‘Scúp’, Colin Bateman’s drama series, set in a struggling Irish language newspaper office, returns to TG4 for the second series on April 1.
The series re-joins the newspaper team as they welcome two new members of staff – Gerry, played by Conor MacNeill (Five Minutes of Heaven), and Patrick, played by Shane Fallon (Ros Na Rún). Don Wycherley’s character Rob Cullan, temporary editor of An Nuacht, has found a new love interest in ambitious reporter Alix, played by Kelly Gough. Central characters in the form of Diarmuid (Denis Conway), Cormac (Donnach Crowley) and Janine (Caitríona Ní Mhurchú) also return for the new series.
‘Scúp’, which is nominated for Best Irish Language at this year’s IFTA Awards, tells typically small local news stories which illuminate bigger issues for the staff at the paper and the wider community that they serve. The series tackles themes such as drink driving, policing, legal highs, teacher pupil relationships and mental illness whilst still incorporating Bateman’s trademark wit and irreverence.
Scúp was Bateman’s first drama series to be broadcast in the Irish Language. “For me as a writer, the greatest thing is that I'm given such free reign to write about what I want to write about. Over the years I've written a lot of television scripts, but very few of them have actually been set locally, so being able to write two complete series set in Belfast, using local actors and crew, has been fantastic.”
‘Scúp’ is a Stirling Film and Television Production directed by Declan Recks (Pure Mule) and produced by Marie-Thérèse Mackle (6 Degrees). It is a co-production for TG4 and BBC NI, supported by funding from Northern Ireland Screen’s Irish Language Broadcast Fund.
Other new series on TG4 include ‘Sagairt’, a three-part series filmed over eighteen months by Below The Radar TV production and produced/directed by Sinéad Ingoldsby. The series follows the lives of three priests and goes behind the collar to tell the story of what life is like for priests in the island of saints and scholars today. ‘Sagairt’ is a TG4 production and is funded through Northern Ireland Screen’s Irish Language Broadcast Fund. It airs Sunday, March 30, at 9.30pm on TG4.
For more information on the new series or TG4’s schedule for 2014 click here
