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The End on RTE

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  • 17-06-2004 10:16am
    #1
    thejuggler
    Registered Users Posts: 848 ✭✭✭


    I saw Barry Murphy on Ireland AM this morning which got me thinking back to a friday saturday night programme on network 2 about 10 years ago called The End.
    It was basically a continuity type show linking classic comedy series such as Police Squad, Dick Dietrics Night Stand, The Critic and others. Sean Montcrief used to present the friday night one and Barry Murphy did the saturday night. I think it lasted for two seasons.

    There were a lot of oddball guests.

    Fridays were always my favourite. Sean Moncrief was extremely funny in a deadpan way. He went on to present don't feed the gondolas and good grief moncrief.

    Pity he's not on tv much these days.

    Does anyone else have any other memories of the end which I've forgotten.


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    #2
    jor el
    Closed Accounts Posts: 16,713 ✭✭✭✭jor el


    I remember it was funny, but can't recall anything about the show now. Was it kind of like X-it File in the way it was done?


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    #3
    Unpossible
    Registered Users Posts: 2,191 ✭✭✭Unpossible


    there was a puppet as well, some weird ugly thing.

    great show


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    #4
    aodh_rua
    Registered Users Posts: 1,242 ✭✭✭aodh_rua


    Great fun - and don't forget Sean Moncrieff is back on the airwaves every afternoon on Newstalk (assuming you're in Dublin).


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    #5
    simu
    Closed Accounts Posts: 10,730 ✭✭✭✭simu


    Twas great. They used to read out letters people sent in, mock them, tear up the letters and throw them around the studio! They also has some cartoon on it about the sex lives of animals.


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    #6
    Hecate
    Registered Users Posts: 2,518 ✭✭✭Hecate


    Ah The End, they used to have a feature where people could call and leave answering machine messages which they would then play out on air, completly un-censored as far as I recall.

    Myself and a friend left many a message (we even wrote small scripts for them - good god) but I don't think any were ever played out. I doubt anybody would want to listen to the rantings of two 14 year olds anyway ;)

    It seemed pretty popular for a while, but RTE axed it. Too anarchic perhaps?

    The puppet was called Septic by the way.

    .....end of message.


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    #7
    sixpack's little hat
    Registered Users Posts: 819 ✭✭✭sixpack's little hat


    Anyone remember a comedian on it who used do a skit about a Dub wearing an Ireland journey who was learning Die-Ken-doe (sp) .Martin Gaffney maybe?

    Used have me in tears talking about his sensei kicking the ****e out of him.


    P.S. Night stand was brilliant.Dick Dietrich!
    http://www.tvtome.com/tvtome/servlet/ShowMainServlet/showid-867/Night_Stand/


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    #8
    Marq
    Registered Users Posts: 2,886 ✭✭✭Marq


    the end was quality, they used to show a really good line-up of programs with Moncreif just being strange in between times. I used to stay up every friday to watch Red Dwarf on it.

    god be with the days, that's like 10 or 11 years ago now.


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    #9
    Tom Dunne
    Registered Users Posts: 23,212 ✭✭✭✭Tom Dunne


    I remember a sketch on The End was one set in Donegal in 1847.

    It was two lads standing around, absoloutely nothing happening. Eventually one turns to the other and says "Jaysus, I'd murder a bag of chips". I remember nearly choking with laughter. A little too risky for RTE, I think. It was class.


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    #10
    Agent Smith
    Moderators, Regional East Moderators Posts: 21,502 Mod ✭✭✭✭Agent Smith


    yeah i remeber the end, was focking deadly....


    i was 12 at the time tho....


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    #11
    pork99
    Registered Users Posts: 1,746 ✭✭✭pork99


    I can remember seeing it and thinking it was surprisingly good for RTE whose comedy output is usually abysmal.

    But then again how can you recognise the talented people in RTE? They're the ones with all the knives sticking out of their backs. :rolleyes:


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    #12
    Kobie
    Registered Users Posts: 322 ✭✭Kobie


    Around the same time there was a thing called 'The Last Picture Show' - was it part of The End? It had a guy who introduced a movie. He talked about the movie & the background to it for 5 mins or so, the actors, the setting, the story of how the movie came about, how it fit in with the era it was made in etc.. It gave a really good insight into the movie, and I for one would appreciate seeing something like that on ours screens again (Alex Cox used to do something similar on one of the UK channels) . Anybody else remember it?


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    #13
    Mutz
    Registered Users Posts: 822 ✭✭✭Mutz


    Aye the End was great - I remember I was fairly young - around 10 - 13 years old. Those guys who phoned up were mad - really mad. Barry and Sean were both brilliant.
    Originally posted by Kobie
    Around the same time there was a thing called 'The Last Picture Show' - was it part of The End? ....

    Don't think it was part of The End, but you're right, it was a great show to have on before the classics they played. Usually something black and white like psycho. Think it was only in the last 4-5 years that was on :confused:


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    #14
    thejuggler
    Registered Users Posts: 848 ✭✭✭thejuggler


    Brian Reddin (I think or Bryan Graham?) used to introduce the last picture show. It used to be on RTE on friday nights around the same time as the End.

    He was a movie buff who had previously appeared on saturday morning kids tv (Scratch Saturday - now who remembers that one)


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    #15
    Kobie
    Registered Users Posts: 322 ✭✭Kobie


    Brain Reddin, that was it. A quick Google show's he's behind The Fame Game, Amu/Hector & Ri Ra amoung others.


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    #16
    aoidan
    Closed Accounts Posts: 33 ✭aoidan


    What was the music, a piano piece used in the opening credits for "The last Picture Show" called?


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    #17
    mud
    Registered Users Posts: 2,699 ✭✭✭mud


    simu wrote: »
    Twas great. They used to read out letters people sent in, mock them, tear up the letters and throw them around the studio! They also has some cartoon on it about the sex lives of animals.

    Beastly Behaviour!

    NOT suitable for my Ma, she was very upset to walk in on me and my bros watching a cartoon where there were spiders ridin' then biting heads off :)

    I seriously think it was the first time she'd seen a cartoon that wasn't all happy-clappy :p


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    #18
    mental07
    Closed Accounts Posts: 994 ✭✭✭mental07


    I'm being pedantic, but I'm pretty certain Barry Murphy did Friday's show, and Sean Moncrieff (good grief!!!) did Saturday's.


    The End was where Murphy's Frank Stapleton caricature was born too :)


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    #19
    barrymcloughlin
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7 ✭barrymcloughlin


    aoidan wrote: »
    What was the music, a piano piece used in the opening credits for "The last Picture Show" called?

    Some frantic Google searching later (cos I wanted to know this too, and assuming I'm thinking of the right piece of music):

    "Last Date" by Floyd Cramer (you should be able to listen to it here: http://listen.grooveshark.com/#/search/?query=last%20date).


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    #20
    AnonoBoy
    Closed Accounts Posts: 22,559 ✭✭✭✭AnonoBoy


    Tom Dunne wrote: »
    I remember a sketch on The End was one set in Donegal in 1847.

    It was two lads standing around, absoloutely nothing happening. Eventually one turns to the other and says "Jaysus, I'd murder a bag of chips". I remember nearly choking with laughter. A little too risky for RTE, I think. It was class.

    Sounds like Ding Dong Denny O'Reilly (or whatever yer man is that's behind him). Could be wrong though.


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    #21
    Aglomerado
    Registered Users Posts: 5,761 ✭✭✭Aglomerado


    Sean Moncrieff reading "Readers' Letters", while Septic the puppet shot snot at him. A few of mine made it in. "Brendan Duffy the Master of Tarmac" is another contributor I remember.

    Fintan McCool (McCoote?) the poet.

    Beastly Behaviour. (I've seen some of them on YouTube)

    Bring it back!


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    #22
    The Crowman
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 991 ✭✭✭The Crowman


    Very little of the End online. Here's a bit from RTE archives.

    https://www.rte.ie/archives/2015/1215/753677-welcome-to-the-end/

    A clip on YT and that seems to be it.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZaMM3PFEwgY


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    #23
    branie2
    Registered Users Posts: 10,292 ✭✭✭✭branie2


    One of my fav shows on The End was The Critic


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    #24
    mud
    Registered Users Posts: 2,699 ✭✭✭mud


    branie2 wrote: »
    One of my fav shows on The End was The Critic


    It stinks!


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    #25
    The Crowman
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 991 ✭✭✭The Crowman


    Here's some of the very first edition of the End with Barry Murphy.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=epWFn2opZ24


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    #26
    briany
    Registered Users Posts: 13,551 ✭✭✭✭briany


    It's weird how television has gone backwards in some ways. As shows go, the End probably cost next to nothing to make, but it was an interesting way to fill a couple of hours late at night when shag all people were watching except for drunks and students and drunk students.

    But in the present day, terrestrial channels seem risk averse to the point that they won't even afford a couple of nothing hours to a presenter just to throw some sh*t at the wall and see if any of it sticks. Oh no - got to keep those hours open for Shortland Street or a very mediocre drama or just plain Euronews. Maybe someone here who works in TV can explain the logic behind the creative bereftitude found with programming for the wee hours, or maybe it's just that channels have given up caring.



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    #27
    Hangdogroad
    Registered Users Posts: 4,910 ✭✭✭Hangdogroad


    RTE, like most of the terrestrial channels went 24 hour around the turn of the Millenium. That seemed to spell the death knell of the late night, in from the pub, weird but interesting tv content. Good memories of stuff they used to show at night in the late 90s. The End, A Scare At Bedtime, Couched, Dont Feed The Gondolas. The Blizzard Of Odd was probably the last of those decent RTE shows (think it lasted to 2005).

    RTE have never managed to do anything subversive in the same vein since. The Panel was lukewarm. I could never take to Republic Of Telly and things have gotten worse since.



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    #28
    briany
    Registered Users Posts: 13,551 ✭✭✭✭briany


    https://boards.ie/discussion/comment/117631143#Comment_117631143

    I don't understand what it would have been, intrinsically, about going 24 hours that meant the most banal sh*te being shown really late at night / early in the morning. The facts around the time slot remain much the same - relatively few are watching, so why not get a little weird with it?



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