Forgotten Irish sitcoms.

saabsaab

whisky_galore wrote: »

Obvious Green Acres ripoff.

I need a Zsa or Eva Gabor! and an Orson Wellies

The Blizzard of Odd, a programme showing weird tv &movie clips and Gortnaclune- a type of comedy chat show with Pauline mcglynn around 1994

saabsaab

How about Foil Arms & Hogg on the run from Gangsters posing as eco warriors?

George White

NewbridgeIR wrote: »

Depends on the type of programme. They stopped junking a lot of children's programmes quite early as they wanted to keep repeating them - build up enough for continuous syndication - e.g. Bosco.

For their 40th anniversary, there were a few documentaries which had tantalising clips of old dramas and plays - obviously still existed but RTE had zero interest in marketing or trying to release DVDs which was the optimum time to do in mid 2000s.

Only the Price has gotten out, and that was because it was one of the first big serials on C4.

George White

NewbridgeIR wrote: »

I hated Stew but think Paul Tylak is rubbish. AKA Ashti the Kurdish refugee in Fair City.

I remember Molloy but only watched one episode. I was excited as I thought it might be connected to the Beckett novel (and Waiting For Godot was on the Leaving Cert English syllabus for us in the class of ‘89).

I endured Extra! Extra! in the run-up to Christmas 1993. Poor show,

He's a very good vocal mimic, Tylak, but he's often been shunted into "token ethnic" parts a la Burt Kwouk that do him no favours.

Del.Monte

George White wrote: »

Only the Price has gotten out, and that was because it was one of the first big serials on C4.

Where is "The Price" available from, as the only way I've viewed it is on a dire YouTube upload - better than nothing but not much.

NewbridgeIR

Del.Monte wrote: »

Where is "The Price" available from, as the only way I've viewed it is on a dire YouTube upload - better than nothing but not much.

Simply DVD released it.
I bought my copy on Amazon when it came out - still there, seems to be from third party sellers only - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Price-Complete-Channel-Drama-DVD/dp/B07B16RGND/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=the+price+dvd&qid=1605221460&sr=8-1

NewbridgeIR

Del.Monte wrote: »

Not sitcoms but RTE have all sorts of interesting stuff in their archives such as "The Year of the French", "The Burke Enigma" - an early crime series; also "Making the Cut" and "D.D.U". This is a response I got a while back - it's no wonder the organisation is bankrupt between this sort of nonsense and Forbes, Duffy, Tubridy and Darcy's ridiculous fees.



Hi


Unfortunately with most drama programmes there is copyright and legal restrictions, either because it was a co-production and RTE don’t own full copyright or that contract between actors and productions were never settled on.

So unfortunately none of the below are available to purchase as once of copies.

I’m sorry I couldn’t help further.

Exactly - would love to see The Burke Enigma again.

They have trotted out the "contract issues" excuse before - this situation is not unique to Ireland and has not prevented numerous other programmes from the same era being released in UK, USA, Australia etc.

its_steve116

Langerland TV, if animated ones count. It was hilarious

Church on Tuesday

Deleted User wrote: »

The Blizzard of Odd, a programme showing weird tv &movie clips and Gortnaclune- a type of comedy chat show with Pauline mcglynn around 1994

Back in the day that was essential viewing, especially if you did not have "the channels".

Del.Monte

NewbridgeIR wrote: »

Simply DVD released it.
I bought my copy on Amazon when it came out - still there, seems to be from third party sellers only - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Price-Complete-Channel-Drama-DVD/dp/B07B16RGND/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=the+price+dvd&qid=1605221460&sr=8-1

Excellent. Thanks!

Skid X

George White wrote: »

He's a very good vocal mimic, Tylak, but he's often been shunted into "token ethnic" parts a la Burt Kwouk that do him no favours.

To be fair, he does a stand up routine where he pretends to be born and rared in Sri Lanka with a strong accent before he breaks into his normal voice.

rickydreamboat

There was a show called Newsb@g on TV3 about 5/6 years ago. Animated, in the style of The Life and Times of Tim but based on an office in Dublin. A bit hit and miss to be fair but one character in nearly positive was based on someone I know. Pretty sure Peter Conan voiced some characters in it. Does anyone remember it or know where I can find it? Been searching for ages.

pappyodaniel

Church on Tuesday wrote: »

Back in the day that was essential viewing, especially if you did not have "the channels".

Colin Murphy was painful though.

Does Anyone remember a programme that used to be on UTV around 1993 - it was a Northern Irish Saturday morning lchatshow, they had comedy sketches also. Patrick Kielty presented it, I thought it was halirious, wish I could remember the name

Piehead

Del.Monte wrote: »

Not sitcoms but RTE have all sorts of interesting stuff in their archives such as "The Year of the French", "The Burke Enigma" - an early crime series; also "Making the Cut" and "D.D.U". This is a response I got a while back - it's no wonder the organisation is bankrupt between this sort of nonsense and Forbes, Duffy, Tubridy and Darcy's ridiculous fees.



Hi


Unfortunately with most drama programmes there is copyright and legal restrictions, either because it was a co-production and RTE don’t own full copyright or that contract between actors and productions were never settled on.

So unfortunately none of the below are available to purchase as once of copies.

I’m sorry I couldn’t help further.

Making The Cut is on YouTube

George White

NewbridgeIR wrote: »

Exactly - would love to see The Burke Enigma again.

They have trotted out the "contract issues" excuse before - this situation is not unique to Ireland and has not prevented numerous other programmes from the same era being released in UK, USA, Australia etc.

CBC have been the same, as regards to some of their shows, notably the Beachcombers is in similar dire straits.

Del.Monte

Piehead wrote: »

Making The Cut is on YouTube

Thanks for the heads-up, it's a recent (Sept.2020) upload as there wasn't a trace of it before!

NewbridgeIR

Piehead wrote: »

Making The Cut is on YouTube

Thanks
Aspect ratio is odd though

EmmetSpiceland

NewbridgeIR wrote: »

Thanks
Aspect ratio is odd though

TVs were much smaller back then.

NewbridgeIR

EmmetSpiceland wrote: »

TVs were much smaller back then.

For 1997, I was expecting a 4:3 presentation with two black bars at the sides but not on top or bottom.

saabsaab

Does anyone remember 'Madigan Men' not sure if it was irish but I think it had Gabriel Byrne in it?

odyssey06

saabsaab wrote: »

Does anyone remember 'Madigan Men' not sure if it was irish but I think it had Gabriel Byrne in it?

That was Oirish-American show from a US network iirc... might have watched first ep and no further.

George White

Yeah, his dad was played by the Channel islands' own Roy Dotrice (dad of Michele), doing a silly Nordie/American-influenced voice, doing his "upmarket Clive Dunn" act, as seen in the likes of Clochemerle.

El Tarangu

It's pity: in this not-very long thread, we have already run out of Irish sitcoms good, bad, or indifferent.

Church on Tuesday

pappyodaniel wrote: »

Colin Murphy was painful though.

Thought he was perfect for it.

George White

Space Oddity (1982)
BBC NI sitcom about a space alien, only recalled by a friend, but it did exist. Newspaper listings prove it.
FEatured JUstin Duff and Ian McElhinney.

odyssey06

El Tarangu wrote: »

It's pity: in this not-very long thread, we have already run out of Irish sitcoms good, bad, or indifferent.

We are now accepting entries under parentage rules where Irish actors embarrassed themselves. Like the Irish soccer team!

ShyMets

odyssey06 wrote: »

We are now accepting entries under parentage rules where Irish actors embarrassed themselves. Like the Irish soccer team!

Robin's Nest. Late 70's/80's British sitcom which among others stared David Kelly playing the stereotypical stupid Paddy.

Now that I think about it David Kelly seemed to play that character a lot on British TV

Hangdogroad

ShyMets wrote: »

Robin's Nest. Late 70's/80's British sitcom which among others stared David Kelly playing the stereotypical stupid Paddy.

Now that I think about it David Kelly seemed to play that character a lot on British TV

Yes he did. See also that terrible sitcom Slingers Day. Bruce Forsyth as a supermarket manager.

COVID

odyssey06 wrote: »

We are now accepting entries under parentage rules where Irish actors embarrassed themselves. Like the Irish soccer team!

The late Kenny Lynch, London born singer, comedian and actor was of Caribbean/Irish heritage and appeared
in an episode of the (very), old BBC sit-com 'Till Death Do Us Part'.

Will this do.

ShyMets

And lets not forget Ardal O'Hanlon in the BBC sitcom, My Hero. Absolute scutter.

NewbridgeIR

Hangdogroad wrote: »

Yes he did. See also that terrible sitcom Slingers Day. Bruce Forsyth as a supermarket manager.

I like Slingers Day! Could relate to it as I worked in a supermarket back in the 80s. Time has been kind to it.

the purple tin

So You Think You've Got Troubles.
Alf Garnett as a Jew from England who moves to Belfast to run a factory at the height of the troubles. Early 90s, not bad as I recall.

Edgware

the purple tin wrote: »

So You Think You've Got Troubles.
Alf Garnett as a Jew from England who moves to Belfast to run a factory at the height of the troubles. Early 90s, not bad as I recall.

If Im not wrong someone in the shop asked was he a Catholic Jew or a Protestant Jew

Edgware

odyssey06 wrote: »

We are now accepting entries under parentage rules where Irish actors embarrassed themselves. Like the Irish soccer team!

Or Tyrone players who had to be taught Amhran na bhFiann

George White

Hangdogroad wrote: »

Yes he did. See also that terrible sitcom Slingers Day. Bruce Forsyth as a supermarket manager.

He played other nationalities too, including Iranian in Whoops Apocalypse, doing a Welsh accent for some reason.
He was also a Cockney Jewish tailor in Adam Adamant Lives.

George White

Edgware wrote: »

If Im not wrong someone in the shop asked was he a Catholic Jew or a Protestant Jew

Which I believe was based on a genuine incident that happened to costar Harry Towb, allegedly the only Jew ever born in Larne...

COVID

the purple tin wrote: »

So You Think You've Got Troubles.
Alf Garnett as a Jew from England who moves to Belfast to run a factory at the height of the troubles. Early 90s, not bad as I recall.

Warren Mitchell played the part of 'Alf Garnett', an old-school racist, in the sitcom 'Till death do Us Part'. The character was a West Ham supporter and would occasionally make antisemitic remarks about Tottenham Hotspur and their historical Jewish connections. The irony is that the late actor Warren Mitchell was, in real life, a Jewish, Spurs supporter!

The series you mentioned, starring Warren Mitchell, 'So you Think You Got Troubles', had one season of just six episodes.

mloc123

pappyodaniel wrote: »

Colin Murphy was painful though.

Found him fine on Blizzard, but over the years on panel shows he became very played out.

Montage of Feck

The blizard of odd was a genuinely decent show, the mandarins at rte obviously never originally vetted it.

Aglomerado

BPKS wrote: »

Not a sitcom but The End (?) on a Friday and Saturday night during the mid 90s was a godsend for those of us in 2 channel land who would listen on in jealousy as our posh friends with "the channels" told us of Channel 4 shows they would watch.

Telling our Irish teacher to watch it for the Peig cartoons and almost getting a beating the following Monday after we were told it was sacrilegious was something I wont forget in a hurry.

Sean Moncreiff regularly read out silly letters I used to write to him on that.

RandomViewer

mloc123 wrote: »

Found him fine on Blizzard, but over the years on panel shows he became very played out.

The Blame Game on BBC is a case in point, it's so afraid of offending anyone it's embarrassing

RandomViewer

COVID wrote: »

Warren Mitchell played the part of 'Alf Garnett', an old-school racist, in the sitcom 'Till death do Us Part'. The character was a West Ham supporter and would occasionally make antisemitic remarks about Tottenham Hotspur and their historical Jewish connections. The irony is that the late actor Warren Mitchell was, in real life, a Jewish, Spurs supporter!

The series you mentioned, starring Warren Mitchell, 'So you Think You Got Troubles', had one season of just six episodes.

Doctor Legg from Eastenders was in it too

RandomViewer

Deleted User wrote: »

Does Anyone remember a programme that used to be on UTV around 1993 - it was a Northern Irish Saturday morning lchatshow, they had comedy sketches also. Patrick Kielty presented it, I thought it was halirious, wish I could remember the name

Sus? Kielty and some guy who was on blind date, was quite funny, was on the time the ULF were threatening to kill Daniel O'Donnell if he kept playing to old biddies in the North, Kielty made some very comic comments on the suituation

RandomViewer

Did "CU Burn" get mentioned, TG4 comedy from the 90s about an undertaker with a turf fired crematorium was followed up by "Gleann Ceo" about dodgy guard in Doochary,

Say Your Number

Was watching some Soupy Norman today, forgot how funny it was, love the scene where there's this group of young lads hanging around at a wall and this bald hardman character pulls up and starts antagonising them, they dub it as this fella from Tipperary winding up the Jackeens about how much money he's making

ShyMets

Anyone remember Brian Murray in the sitcom Bread. Played the character of Cousin Shifty.

To be fair to Murray he wasn't bad but the character was a little on the Orish side at times

George White

Yes, but that series is extremely unpopular with Scousers, who despise that it made them out as a bunch of scroungers.

saabsaab

George White wrote: »

Yes, but that series is extremely unpopular with Scousers, who despise that it made them out as a bunch of scroungers.

Reminds me of this..


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HaccLMuLa7o