid 90's on RTE depicting the Irish potato famine. I have vague memories of it but one of the kids from Into the West was in it (The smaller one, Tayto)

Hangdogroad · 08-06-2021 11:28am

Sgt Hartman wrote: »

Totally! He kinda got typecast in small roles as a "mad gob****e" for the remainder of his career. The last time I saw him on tv was a very short non speaking role as one of John Boy's henchmen in Love Hate. I haven't seen him in anything since then.

The last time I saw Michael Legge was in a Limerick based film called Cowboys and Angels which also starred Allen Leech as his flamboyant gay housemate. It was pretty mediocre. It was also absurd in parts, for example, Legge's character had a friend working in Supermacs who had a D4 accent. I've been in that particular Supermacs in O'Connell street in Limerick several times and the last thing you'd hear from a staff member there is a D4 accent

Anyway I'm digressing...I remember a miniseries called The Famine from the mid 90's on RTE depicting the Irish potato famine. I have vague memories of it but one of the kids from Into the West was in it (The smaller one, Tayto)

That Famine drama, didnt the main character get deported to Tasmania and there was something involving Aborigines? It wasnt the Hanging Gale.

Aurelian · 08-06-2021 1:07pm

Hangdogroad wrote: »

I remember Eoghan Harris losing his rag over it, quelle surprise.

I remember David Trimble criticising it before it even aired.

Zeek12 · 08-06-2021 3:36pm

Anyone remember a two part drama from the late 80s?
Called Act of Betrayal.

An ex-IRA man turned informer (played by Patrick Bergin) goes into hiding in Australia, with his wife and kids. He's aided by the British who set him up with a new life, identity etc. in witness protection.

The IRA hire a hitman to track him down and kill him.
Elliot Gould, a pretty big movie star back in the 70s (and who later played Ross and Monica's Dad in Friends) played the hitman.

Haven't seen it since I was a kid but remember it being quite good.

It wasn't a "fully irish" drama. Google says it was an Australian, Irish and American co-production.
But as far as I remember much of the cast were Irish.

Aglomerado · 08-06-2021 3:41pm

Random Passage
Starring Colm Meaney. Made around 2002.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Random_Passage

mehico · 08-06-2021 4:00pm

I vaguely remember Fair City doing one off dramas set in Carrigstown but not staring the main cast members, around the early to mid 2000's maybe.

I only remember seeing one of these which was a story about a person with addiction issues but thought it was quite good at the time.

SpitfireIV · 08-06-2021 8:39pm

Hangdogroad wrote: »

The actor playing Michael Collins was about 5 foot 5. Other than that it was much superior to Rebellion.

I thought he was a good fit for Collins, better than Neeson for sure. Collins wasn't overly tall, about the 5' 10" mark I believe, the term 'big fella,' was more reflective of his personality, charisma and study build.

Hangdogroad · 08-06-2021 8:56pm

Zeek12 wrote: »

Anyone remember a two part drama from the late 80s?
Called Act of Betrayal.

An ex-IRA man turned informer (played by Patrick Bergin) goes into hiding in Australia, with his wife and kids. He's aided by the British who set him up with a new life, identity etc. in witness protection.

The IRA hire a hitman to track him down and kill him.
Elliot Gould, a pretty big movie star back in the 70s (and who later played Ross and Monica's Dad in Friends) played the hitman.

Haven't seen it since I was a kid but remember it being quite good.

It wasn't a "fully irish" drama. Google says it was an Australian, Irish and American co-production.
But as far as I remember much of the cast were Irish.

Think I remember that. Didnt the IRA find out yer man was hiding in Australia through a stuffed kangaroo toy that hed sent back home for some reason?

Zeek12 · 08-06-2021 10:31pm

Hangdogroad wrote: »

Think I remember that. Didnt the IRA find out yer man was hiding in Australia through a stuffed kangaroo toy that hed sent back home for some reason?

You’re right.

I had forgotten that part.

Aurelian · 09-06-2021 1:41pm

SpitfireIV wrote: »

I thought he was a good fit for Collins, better than Neeson for sure. Collins wasn't overly tall, about the 5' 10" mark I believe, the term 'big fella,' was more reflective of his personality, charisma and study build.

Interesting always assumed he was 6 2 or similar!

Church on Tuesday · 09-06-2021 2:01pm

Deception on TV3.

It was laughably bad.

Hangdogroad · 09-06-2021 5:33pm

Re: the Big Bow Wow. It's strange to note that the DVD cover blurb describes it as a UK series. I remember reading somewhere around the time it it came out that it had been sold abroad to a couple of countries, I have a funny feeling one might gave been Ukraine. Theyd probably be none the wiser as it may as well have been set on Uranus as Dublin.

https://m.imdb.com/title/tt0401913/mediaviewer/rm2036163584/?ref_=ext_shr_lnk

RandomViewer · 09-06-2021 7:30pm

Aurelian wrote: »

Interesting always assumed he was 6 2 or similar!

Tall in 1920 wouldn't be considered tall now, diets have improved meaning average heights have risen

Justin Credible Darts · 10-06-2021 1:17am

it was never his height but his persona

RandomViewer · 10-06-2021 11:13am

There was something with Adrian Dunbar about the surgeon in Drogheda who was sterilising all the women,

Del.Monte · 10-06-2021 1:23pm

RandomViewer wrote: »

There was something with Adrian Dunbar about the surgeon in Drogheda who was sterilising all the women,

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whistleblower_(Irish_TV_series)

Realtai · 10-06-2021 1:34pm

Anyone remember "Making the Cut"?

It was a detective drama about an investigation into a drug gang, I think. It was filmed in Bray back in the 90s.
Sean McGinley and Andrea Irvine were in the starring roles as detectives, and Jim Norton played the police commissioner.

Hangdogroad · 10-06-2021 1:42pm

Realtai wrote: »

Anyone remember "Making the Cut"?

It was a detective drama about an investigation into a drug gang, I think. It was filmed in Bray back in the 90s.
Sean McGinley and Andrea Irvine were in the starring roles as detectives, and Jim Norton played the police commissioner.

Yes, though it was filmed in Waterford. Was supposed to be set there but there were local objections that a crime series set there would give the place a bad name so the setting was left deliberately vague.

The followup series DDU might have been filmed in Bray, I remember some locations in the series that looked like South County Dublin or Wicklow coastal area.

Realtai · 10-06-2021 2:30pm

Hangdogroad wrote: »

Yes, though it was filmed in Waterford. Was supposed to be set there but there were local objections that a crime series set there would give the place a bad name so the setting was left deliberately vague.

The followup series DDU might have been filmed in Bray, I remember some locations in the series that looked like South County Dublin or Wicklow coastal area.

It might have been the follow up series alright. I lived in Bray at the time, and remember that they filmed up in the Palermo area, and in the Boys school up there.

jmayo · 10-06-2021 3:33pm

Hangdogroad wrote: »

Another RTE/Channel 4 co production was Summer Lightning, from 1985. Cant remember much about the storyline but it was set in an Anglo-Irish big house in the 19th Century. The main reason I remember it was myself and the brother were watching and there was an exchange of dialogue between a husband and wife that went. Wife, in an angry frustrated tone: "Fcuk me!". Husband: "I'm nearly 40". Wife again: "**** me!". I remember the two of us looking at each other dumb struck, and glad that our mother wasnt up or shed fecking murder us for watching something with dialogue like that.

The husband was having it off with a younger fancy woman and ignoring his wife which I think was what the whole scene was about.

Jaysus I think I remember that.
It was the son remembering back to when he was a young lad and in love with this young one living with her mother that was like renting a place from his father.

Turns out the father was getting paid by getting to shag the daughter if I remember right.
The reason it stands out as a major memory was there was some nudie scenes in it.
Hell growing up in two channel land anything on RTE with nudie scenes stands out like a joshua tree in the desert.
Was a huge fan of Cineclub on Mid week.

Just looking up screen grab about it on IMDb Donal McCann and the beardie lad from Bosco were in it.

Lurching · 10-06-2021 3:41pm

Along the lines of Pure Mule, I liked Raw - the one set in a Dublin restaurant.
With the selection available now across multiple platforms, I'm sure most people would laugh at it nowadays, but I thought it was good for it's time.

Hangdogroad · 10-06-2021 4:11pm

jmayo wrote: »

Jaysus I think I remember that.
It was the son remembering back to when he was a young lad and in love with this young one living with her mother that was like renting a place from his father.

Turns out the father was getting paid by getting to shag the daughter if I remember right.
The reason it stands out as a major memory was there was some nudie scenes in it.
Hell growing up in two channel land anything on RTE with nudie scenes stands out like a joshua tree in the desert.
Was a huge fan of Cineclub on Mid week.

Just looking up screen grab about it on IMDb Donal McCann and the beardie lad from Bosco were in it.

That's right. I cant remember the ins and outs of the storyline but there some sex scenes along with the swearing.

Another bit that sticks out in my mind was a party held in the big house where everyone got pissed. Jonathan Ryan (the guy from Bosco) had an arm wrestling match with a foppish lad who fainted from exertion. The maid was played by Maureen Toal, aka Teasy from Glenroe and she gets so drunk she has to get hauled away while singing A Nation Once Again.

odyssey06 · 10-06-2021 5:40pm

Amber, from 2014, a four part mini series about the disappearane of a school girl.
Starring Eva Birthistle and David Murray.

I never actually watched it, recorded it and based on feedback about the last episode, deleted it.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2224645/

Zeek12 · 10-06-2021 7:17pm

odyssey06 wrote: »

Amber, from 2014, a four part mini series about the disappearane of a school girl.
Starring Eva Birthistle and David Murray.

I never actually watched it, recorded it and based on feedback about the last episode, deleted it.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2224645/

Wise move.

It was awful!

Hangdogroad · 14-06-2021 8:06am

Father And Son. Mini series about a Manchester-Irish criminal from 2009.

There was another RTE co production from the late 90s that had some young tearaway who might have been Scouse or Manc running away to Ireland and riding horses in the Curragh, cant think of the name of it.

RandomViewer · 15-06-2021 6:56pm

odyssey06 wrote: »

Amber, from 2014, a four part mini series about the disappearane of a school girl.
Starring Eva Birthistle and David Murray.

I never actually watched it, recorded it and based on feedback about the last episode, deleted it.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2224645/

Ends up very badly

Forgotten Irish drama series.

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