Deception

Iwannahurl

I happened to see some of the first episode of TV3's new 'drama' series Deception last Monday.

It revolves around six families living in a small "exclusive" housing estate in the suburbs of Galway. Well it was exclusive back in 2007, but times have changed, it says here.

Hilary Fannin was unimpressed in Saturday's Irish Times:

This week TV3 climbed out of its fake-tan pit ... and bravely dipped its toe in grown-up drama. The six-part Deception (TV3, Monday) is the station’s first attempt at a drama series.

It’s about a bust property developer, Jack French (Conor Mullen); his busty wife, Catriona (Leigh Arnold), home from a cosmetic-surgery trip to the US; and a murder in one of his unsold houses. When a kid discovers the body – a man face down in a sea of raspberry ripple – he charges the other kids in the neighbourhood for a look.

Deception may have been trying to say something here about the Celtic Tiger sloping off, leaving a young generation of psychos – or maybe not: it was hard to figure out at any point what this cheap-looking drama was trying to say.

It’s set in Galway, and every now and then there’s a random shot of the city, although almost everyone speaks as if they live on the Dart line. After episode one Deception could go anywhere.

Figuring out where it has actually gone, in terms of the locations for those random shots, may well be the most entertaining thing about it.

It seems to have no art direction or production aesthetic, if all those bog-standard bare concrete walls in numerous scenes are anything to go by.

The repeated shots of the city seem to have been taken from places like Circular Road and the causeway leading to Mutton Island the sewage treatment plant.

One scene I particularly liked had three of the female characters meet outside a shopping centre, beside a line of empty bicycle racks. Yes, it was the Galway West District Centre, or whatever it's called these days.

Two of the women had just been shopping for clothes, apparently. It seems neither Next, New Look nor Dunnes clearly invested in the production, because the characters weren't carrying their numerous purchases in bags. Oh no, the outfits, complete with hangers, were draped over their arms. I have no idea whether that was a directorial judgement, a budget issue or an environmental statement, but it was just one odd detail in a strangely amateurish production.

I might have a look again tomorrow, in the hope that it's so bad that it's started to get good again.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMuziRzKWk8

chuky_r_law

is there anywhere i can download or watch the first episode?

RichT

chuky_r_law wrote: »

is there anywhere i can download or watch the first episode?

3Player

Iwannahurl

It's here, I believe:

http://www.tv3.ie/3player/show/453/0/0/Deception

The TV broadcast had 4-minute ad breaks ever quarter hour.

inisboffin

Small factoid: the working title for Deception was 'Taylor's Hill'!

chuky_r_law

thanks

Dan_Solo

Irish made TV? Wouldn't watch it if it was set in my own kitchen.

Ficheall

10 minutes in and not a drop of rain yet. What sort of nonsense is this?

biko

I'll watch it just for Nora

Robbo

Your Tax Dollars at work.

With the weird scenery, characters coming and going for no good reason and terrible dialogue, I took it to be a loving tribute to the room. I believe in this week's instalment, Jack will be randomly throwing a rugby ball around.

fishy fishy

soooo drawwwnnnn outttttt.

very boring with more ads than actual programme.

I think it is set in a ghost estate around the spiddal area (but i could be wrong).
not impressed so far, but will give it maybe another shot before I take the matchsticks from my eyes, and move onto to something else.

Iwannahurl

Robbo wrote: »

Your Tax Dollars at work.

With the weird scenery, characters coming and going for no good reason and terrible dialogue, I took it to be a loving tribute to the room. I believe in this week's instalment, Jack will be randomly throwing a rugby ball around.

That would be a "high quality" portrayal of "Irish culture, heritage and experience" presumably:

The Broadcasting Funding Scheme (Sound & Vision II) was established to provide funding in support of high quality programmes on Irish culture, heritage and experience, and programmes to improve adult literacy.

http://www.bai.ie/?page_id=92

bluecode

It’s set in Galway, and every now and then there’s a random shot of the city, although almost everyone speaks as if they live on the Dart line. After episode one Deception could go anywhere.

A lot of people in Galway sound like they live on the Dart line. Except they sometimes say yee instead of you.

I just watch it for the random shots of the city.:D

TerrorFirmer

So incredibly bad it goes full circle around from awful to being entertaining again for all the wrong reasons.

It's like a bad comedy - terrible acting, embarrassing dialogue, horrible direction with a penchant for baffling, unexplained happenings in almost every scene. There's one scene where a body is actually taken straight from a fresh murder scene, loaded into a coffin and sent off in a hearse. That's only one example amongst countless others.

The whole first episode was like a comedy sketch. The most incompetent show I've probably ever seen on Irish TV and that's really saying something.

However I'll be watching the 2nd episode out of pure curiosity/comedic factor, so who knows, maybe TV3 are actually onto a winner.

galwayrush

TerrorFirmer wrote: »

So incredibly bad it goes full circle around from awful to being entertaining again for all the wrong reasons.

It's like a bad comedy - terrible acting, embarrassing dialogue, horrible direction with a penchant for baffling, unexplained happenings in almost every scene. There's one scene where a body is actually taken straight from a fresh murder scene, loaded into a coffin and sent off in a hearse. That's only one example amongst countless others.

The whole first episode was like a comedy sketch. The most incompetent show I've probably ever seen on Irish TV and that's really saying something.

However I'll be watching the 2nd episode out of pure curiosity/comedic factor, so who knows, maybe TV3 are actually onto a winner.

The dead are usually transported by hearse, even at the scene of a traffic acident,

Redhairedguy

galwayrush wrote: »

The dead are usually transported by hearse, even at the scene of a traffic acident,

That's understandable. But not in a bleedin' coffin...

galwayrush

Redhairedguy wrote: »

That's understandable. But not in a bleedin' coffin...

Yes, in a coffin. Uncle is an undertaker.

tylercheribini

it makes "Fair City" look like "The Wire"..woeful stuff..dunno why i expected anythin else from tv3.they even manage to fuk up the weather report

TerrorFirmer

We're talking about a Murder victim here. They actually take murder victims directly from the scene, in coffins and hearses?

JohnCleary

galwayrush wrote: »

The dead are usually transported by hearse, even at the scene of a traffic acident,

All of the bodies which i've pulled from the water have been carted into an aluminium box and chucked into a Hiace! (or similar sort of van)

ENMcD

Iwannahurl wrote: »

One scene I particularly liked had three of the female characters meet outside a shopping centre, beside a line of empty bicycle racks. Yes, it was the Galway West District Centre, or whatever it's called these days.

Two of the women had just been shopping for clothes, apparently. It seems neither Next, New Look nor Dunnes clearly invested in the production, because the characters weren't carrying their numerous purchases in bags. Oh no, the outfits, complete with hangers, were draped over their arms. I have no idea whether that was a directorial judgement, a budget issue or an environmental statement, but it was just one odd detail in a strangely amateurish production.

Actually in that scene they were bringing the clothes to a charity shop to sell seeing as her husband had lost everything, they weren't on a shopping trip!

mikom

biko wrote: »

I'll watch it just for Nora

She hates being called Nora.

Iwannahurl

ENMcD wrote: »

Actually in that scene they were bringing the clothes to a charity shop to sell seeing as her husband had lost everything, they weren't on a shopping trip!

Ah, that explains it. I was taking things too literally!

I confess I didn't really register any of the dialogue, so the nuances of plot completely escaped me.

GalwayGuy2

^Your username is very appropriate for this show.

bluecode

JohnCleary wrote: »

All of the bodies which i've pulled from the water have been carted into an aluminium box and chucked into a Hiace! (or similar sort of van)

All the bodies:eek: Glad I don't have your job.

Robbo

Pretty large oversight last night in staging a mock execution scene right by where Manuela Riedo died.

antoobrien

Robbo wrote: »

Pretty large oversight last night in staging a mock execution scene right by where Manuela Riedo died.

In fairness that area is known for attacks, Manuela Riedo's death is only the most infamous of them. So I'd say it's not so much oversight as lack of sensitivity.

snubbleste

I'm shocked and appalled that no councillor has issued a press release castigating this series for tarnishing Galway's pristine image.
Maybe they don't watch TV3

Dan_Solo

Robbo wrote: »

Pretty large oversight last night in staging a mock execution scene right by where Manuela Riedo died.

If it in any way means less TV3 watchers visiting Galway I'm all for it.

antoobrien

snubbleste wrote: »

I'm shocked and appalled that no councillor has issued a press release castigating this series for tarnishing Galway's pristine image.

Galway's wha? You do know the skangers call us temple bar west right?