Smother (TV series)

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Smother
Genre
  • Crime
  • Drama
  • Thriller
Written by
Directed by
  • Dathaí Keane
Starring
ComposerJohn McPhillips
Country of originIreland
Original languageEnglish
No. of series2
No. of episodes12
Production
Executive producers
  • Michael Parke
  • Kate O'Riordan
  • Tom Sherry
Producers
  • Rebecca O'Flanagan
  • Robert Walpole
Production locationsLahinch, County Clare, Ireland
CinematographyCathal Watters
EditorsDermot Diskin, John O'Connor
Production companies
DistributorRTÉ Television
Release
Original networkRTÉ One
Picture formatHDTV 1080i
Audio formatStereo
Original release7 March 2021 (2021-03-07) –
present

Smother is an Irish thriller drama series written by Kate O'Riordan and directed by Dathaí Keane.[1] It stars Dervla Kirwan as Val Ahern, a mother who is determined to protect her family at any cost.[2] The series is produced by BBC Studios and Treasure Entertainment for Raidió Teilifís Éireann, and premiered on 7 March 2021 on RTÉ One. A second series was announced in April 2021 and had its premiere on RTÉ One on 9 January 2022. It aired in the UK by Alibi in June 2021. The series airs in Norway on TV2.[3] A third series, to air in 2023, was announced after the second series finale in February 2022.

Plot

Set in a small town on the wild and rugged coast of County Clare, Val Ahern, a devoted mother, is determined to protect her family and particularly her three daughters—Jenny, Anna and Grace—at any cost. When Val's husband Denis is found dead at the foot of a cliff near their home the morning after a family party, Val attempts to investigate the events that unfolded the night before.

Cast

Main

Supporting

Episodes

Series 1 (2021)

No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateIreland viewers
(millions)
1"Episode 1"Dathaí KeaneKate O'Riordan7 March 2021 (2021-03-07)N/A
2"Episode 2"Dathaí KeaneKate O'Riordan14 March 2021 (2021-03-14)N/A
3"Episode 3"Dathaí KeaneTom Farrelly21 March 2021 (2021-03-21)N/A
4"Episode 4"Dathaí KeaneDaniel Cullen28 March 2021 (2021-03-28)N/A
5"Episode 5"Dathaí KeaneUrsula Rani Sarma4 April 2021 (2021-04-04)N/A
6"Episode 6"Dathaí KeaneTom Farrelly11 April 2021 (2021-04-11)N/A

Series 2 (2022)

No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateIreland viewers
(millions)
1"Episode 1"Dathaí KeaneKate O'Riordan9 January 2022 (2022-01-09)N/A
2"Episode 2"Dathaí KeaneKate O'Riordan16 January 2022 (2022-01-16)N/A
3"Episode 3"Dathaí KeaneTom Farrelly23 January 2022 (2022-01-23)N/A
4"Episode 4"Dathaí KeaneSonya Kelly30 January 2022 (2022-01-30)N/A
5"Episode 5"Dathaí KeaneUrsula Rani Sarma6 February 2022 (2022-02-06)N/A
6"Episode 6"Dathaí KeaneTom Farrelly13 February 2022 (2022-02-13)N/A

Production

Filming began in February 2020 in and around Lahinch.[4][5] On the series' way of writing and storytelling, lead actress Dervla Kirwan said that "it's been a long time since anything this well written about an Irish family has come my way. In Smother, [Kate O'Riordan] has created a riveting thriller that will wake the world up to contemporary Ireland and rewrite an outdated narrative that has been peddled about the Irish for years."[6] She also relates the series' setting to the character in the series, in particular to the Ahern family:

Even if you just look at their beautiful house, which is also a character in our story — it dominates the skyline, the horizon of that village. It's all about corruption, privilege and wealth, and how that breeds a dysfunction. That dysfunction acts as a poison, creating a sense of entitlement in those women. They lie and cheat to get what they want, and their behaviour's upheld by their privilege. They're all a piece of work, as we'd say in Ireland. They're all quite dark, really damaged women.[7]

In March 2020, production was halted due to social restrictions being imposed nationwide to combat the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. On the filming halt, cast member Niamh Walsh states:

Actors are basically idiot children. We blunder round the world feeling feelings for money – those of us who are lucky enough to get paid to do it. Sure, we'll sell you the fear or excitement or whatever hanging off the cliff edge requires, but we are absolutely the last step in the process. Before any of those feelings can be caught on camera, this invisible army has to mobilise to make it happen.[8]

On 4 April 2021, it was revealed that comedian Kevin McGahern has joined the cast in episode 5, portraying Michael Foley.[9]

On 26 December 2021, it was announced that former Coronation Street star Dean Fagan will be starring as Denis Ahern's estranged son in the show's second series.[10][11]

Awards and nominations

Award Category Nominee(s) Result
IFTA Film & Drama Awards Best Drama Production Team Nominated
Best Director – Drama Dathaí Keane Nominated
Best Script – Drama Kate O'Riordan Nominated
Best Actress Dervla Kirwan Won
Best Supporting Actress Gemma-Leah Devereux Nominated
Seána Kerslake Nominated
Best Supporting Actor Éanna Hardwicke Nominated
Best Score John McPhillips Nominated
Best Cinematography Cathal Watters Nominated
Best Costume Triona Lillis Nominated
Best Sound Hugh Fox, Fionán Higgins & Mark Henry Nominated

References

  1. ^ "'Spanish Princess' Writer Kate O'Riordan's Noir Thriller 'Smother' To Be BBC Studios' First Show For RTÉ". Deadline Hollywood. 4 December 2019. Retrieved 22 February 2021.
  2. ^ "'The Stranger' Star Dervla Kirwan Leads Cast For Irish Thriller 'Smother' From 'Spanish Princess' Writer". Deadline Hollywood. 9 March 2020. Retrieved 22 February 2021.
  3. ^ "Smother | TV Guide". VG TV-guide.
  4. ^ "New RTÉ drama Smother begins filming in Clare". RTÉ. 10 March 2020. Retrieved 22 February 2021.
  5. ^ "Clare 'a beautiful & dramatic backdrop' for new RTÉ/BBC drama Smother". Clare Echo. 16 March 2020. Retrieved 22 February 2021.
  6. ^ Dray, Kayleigh. "Smother: this intriguing new Irish noir series ticks so many boxes". Stylist. Retrieved 8 November 2021.
  7. ^ "Actress Dervla Kirwan calls for more roles for women". Irish Mirror. 8 March 2021. Retrieved 8 November 2021.
  8. ^ "What It's Really Like On A TV Set During A Pandemic". British Vogue. 17 October 2020. Retrieved 22 February 2021.
  9. ^ "Smother fans in stitches as RTE comedy star Kevin McGahern makes unexpected appearance". Irish Mirror. 5 April 2021. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
  10. ^ "Sneak peek at season 2 of top Irish drama Smother". RTE. 26 December 2021. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
  11. ^ "Coronation Street turned RTE Smother star Dean Fagan tells of differences in shows". Irish Mirror. 11 January 2022. Retrieved 12 January 2022.

External links

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