With ‘Moone Boy’ season two set to air to Irish and UK audiences early next year, show creators Chris O’ Dowd and Nick Vincent Murphy were on hand in New York’s Hilton Hotel last night to accept the International Emmy Comedy Award for the show’s first season, which aired back in September 2012.
It is not the first time that the Murphy/O’Dowd pairing – who co-write the show with O’ Dowd also starring – have mounted a stage in ‘Moone Boy’s name, thought it marks a significant victory overseas, and an affirmation of the show’s reception on American video-on-demand platform, Hulu.
Following the surreal adventures of young Martin Moone (David Rawle) and his imaginary friend Sean Murphy (O’ Dowd) in the small Irish town of Boyle, ‘Moone Boy’ is a nostalgic, if surreal look at Ireland of the eighties and nineties. The production inspired such confidence in broadcasters Sky that a second season was commissioned before the first had even aired.
Paul Donovan of Grand Pictures is the Irish Producer along with Baby Cow Productions, Hot Cod Productions and Sprout Pictures in the UK.
Similarly, critical response to season one’s run saw a third season ordered before the second had fully wrapped production. Season three will see O’ Dowd make his directorial debut on all six episodes, which began shooting in July and wrapped in September of this year.
The 41st International Emmy Awards saw entries from dozens of regions, with ‘Moone Boy’ winning out over competition from Brazil, France, and South Africa in the comedy category alone. Other winners on the night included English actor Sean Bean for his role as mild-mannered English teacher turned transvestite in ‘Accused’, while ‘Star Trek’ director J.J. Abrams was honoured with the International Emmy Founders Award.
Speaking about the win, O’ Dowd and Murphy called the award “such an honour”, saying: “Even in the wildest imaginations of our imaginary friends we never imagined we'd win an International Emmy.”
Irish audiences can expect to see many familiar faces and events from Irish history as ‘Moone Boy’ season two covers subjects are far-ranging as Italia ’90 and teenage discos, with appearances from Amy Huberman, Pat Shortt, Simon Day and more.
