Frank of Ireland

[Tony Tony Tony]

New series from Sharon Horgan's production company slated to start on C4 this Thursday. Frank of Ireland ....

Frank Marron is a 32-year-old catastrophe. A misanthropic, narcissistic, fantasist in arrested development who thinks the world owes him something. But, nonetheless, he's our comedy hero. They don't all wear capes, okay?!

Frank lives in Dublin with his mother Mary, and that's fine. He is single and his pocket money hasn't increased in a decade or more, but you know what?! That's fine too. Frank is a musician, understood? He hasn't written a song or played a gig in seven years and five months, but that is totally, 100% fine. His ex-girlfriend Aine has a new boyfriend Peter-Brian for the first time since they split, and Frank may be finding that a tad difficult, alright? When did they part, you ask? About seven years and five months ago, give or take a day, but that's a total coincidence, just in case you're wondering. It's all absolutely fine. Frank is fine.

Frank is also fine because of his wingman (read gopher) Doofus. Doofus foolishly thinks they are best friends and it's his job to blow smoke up, facilitate and attempt to fix the relentless debris in Frank's wake. It's a big job for such a fellow. 

Looks promising from the write up at https://www.comedy.co.uk/tv/frank_of_ireland/thought it had a bit of a Nick Helm Uncle vibe about it though the trailer at the same site looks a bit weak.

Anyone got the inside scoop in advance?

[peanutbutter]

Haven't seen clips but my concern is definitely that it'll be a bit of a vanity project. Domhnall Gleason is probably enough of a name that he could probably get whatever shite he wanted onto TV provided the production costs were modest enough.

[jobotic]

Is that Tom from Father Ted?

I feel old

[mrClaypole]

Is that Tom from Father Ted?

I feel old

Yes it is. Bit of an odd programme.  Laughed once.

[SteveDave]

I laughed throughout but then I am quite simple. It was like it was written as a kids show and then someone threw a load of sex and swearing into it.

[timebug]

Gave it a shot, but bailed after ten minutes.Nothing funny had been shown,and it failed to grab my attention.So I went back to my current book.

[Tony Tony Tony]

Bit of a curates egg. Mildly diverting  with a couple of guffaws. Thought Franks Mother was the best bit. Frank wasn't especially likeable possibly down to my Pogonophobia. Does one have to like/sympathise with a comedy character to be on board with them and find them amusing?

Gonna give it another chance so might catch it on All4.

[RetroRobot]

Prefer Frank of Timperley to be honest. Much funnier musician character that lives with his mum in his 30s.

[Thomas]

Not seen this, but I've lived here long enough that my first reaction to the synopsis was to roll my eyes at its being set in Dublin.

[jobotic]

Yeah it wasn't all that. Although it was better than that press release or whatever it is in the OP, which makes me want to scream.

[Carpool Dragon]

Not seen this, but I've lived here long enough that my first reaction to the synopsis was to roll my eyes at its being set in Dublin.

Why?

[Thomas]

Why?

Because, among the people I know, at least, there's a grudging sense that so much of Irish media - including comedy, televised or otherwise - is Dublin-centric.

Inevitable as a capital city, of course. It was only a flippant eyeroll. I'm sure the setting doesn't impinge on the quality of the show.

[An tSaoi]

Very true. It feels like every drama, comedy, reality trash, lifestyle rubbish and chatshow is made and set in Dublin. Almost every presenter on television or radio has the same accent. The rest of the country only shows up in farming or sport segments in magazine shows like Nationwide. One notable exception was the Pat Shortt sitcom Killinaskully, which was just a dated collection of rural stereotypes; Mrs Brown for culchies. You're more likely to see not-Dublin in UK productions like Father Ted and Derry Girls.

In my experience, Dublin media has a quite limited view of the country at large. We're all hicks to them. It's very much like London, Paris and Toronto in that regard. At least the BBC has Manchester and Cardiff as prominent secondary bases.

That said, I wouldn't criticise a show for being set in the capital, it just doesn't suggest much imagination.

[Bob-Kate]

There was also Young Offenders, set in Cork - it was pretty good, likeable cast and very funny at times (went rapidly downhill in the last season).

I saw this and, yes, it's a curate's egg. I'll give it a few more episodes to settle in, but not sure about the lead Gleeson. Despite looking and sounding uncannily like his father, he doesn't have the charm required to play an unsympathetic mess you end up having sympathy for.

[Small Potatoes]

And Hardy Bucks, which I fucking loved (not sure how well it was thought of on here, though).

[thecuriousorange]

What's the biggest Belfast-set sitcom? Give My Head Peace? The TV movie/pilot Two Ceasefires and a Wedding was funny at the time, even if the series it begat became pretty rubbish.

[peanutbutter]

One notable exception was the Pat Shortt sitcom Killinaskully, which was just a dated collection of rural stereotypes; Mrs Brown for culchies.

I think that does a bit of a disservice to Short/D'Unbelievables/Killinaskully; he's ultimately an old school regional act and he's been tasked with making a show to appeal to as many of those people as possible with shitty RTE budgets and production. Nowhere near as bad as it could've been and it can be a cosy enough watch in some of the less convoluted episodes.

Even in the case of them, RTE didn't come near them for absolutely ages, did it? D'Unbelievables were primarily a live act but they made an absolute killing with the videos of sketches mixed with live bits. Had they had similar success and were Dublin based they'd've had a series within a couple of years of forming.



Ireland's tricky anyways, Dublin seems to be a bit of a graveyard for interesting acts but out in the country it'll largely be eccentrics that don't gel too well with RTE. There's no real live circuit that is particularly supportive of anything outside the norm either; both Cork and Limerick have some level of potential to build up a bit of an outsider scene though, but with the populations involved it'd be quite small.
Like, Francis Higgins is great but I'd dread to see the shite RTE would make with him.

[Glebe]

[Poirots BigGarlickyCorpse]

One notable exception was the Pat Shortt sitcom Killinaskully, which was just a dated collection of rural stereotypes

You wouldn't happen to live in Tipperary, would you?

[An tSaoi]

I live in the bustling metropolis of Dundalk.

[Poirots BigGarlickyCorpse]

I live in the bustling metropolis of Dundalk.

Ahhh. I ask because people living in Tipperary often can't stand D'Unbelievables, while people from Tipperary but not living there think they're amazing.

I rewatched Killinaskully last year when RTÉ showed it again (having missed it the first time round) and found it very hit and miss. A few scripts there that could've done with more editing.

[An tSaoi]

By editing you mean Ctrl + A, then Delete

[MoreauVasz]

Because, among the people I know, at least, there's a grudging sense that so much of Irish media - including comedy, televised or otherwise - is Dublin-centric.

D4 mafia innit

[frajer]

Watched the first 2 episodes of this last night and wished I hadn't given it the benefit of the doubt by watching the second. A few chuckles but overall felt like very weak and uninspired stuff.

One joke I laughed at was Frank's casual "I'm just gonna have a cry first" before they set off, but they ruined that throwaway joke by then cutting to him actually lying down and crying.

[neveragain]

Yeah, the first episode didn't do a great job of making me want to see the characters again.

[An tSaoi]

Belongs on Irish telly. The worst insult.

[Carpool Dragon]

D4 mafia innit

Yeah, the media's not exactly Dublin centric - the only time someone from where I live is on the telly is when they're emerging from a courtroom with their jacket over their head - but RTE is so nepotistic it would make a Footlights alumni blush. To have a media career in Ireland you just need to be related to/have gone to the same private school as someone who works there and you're in. Case in point - this vanity project for Brendan Gleeson's not-so-famous son. Or Lottie Ryan's career. Or Victoria Smurfit's career. Or Ryan Tubridy's career. Or Miriam O'Callaghan's car.. you get the point.

[SteveDave]

I watched the rest of these over the Bank Holiday weekend and really enjoyed the farce-like episode that centred around an all-female musical version of "12 Angry Men"

If I'd have seen a review saying it had "hints of "Fleabag"" I would never have watched it. It doesn't have hints of "Fleabag". This is a fun watch.