Smother (TV series)

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Smother
Genre
  • Crime
  • Drama
  • Thriller
Written by
Directed by
  • Dathaí Keane
Starring
ComposerJohn McPhillips
Country of origin Ireland
Original languageEnglish
No. of series1
No. of episodes6
Production
Executive producers
  • Michael Parke
  • Kate O'Riordan
  • Tom Sherry
Producers
  • Rebecca O'Flanagan
  • Robert Walpole
Production locationsLahinch, County Clare, Ireland
Cinematography
  • Cathal Watters
EditorsDermot Diskin, John O'Connor
Production companies
DistributorRTÉ Television
Release
Original networkRTÉ One
Picture format16:9 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 Raidió Teilifís Éireann, and premiered on 7 March 2021 on RTÉ One. It aired in the UK by Alibi in June 2021. A second series was announced in April 2021 and will premiere in early 2022.

Plot[]

Set in a small town on the wild and rugged coast of County Clare, Val Ahern (Dervla Kirwan), 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 (Stuart Graham) 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[]

Production[]

Filming began in February 2020 in and around Lahinch.[3][4]

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, 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.[5]

On 4 April 2021, it was revealed that comedian Kevin McGahern has joined the cast in episode 5, portraying Michael Foley.[6]

Episodes[]

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

Awards and nominations[]

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

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. ^ "New RTÉ drama Smother begins filming in Clare". RTÉ. 10 March 2020. Retrieved 22 February 2021.
  4. ^ "Clare 'a beautiful & dramatic backdrop' for new RTÉ/BBC drama Smother". Clare Echo. 16 March 2020. Retrieved 22 February 2021.
  5. ^ "What It's Really Like On A TV Set During A Pandemic". British Vogue. 17 October 2020. Retrieved 22 February 2021.
  6. ^ "Smother fans in stitches as RTE comedy star Kevin McGahern makes unexpected appearance". Irish Mirror. 5 April 2021. Retrieved 9 April 2021.

External links[]

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