Charlie (RTE1 Charlie Haughey Drama)

spuddy

NIMAN wrote: »

I don't know the PJ Mara guy, but if he spoke and had Nidges mannerisms, then TVL has got him down to a tee.

Have a look at the real deal...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hCKOYU71zNI&t=46m30s

madmaggie

See above ^^. That anorak looks way better than anything Bertie wore back then.

barneysplash

That was terrible. Yet again RTE manage to take fascinating subject matter, talented actors, high production values and screw it up completely.

Paced way too fast, the whole thing seems to be a collection of anecdotes and legends that surround the Haughey era. It felt rushed and very gimmicky, like one of those awful made for TV films about the British royal family churned out for middle America.

What about his childhood?

What about the arms trial?

And what was with the relentless inception style horn music "heightening ng" the drama at key points?

The "Reeling in the years" rip off intro news footage of "a country in crisis" is what passes for setting the scene these days.

Heraldoffreeent

Heraldoffreeent wrote: »

Yeah, for some reason I've a memory of Maurice O'Doherty doing a news the day of Stardust, although Deirdre Purcell and some other woman who sounded like Edna O'Brien also read the news in the 80's.

Charlie Bird was reporting at the scene from what i remember of that docudrama from a few years back.

Ah to be honest i think the critics are just queing up for the sake of having a pop at it at this stage. It didnt blow me away but it wasnt as bad as some make it out to be either. Its just a wonder we arent awash with brilliant drama's with all the know all writers on this thread alone. :rolleyes:

CountyHurler

The Bould Rabbit wrote: »

As political dramas go, I've seen worse. Granada's (I think it was) handling of Thatcher's final days was dire.

Is that what you see for us? Just second tier productions and you're happy... I want us to dine at the top table of TV drama production...


..

Sugar Free

CountyHurler wrote: »

Is that what you see for us? Just second tier productions and you're happy... I want us to be dine at the top table of film productions...

Lol, well played!

Dazza Mc kenna

Ok its a Fairly minor detail to be getting hung up on but I thought Charlie had a Mercedes W123 not a W126 500 SEL.
overall I thought it was ok but It felt rushed.

CountyHurler

CountyHurler wrote: »

Is that what you see for us? Just second tier productions and you're happy... I want us to be dine at the top table of TV drama production...

For that line alone you deserve a thanks and i ill be sure to watch your drama when RTE decide to commission it. Perhaps even HBO will poach it at the death? I just cant wait id say it will be an epic that will go down in tv infamy.

AnonoBoy

VelcroGhost wrote: »

Charlie is this year's Amber. Filmed a long time ago, kept on the shelf while they thought about were to put it, and dumped into early January.

Amber was on the shelf for years. Charlie was only filmed at the end of 2013 so it would have only been finished midway through 2014. They reserve Sunday nights for their big dramas so it stands to reason they'd wait until January to launch it - you don't start a new show in November or December.

Heraldoffreeent

CountyHurler wrote: »

Is that what you see for us? Just second tier productions and you're happy... I want us to be dine at the top table of TV drama production...

A country that can make its own shaggin' shampoo should make its own shaggin' soap?

The Bould Rabbit

CountyHurler wrote: »

Is that what you see for us? Just second tier productions and you're happy... I want us to be dine at the top table of TV drama production...

You'll need to scrub up a bit to dine at my table :pac:

Strazdas

Deleted User wrote: »

Ah to be honest i think the critics are just queing up for the sake of having a pop at it at this stage. It didnt blow me away but it wasnt as bad as some make it out to be either. Its just a wonder we arent awash with brilliant drama's with all the know all writers on this thread alone. :rolleyes:

It started out way too frenetically but it actually wasn't bad at all for the final 30 minutes when it started to slow down.

ACANDROID

Too many people seem to be watching this and expecting The Wire, Game of Thrones, House of Cards and Love / Hate all rolled into one.. all we have seen is part one of three, would you judge a book, film or anything else one third in? Give it a chance lads.. yeah its not perfect, its not entirely historically accurate but so what, its a drama not a documentary, if you want facts head into the national library / archives and pull up and research the facts yourself..

sonofenoch

spuddy wrote: »

Have a look at the real deal...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hCKOYU71zNI&t=46m30s

Never heard of the guy before but if that's him TVL weren't far off it

The Bould Rabbit

In fairness I thought the way Haughey was handled in episode one was pretty close to the mark.

A nasty, cheating, thieving, bullying piece of work who put himself before his party, country and even his own family.

Not the ould cute hoor lovable rogue, 'yer an awful man Charlie but your our awful man' type that some eejits seem to think he was.

Heraldoffreeent

ACANDROID wrote: »

Too many people seem to be watching this and expecting The Wire, Game of Thrones, House of Cards and Love / Hate all rolled into one.. all we have seen is part one of three, would you judge a book, film or anything else one third in? Give it a chance lads.. yeah its not perfect, its not entirely historically accurate but so what, its a drama not a documentary, if you want facts head into the national library / archives and pull up and research the facts yourself..

The subject though, could lend itself to a west wing type show, 26 episodes a year for 8 years.

Though FF would have an overall majority by the time we got to season 3!!

CountyHurler

The Bould Rabbit wrote: »

You'll need to scrub up a bit to dine at my table :pac:

That Lion uses the same shampoo as Jerry Flannery I think.. and possibly the same barber..

Heraldoffreeent

The Bould Rabbit wrote: »

In fairness I thought the way Haughey was handled in episode one was pretty close to the mark.

A nasty, cheating, thieving, bullying piece of work who put himself before his party, country and even his own family.

You make him sound like a nicer version of the CEO of the company I work for?

boomerang

I think Dermot Morgan did a way better impersonation of Haughey on Scrap Saturday.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d6ITDfkwKTA

Cedrus

MrsD007 wrote: »

'Rise and Follow Charlie' - what a cracking election campaign song!

Another thing he shamelessly robbed. Bonnie Prince Charlie

The Bould Rabbit

boomerang wrote: »

I think Dermot Morgan did a way better impersonation of Haughey on Scrap Saturday.

Very true.

In fact, they should have hired Dermot Morgan to dub Haughey's voice for this.









Oh wait......

FixdePitchmark

A tricky one this.

The political animals wont like it. People who don't know politics will be lost. They could have easily made it an 8 part series. It had the potential to be very very good.

After all that, I enjoyed it. Laughed at how much of a character Haughey was. But for someone who does not know the time or politics - it is way too quick.

You often hear it said of modern politicians that – the guy doesn’t seem like he has leadership qualities. Without getting into all his wrongs. You do have to admire that he wanted to be a leader – he had balls – he had charisma.

But after all that, as a drama – we have not seen , why, who he was, what was his motivation. We know everything in this drama – why didn’t they give the human side of him and what formed him.
Too little in the small scenes with his mother. So, could have been very very good – but, as a production, it was nearly killed when they were told, do it in 3 episodes.

I’m not going to learn anything new here. I still will enjoy it.

Skid X

I wasn't impressed by Aiden Gillen at all - Over the top and too much like an impersonation of his subject. It makes him look stilted, charmless and robotic. There are far better ways for an actor to capture the essence of an individual.

It was hit and miss for me. Tom Vaughan Lawlor was decent enough if slightly pantomime. Too many characters introduced at once, it was a lot to take in.

Hopefully it can develop, there were enjoyable parts but it seems like a misfire.

madmaggie

boomerang wrote: »

I think Dermot Morgan did a way better impersonation of Haughey on Scrap Saturday.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d6ITDfkwKTA

"Maaarrraaa" That brings back memories.

Thing i do have to admire about Haughey is though, is that he tackled issues like the North head on where 'Inda' his ilk would go running shítless from. Yes he was an arrogant bástard, and his spent taxpayers money lavishly while people suffered, but we could do with a bit more of his tenacity and level of autocracy today. I can see the appeal in him by the Irish people. Before tonight i would have wrote him off as another FF sleveen but he had his good points even if his bad points outweighed them

Heraldoffreeent

madmaggie wrote: »

"Maaarrraaa" That brings back memories.

CJH:Peeeee Jay..........? Come over here, and sit on my knee, Pee Jay!!
Mara:...Sigh!.........Yes Boss.............

Strazdas

Deleted User wrote: »

Thing i do have to admire about Haughey is though, is that he tackled issues like the North head on where 'Inda' his ilk would go running shítless from. Yes he was an arrogant bástard, and his spent taxpayers money lavishly while people suffered, but we could do with a bit more of his tenacity and level of autocracy today. I can see the appeal in him by the Irish people. Before tonight i would have wrote him off as another FF sleveen but he had his good points even if his bad points outweighed them

His approach to the North was a bit too Republican and unrealistic though.....he kept on going about the area being occupied by the British and being "no longer viable as a political entity", when it's still there 35 years later in fact.

They released the cabinet papers from 1984 last week and Garret Fitzgerald was surprisingly impressive when dealing with Thatcher on the issue of the North.

Shiraz 4.99

I really liked it for what it was, the acting was first class.
Pity they didn't have the budget for the bigger scenes but neither did GOT the first few seasons.
If it continues at this level I'll be happy.

Highflyer13

Watching it now. Cant take it seriously. love/Hate in suits