This is one of the most keenly awaited Irish comedy series in years.
RTÉ have announced the release date for The Young Offenders TV series. The show, based on the wildly popular film of the same name, will begin on Thursday 8 February at 9.30pm on RTÉ2.
The Young Offenders follows the coming-of-age adventures of lovable rogues Conor and Jock as they navigate their awkward teenage years, hatching plans and adventures to help distract from their tough home lives and their inability to stay out of trouble at school.
The show will air weekly.
Filmed in Cork last summer, the Vico Films’ six-part series was made for the BBC, in association with RTÉ and the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland.
Peter Foott is the writer, director, and executive producer on the series and Martina Niland (Once, Sing Street) produced.
Alex Murphy and Chris Walley reprise their roles from the smash hit feature film on which the television series is based. Also returning is Hilary Rose who plays Conor’s long-suffering mother Mairead.
Comedian PJ Gallagher returns in a new role with other familiar characters including Sergeant Healy (Dominic McHale) and Billy Murphy (Shane Casey). Newcomers to the TV show include Demi Isaac Oviawe and Jennifer Barry, along with Orla Fitzgerald.
RTÉ’s Head of Comedy Eddie Doyle said: “The Young Offenders is a remarkably funny and exciting TV series that RTÉ is delighted to support and bring to Irish audiences. Writer/Director Peter Foott has created a wonderfully high-energy comic world, and a set of characters that our audience are really going to fall in love with.”
Peter Foott, creator of The Young Offenders, said: “We cannot wait for Irish audiences to see the new adventures that The Young Offenders have in the TV show. We’ve been so lucky to have the incredible support of the people of Cork while filming the series. The whole team is really excited for the show to actually be out there and we all hope that the Irish audience will take to the TV show the same way they took to the original film.”
Since being released, the film has picked up some seriously impressive reviews.
The Observer – “It’s the most perceptive comic portrait of the adolescent male since The Inbetweeners, but with a naturalism that is unexpectedly disarming.”
The Times – “This exuberantly daft teenage comedy has some similarities to The Inbetweeners but with a kinder, gentler wit.”
Empire – “Raucously funny and winningly played, this is the best Irish comedy since Sing Street.”
This is going to be huge.
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