The English Class (and Irish Tv Comedy)

**Lim till i die** · 02/10/2007, 11:43 AM

Originally Posted by Schumi

UCD should be all capitals.

Be careful what you wish for.

It's the only way we'll learn

**Wolfie** · 02/10/2007, 12:16 PM

Originally Posted by John83

Small correction: Matthews and Linehan never offered it to them - they felt that it wasn't worth their while to make that pitch. RTE just weren't interested in making a comedy like that.
(I have this from Linehan himself).

I sit corrected, so to speak.

Although it speaks volumes that they pre-empted what RTE's answer would have been beforehand.

**Torn-Ado** · 02/10/2007, 5:20 PM

I didn't see this. If its anything like Upwardly mobile and The Cassidys, then holy christ.

The best drama RTE did in recent times was 'Pure Mule'. That was quality.

**Aberdonian Stu** · 02/10/2007, 11:44 PM

I'd have called it Pure Rubbish.

**Ash** · 03/10/2007, 6:52 AM

Pure Mule was absolute tripe. Right up there with that other
country & western singer shyte they had on a while back!

RTE - Rarely Televise Entertainment

**Sligo Hornet** · 03/10/2007, 7:31 AM

Originally Posted by Ash

Pure Mule was absolute tripe. Right up there with that other
country & western singer shyte they had on a while back!

RTE - Rarely Televise Entertainment

Be careful...."Moscow Mule" could take that personally!

**Lionel Ritchie** · 03/10/2007, 8:15 AM

Originally Posted by Ash

Pure Mule was absolute tripe. Right up there with that other
country & western singer shyte they had on a while back!

RTE - Rarely Televise Entertainment

That wasn't the one about the GAA team that wore the same colours as Sky Ones Dreamteam was it? I know it had some quasi-agricultural reference or some such in its title. Might've been something about having four toes either maybe...? Gone now anyway. Our loss I s'pose.

**Ash** · 03/10/2007, 8:26 AM

Originally Posted by Sligo Hornet

Be careful...."Moscow Mule" could take that personally!

Oops, never thought I'd have to be careful when giving out about Mules

Originally Posted by Lionel Ritchie;

That wasn't the one about the GAA team that wore
the same colours as Sky Ones Dreamteam was it?

Totally forgot about that, that was another poor offering. "'On Home Ground".
I think that was set somewhere in Kildare.

"Trouble in Paradise" was the other rubbish I was thinking of. I think it was
supposed to be set somewhere near Tullamore or Shannonbridge.
Hardly Paradise!!!

**anto1208** · 03/10/2007, 8:29 AM

I forgot Soupy Norman one of the funniest shows on any station , But i dont think RTE had much to do with making that they just showed it and since it was so good they wont make another series .

**Ash** · 03/10/2007, 8:35 AM

Originally Posted by anto1208

I forgot Soupy Norman one of the funniest shows
on any station , But i dont think RTE had much to do with making that they
just showed it and since it was so good they wont make another series

I only caught a few minutes of Soupy Norman but it looked very funny.
Was that all Barry Murphys work?

I think he's very funny, although he was my sworn enemy after he took the
p!ss out of me at a comedy gig in Athlone. It was about 12 years ago and
I swore I'd have my revenge

Played footy against him in Herbert Park about 4 years later and creased
him with a very hard, but fair

tackle. He was wearing a knee support so
I thought if he was silly enough to show a sign of weakness I had to take
advantage.

**anto1208** · 03/10/2007, 10:42 AM

Originally Posted by Ash

I only caught a few minutes of Soupy Norman but it looked very funny.
Was that all Barry Murphys work?

I think he's very funny, although he was my sworn enemy after he took the
p!ss out of me at a comedy gig in Athlone. It was about 12 years ago and
I swore I'd have my revenge

Played footy against him in Herbert Park about 4 years later and creased
him with a very hard, but fair

tackle. He was wearing a knee support so
I thought if he was silly enough to show a sign of weakness I had to take
advantage.

Yea him and mark Doherthey its all on youtube now if you want to watch it .

**Dodge** · 03/10/2007, 2:01 PM

Originally Posted by anto1208

But i dont think RTE had much to do with making that they just showed it and since it was so good they wont make another series .

So you're not giving them the credit for the first series and giving them the blame for not making the second series?

Oh and "On Home Ground" was a BBC production

**anto1208** · 03/10/2007, 2:37 PM

Originally Posted by Dodge

So you're not giving them the credit for the first series and giving them the blame for not making the second series?

Oh and "On Home Ground" was a BBC production

Well yes its normally the way things happen here. RTE rarly commision a show in the way the BBC does , what would happen is the production company would make the show and sell it to rte ( there for RTE have very little to do with the making of it same way they had nothing to do with prison break but still show it ) .

But a production company normally wouldnt go and make a second series unless the station in this case RTE said they would want it . If they say no it wouldnt get the go ahead .

**Dodge** · 03/10/2007, 2:39 PM

No TV programmes get made in Ireland without RTE/TV3/TG4 paying for it. The production might be independent but nothing gets done without commisioning

**Blue-Army** · 03/10/2007, 3:19 PM

Originally Posted by anto1208

Good stuff rte has done

Realing in the years i like
bachelors walk 1st series before it got all soppy and gay
love is the drug
prosperity

that is all i can think of

what about Naked camera???

**hunt4the** · 26/10/2007, 10:53 AM

Does anyone watch the "comedy" night on rte
I had the misfortune of losing reception on sky digital on monday night,
so stuck with the poverty channels i sat through an episode of the english teacher on rte, is this supposed to be funny?
I dont think i laughed once.. its embarrasing to watch its such a blatant copy of the office's mocumentary setup except the script is pathetic....
I thought that rubbish prosperity was funnier

after this carcrash television i then watched the Podge and Rodge show,
since when has saying gee-bag and fanny repeatedly been funny?

and this is where our tv liscence money goes

**John83** · 26/10/2007, 11:20 AM

Originally Posted by hunt4the

...after this carcrash television i then watched the Podge and Rodge show,
since when has saying gee-bag and fanny repeatedly been funny? ...

For some people, it's hilarious. Some stand-up comedians make a living from swearing and a bit of innuendo.

Irish stand-up is reasonably good, but RTE have always been terrible at making comedy programmes.

**bennocelt** · 27/10/2007, 9:07 AM

Rte arent that bad, i mean their documentaries are quite good............the Hidden History series (or whatever you call it) has been superb, and their Sport coverage is far and away the best thats out their

I watch Rte and TnG a lot and find it much better that BBc, etc, and would prefer if the ycontinued to produce irish progs no matter (lime Nked camera, Podge and Rodge, etc) than wasting money on trash american tv (which is so brilliant

)

Red&White · 29/10/2007, 2:18 AM

Originally Posted by Wolfie

, a "pitch" so to speak, for an Irish comedy series that might actually turn out to be well observed and, above all things, just funny? I reckon there's a few on here certainly couldn't do any worse.

A friend and I have been working on a sketch show for the last year or so. At no point did either of us ever consider going to RTE with it. The original plan was to go to the BBC and ITV with it, although we've now decided to go the radio route (in the UK). The only think RTE has been good for is giving us every confidence that we'll succeed, because we know we're better than almost anything on it.

**CollegeTillIDie** · 29/10/2007, 8:08 PM

The Best Irish sitcom ever has to be '' C U Burn '' on TG4... As Gaeilge.

Originally Posted by Red&White

A friend and I have been working on a sketch show for the last year or so. At no point did either of us ever consider going to RTE with it. The original plan was to go to the BBC and ITV with it, although we've now decided to go the radio route (in the UK). The only think RTE has been good for is giving us every confidence that we'll succeed, because we know we're better than almost anything on it.

If it's radio then reconsider RTE because their radio departments have always given airtime to radio '' drama''. They also seem to have a better feel for comedy than their television counterparts. Also try BBC Radio Ulster before going to Britain, because the Northerners are more in tune with our humour than they might in Ingerland.