posted 19-02-2004 13:19              

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There is a Kentucky Fried Chicken ad running here in the US that I SWEAR has Orla at the beginning. Did anyone else see it?

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posted 19-02-2004 13:31              

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Frankie McCafferty (Dónal won Best Supporting Actor in The Irish Times/ESB Theatre Awards. He won for his role as Moore in the Lyric Theatre production of Observe the Sons of Ulster Marching Towards the Somme.

I remember Catherine Cusack as the psycho in Corrie, Vicky. People were terrified of her, in a Fatal Attraction kind of way. Not being a fan of Corrie I didn’t watch it but the usual discussion between my older sisters was "you won't believe what Carmel did last night!!!" etc etc etc ad infinitum. Wish I spotted her on Jonathan Creek but I stopped watching it after Caroline Quentin left.

Anyone who can pick up RTE or Today FM (the best radio station ever in my view! Where would I be without Fix-It Friday?)over the net should listen to the adds. It seems to me that every second one is voiced by Bosco Hogan. Cars, dog food, Dunne's Stores… he's never off the radio! Don Wycherley does one for telephone banking and for an online house selling agency.

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posted 24-02-2004 15:46              

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Well, every time I turn into Today FM, it's talk. Guess I'll have to try at a different time of day.

BBC7 is airing Stephen Tompkinson's reading of "Kes" starting on Thursday morning.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbc7/listings/index.shtml?Thursday

This is eight parts and will air weekdays, it appears.

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posted 01-03-2004 11:23              

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Not sure if anyone has mentioned this yet - "Brendan" plays a psychiatrist in an episode of THE ROYAL. The Royal is a kind of parallel story to Heartbeat. Might be nice to have a parallel story to BallyK and have old friends drop in once in a while.

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posted 01-03-2004 18:44              

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Last night, I watched the harrowing film, "Michael Collins", and was almost distracted from the story, the history, by catching sight of so many familiar faces in small roles---Brendan, Father Aidan, Judge Bradley, others.

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posted 15-03-2004 19:01              

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Niall Leonard will be writing for "Monarch of the Glen" this series. (He wrote for Ballyk). Here's the press release from BBC: http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2004/03_march/13/monarch.shtml

And look who will be playing Hector's brother!

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posted 15-03-2004 19:25              

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I may have to start watching MOTG when that series airs here on BBC America! That cast addition is guaranteed to be a complete hoot!

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posted 15-03-2004 21:23              

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It's already airing over here. They just finished the fifth series last week. It runs Sundays at 6 PM ET and weekdays at 4 PM ET. Set your VCR!

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posted 17-03-2004 18:51              

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Does the town itself qualify as an alumnus? As I was prepping the veggies for Guinness stew, I was watching a bit of one of the many shopping channels which is running an all-day St. Patrick's Day special of clothing, Waterford, Belleek, jewelry, and even cosmetics and foodstuffs. Every once in a while they break from selling products and show film footage taken from all over Ireland. So that is mostly what I watch, of course, and suddenly, what to my wondering eyes should appear but AVOCA! I saw the bridge, and thought, "I know that bridge!", and sure enough, there was the church, long shots of the town, and I am pretty sure that long yellow building is the one that houses Fitzgerald's! Ah, I am happy, I got to see new footage of "Ballykissangel", I can imagine Peter Clifford driving over that bridge in his Javelin...................

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posted 17-03-2004 23:38              

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The movie's probably been discussed long before now, but I just wanted to mention that I recently saw "Brassed Off" for the first time (with BallyK Alum Stephen Tompkinson). What a fun movie! If you haven't yet seen it, do.

There were some great scenes, and I thought of Thea every time Phil (Stephen) had a sensitive 'Peter' moment. About the only thing I didn't care for was Stephen's hair that short - he has a bit of a strange hairline in front. (/--v--\)

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posted 18-03-2004 00:48              

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Aw, Marcie, that's nice! I had seen that movie long before I encountered Ballykissangel, and I really liked Phil (in spite of the clown outfit!). It took me a long time to realize that Peter, the man I love, had been Phil! The movie was recently on TV and I taped it, so I can now watch it again.

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posted 18-03-2004 21:57              

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I haven't seen these BBC television programs,but found in our library catalogue mention of Berkeley Square (1998) :" A warm-hearted family drama set in turn-of-the-century London, where three young girls come together as nannies and grow to be friends in London's Berkeley Square." One of the nannies is Victoria Smurfit. Has anyone seen this series?

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posted 20-03-2004 02:36              

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I remember the series been on the week after Ballyka finished it's 3? series. Maybe 4th cause I seem to remember her in it and I don't think I would of done if it was before she was in Ballyk. I must admit I didn't watch it cause it came on after Ballyka finished and I kinda boycoted anything that took over it lol. I missed some good series though. Monarch of the Glen seem to be one of them which I still haven't seen. I keep missing it on UK Gold.
Back to Berkerly Square. It flopped big style I read somewhere unless I'm thinking of something else. They only made one series anyway.

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posted 20-03-2004 09:51              

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Monarch of the Glen has been on PBS in NM. This month is fund raising so I expect it to continue in April. I think it is about half way through the series. Very enjoyable for me.

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posted 23-03-2004 04:26              

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Doctor Who comes to MOTG?! Oh, Joy! I wonder how soon I'll get to see that series?

2 channels are running it here; one is the local channel that runs BK and the other is a NJPT local nearby. I saw the one the other day where they had the manor all rigged up with cameras for internet viewing!

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posted 31-03-2004 23:37              

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BBC America will start airing "Murphy's Law" (starring James Nesbitt) on April 26.

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posted 01-04-2004 11:54              

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Pauline McLynn (Bella Mooney on Ballykissangel, Mrs Doyle on Father Ted) is presenting a program on BBC Radio 4 about Irish comedy:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/cgi-perl/whatson/prog_parse.cgi?FILENAME=20040403/20040403_1030_49700_29994_30

(If you want to listen live, remember that the UK went onto Daylight Savings Time last weekend, so 6 hours difference this week. I'm just leaving my watch set to UK time during this short visit to Ohio! )

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posted 01-04-2004 19:26              

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Radio 4 also archives a lot of their programming in the Listen Again section, available for a week following broadcast.

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posted 07-04-2004 22:16              

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more insights on Stephen: http://icteesside.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/columnists/mondayinterview/content_objectid=13906364_method=full_siteid=50080_headline=-A-donkey--a-tractor---the-Boro-name_page.html

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posted 09-04-2004 01:20              

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Thanks Angela for the address for Stephen, I did enjoy reading an update on all he's been doing and about his family. I wish there was some way we could get the English/Irish radio programs here in America. The only ones on NPR are the old recordings of radio shows from the 40's.

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posted 09-04-2004 02:10              

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You can get BBC Radio feeds over the Internet. The address is www.bbc.co.uk. Click on radio and follow the links. You can also get some Irish stations, but I don't have any links handy. BBC Radio 4 and BBC 7 also have a "listen again" feature, which means you don't have to catch a program live.

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posted 14-04-2004 17:26              

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hello chaps I've been away for a fair old while but i came back because i only just found out about the dvd's which got me so overexcited i almost wet myself and my boyfriend threatened to have me put away! Anyway not really alumni and sorry if this has already been posted, but i recently saw Lena Heady who played Jenny in series 1 episode 2 ( the one who had a crush on peter) In The parole officer, The actors (with michael caine and Dylan Moran) AND Face with Robert Carlyle and Damon Albarn - fab fab hope all is well, my dvd's are winging their way to me through the post from the good ol us hurrah!

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posted 14-04-2004 21:37              

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Arabella, you gorgeous creature! We"ve missed you!

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posted 20-04-2004 14:00              

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Lorcan Cranitch is on stage in The Burial at Thebes (Séamus Heaney's new translation of Sophocles' Antigone). I'm going to see it next week and I'll let you know if he was good.

It seems to me that the voiceover guys Bosco Hogan and Don Wycherley are never off the radio these days. Hogan's latest one is for a hair transplant clinic

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posted 20-04-2004 17:46              

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Dang. Must be the time difference. Every time I listen to RTE it's time for the nightly talk shows. Can't get into that while I'm trying to work. I end up with Virgin Radio.

And don't forget, those of you with BBCA can catch Murphy's Law (with James Nesbitt) starting next Wednesday. I watched a preview last night, and it looks good.

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posted 25-04-2004 22:49              

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thank you thea! currenty watching my lovely dvd's in my little room at uni on my freshly hacked dvd player success! good job really because i was threatening to watch it on my boyfriends dvd player which is compatible and he wasn't happy- not really a fan! p.s for anyone who watches phoenix nights the chinese guy who sells the foreign lager in series 2 crops up in bally k series 3 i think hurrah! my head is full of rubbish it really is! |

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posted 26-04-2004 23:19              

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For anyone who’s awake over here or just going about their daily business across the Atlantic, Bosco Hogan is reading Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men on RTE Radio 1. It’s broadcast at 11:25pm Irish time which is the same as London time, so you can work out your time zone from that. To listen in, you need to go here and have Real Audio Player. It’s on the air at the same time every night this week. Sorry for the late “heads up!” warning. I’ve just spotted it.

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posted 26-04-2004 23:31              

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Thanks, Bronn! I'm listening now. They also archive the readings.

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posted 27-04-2004 13:16              

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Mr Tompkinson begins a new play in London in May, "Rattle of a Simple Man".
http://www.officiallondontheatre.co.uk/show/cm/content/79730

I hope to see it with my Honey, must consult her date book first, though. There's a lot of planning that goes into getting married, don't you know!

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posted 27-04-2004 20:33              

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Yow, Stephen Tompkinson does look rather yummy in that publicity pic. Like the longer hair.

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posted 28-04-2004 12:37              

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That would be worth flying to London for. By the way, we haven't heard much from Brian and Laura lately. What's up?

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posted 28-04-2004 20:11              

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Stephen let his hair grow out?
Has anyone seen the picture of his wife and daughter Emily Daisy.
His daughters cute but i prefer him with Dervla!

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posted 28-04-2004 22:33              

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It's Daisy Ellen. I think the last pics were in OK magazine when she was about 18mths/2yrs. She's 3 and a half now so she has probably changed alot since the last pics.

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posted 29-04-2004 00:13              

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I rented a DVD named "Evelyn". It is a movie made in Ireland with Pierce Brosnan. Bosco Hogan (Dr. Ryan in BK) had a very small part, he played a priest. I didn't see any other familiar faces. Has anyone else seen this movie?

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posted 29-04-2004 00:37              

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Yes, Flossie, I thought it very good. It was interesting to see Pierce Brosnan as a working-class bloke, not at all James Bond-ish.

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posted 29-04-2004 02:26              

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I liked it too, Flossie. The little girl, Evelyn, was a sweetheart. Sister Brigid was also a Ballyk alum - she played Edso's wife, Frances (of the 'fertilizer' incident). I liked Pierce a little rumpled as well, Thea

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posted 29-04-2004 20:52              

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Marcie, could you refresh my memory about Edso, his wife and the fertilizer thing? I'm thinking that I didn't see this episode.

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posted 30-04-2004 01:57              

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Flossie, Edso was the fella from Season 1 who lived in a travel trailer with his wife and young daughter. The trailer was camped on Assumpta's land, which Brian wanted to buy. Edso refused to move the trailer, and Liam and Donal (at Assumpta's behest) dumped fresh manure nearby as an incentive to vacate. It was the same episode where Peter's friend from his former life, Jenny, came to town. Ring any bells?

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posted 30-04-2004 05:18              

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Close, Marcie, but not quite. Brian was the one who ordered Liam and Donal to dump the manure next to the trailer. Assumpta owned the land, but I am pretty sure she was leasing it to Brian, who hoped to get enough offers for holiday homes to have the money to go ahead and buy the land before he started building on it. Assumpta would never have done such a thing!

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posted 30-04-2004 11:11              

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Thanks for the info, I don't remember any of this. I'm hoping that after MOTG finishes on PBS that they will run BK again so that I can fill in the gaps.

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