Rebellion (miniseries)
Rebellion | |
---|---|
| |
Genre | Historical fiction |
Written by | Colin Teevan |
Directed by | Aku Louhimies |
Starring |
Niamh Cusack Brian Gleeson Charlie Murphy Sarah Greene Ruth Bradley Gus McDonagh Michelle Fairley |
Country of origin | Ireland |
Original language(s) | English |
No. of episodes | 5 |
Production | |
Executive producer(s) |
Catherine Magee Clare Alan Colin Teevan |
Production location(s) | Dublin |
Editor(s) | Ben Mercer |
Camera setup | Multi-camera |
Running time | 52 minutes per episode |
Production company(s) | RTÉ |
Budget | €6 million |
Release | |
Original network | RTÉ One |
Picture format | 1080i 16:9 |
Audio format | Stereo |
Original release | 3 January – 31 January 2016 |
External links | |
Website |
Rebellion is a 2016 television miniseries produced by Irish broadcaster RTÉ, dramatising the events surrounding the 1916 Easter Rising.
Background
The series was directed by Finnish director Aku Louhimies[1] and written by Colin Teevan, with executive producers Catherine Magee, Clare Alan, Colin Teevan.
RTÉ secured €400,000 in funding from the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland in 2014.[2] In May 2015, RTÉ confirmed it would produce a drama series commemorating the 100th Anniversary of the 1916 Rising; the show was filmed during summer 2015 in Dublin. [3] In December 2015, RTÉ Television confirmed the series would premiere early January on Irish television.[4][5] The series, which cost €6 million, is the most expensive drama series produced by the public broadcaster.[6] RTÉ and Zodiac Media, the production company that made Rebellion, are set to produce a sequel series, titled Rebellion: Two States, set during the War of Independence.[7]
Description
RTÉ's five-part television mini-series depicts fictional characters in Dublin during the 1916 Rising. [8]The commemorative drama begins with the outbreak of World War I. As expectations of a short and glorious campaign are dashed, social stability is eroded, and Irish nationalism comes to the fore. The tumultuous events that follow are seen through the eyes of a group of friends from Dublin, Belfast, and London as they play vital and conflicting roles in the narrative of Ireland's independence.
Cast
- Ruth Bradley - Frances O'Flaherty
- Paul Reid - Stephen Duffy Lyons
- Brian McCardie - James Connolly
- Tom Turner - Charles Hammond
- Michelle Fairley - Dolly Butler
- Michael Ford-FitzGerald - Harry Butler
- Lydia McGuinness - Peggy Mahon
- Ian McElhinney - Edward Butler
- Andrew Simpson - George Wilson
- Gus McDonagh - Monsignor Mulcahy
- Jaeylynne Wallace Ruane - Sadie Mahon
- Jordanne Jones - Minnie Mahon
- Millie Donnelly - Gracie Mahon
- Steve Wall - Detective Coleman
- Brian Gleeson - Jimmy Mahon
- Sarah Greene - May
- Charlie Murphy - Elizabeth Butler
- Marcus Lamb - Patrick Pearse
- Barry Keoghan - Cormac McDevitt
- Barry Ward - Arthur Mahon
- Laurence O'Fuarain - Desmond Byrne
- Sopie Robinson - Ingrid Webster
- Jason Cullen - Peter Mahon
- Joanne Brennan - Dr. Kathleen Lynn
- Niamh Cusack - Nelly Cosgrave
- Michael Feast - Sir Matthew Nathan
- Ryan McAllister - Sylvester the Butler
- Perdita Weeks - Vanessa Hammond
- Sebastian Thommen - Michael Collins
- Lalor Roddy - Thomas Clarke
- Sean Fox - Sean McDermott
- Stefan Dunbar - Corporal Stewart
- Ruairí Heading - Fusilier McGarry
- Jane Herbert - Gretta the Maid
- Kieran O'Reilly - Captain Robert Barton
- Camille O'Sullivan - Countess Constance Markievicz
- Jack Shepherd - General William Lowe
- James Craze - Blimey O'Connor
- Barry Barnes - Constable James O'Brien
- John Connors - Michael Molloy
- Barry McGovern - Archbishop William Walsh
- Paul McCloskey - Sergeant McAuley
- Keith Patrick Byrne - Barman
- Adrian Hudson - Lofty Lloyd
- Charlie Bonner - William Wylie
- Mark Lambert - Brigadier Blackader
- Ann Skelly - Biddy Lambert
- Edwin Mullane - Brophy
- Charlie Kelly - Fusillier O'Hanlon
- Patrick Buchanan - Captain Bowen-Colthurst
- Eemeli Louhimies - Milo
- Andrei Alen - Captain Heathcote
- Stephen Mullan - Éamon de Valera
- Paul Kealyn - ICA Man
- Dylan Kelly - Second ICA Man
- Lynn Rafferty - Prostitute
- Elva Trill - Ms. Esme Quinn
- Ian Toner - Lieutenant Mick Malone
- Fintan Phelan - Driver
- Jack Hickey - Seán Connolly
- Jed Murray - British lieutenant
- Hilary Vesey - Woman at tenenements
- Paul Booth - Captain Lee-Wilson
- Norma Sheahan - Sister Patrick
- Terry O'Neill - Looting Man
- Brendan McCormack - DMP Sergeant
- Emer O'Grady - Housewife
- Stephen O'Brien - Volunteer
- Dan Siron - Liverpool soldier
- Graham Dodd - Van driver
- Manus Halligan - Northamptonshire soldier
- Faolan Morgan - Tall fusilier
- Rory Corcoran - Dying man
- Una Carroll - Frances's friend
- Alice Stands - Secretary
- James Jake Martinez - Soldier
Episode list
No. | Title | Original air date |
---|---|---|
1 | "Young Guns" | January 3, 2016 |
As Irish nationalists plot to overthrow British rule, friends May, Frances and Elizabeth follow separate paths in order to do their bit. | ||
2 | "To Arms" | January 10, 2016 |
On Easter Monday a few hundred rebels launch their attack taking the authorities and holidaying Dubliners by surprise. Lover is pitted against lover, friend against friend and brother against brother as the rebellion takes hold. | ||
3 | "Under Siege" | January 17, 2016 |
Three days into a siege the rebels seek international recognition for Irish independence but the British forces are closing in. Elizabeth, Frances and Jimmy are caught up in the action at the GPO. | ||
4 | "Surrender" | January 24, 2016 |
In the face of overwhelming British reinforcements, the rebels surrender. Swift military court martials and executions follow. Meanwhile, tragedy strikes the Mahon family as their young son Peter is shot and killed. | ||
5 | "The Reckoning" | January 31, 2016 |
As the dust settles from the rebellion, May, Elizabeth and Frances deal with the consequences of their actions. |
International broadcast
The series premiered on SundanceTV in the US, on April 24, 2016 and on YLE (Finnish Broadcasting Service), on June 1, 2016. Sundance has combined episodes into pairs and titled them: "To Arms" S1E1+S1E2, "Under Siege" S1E3+S1E4, and "The Reckoning" S1E5.
The series is available on Netflix worldwide, except in Ireland and Finland.[9]
Reception
Following its first broadcast, episode 1 held a strong audience of 619,000. 41% of the available audience tuned in to RTÉ One to watch the opening episode of the five-part series, with an additional 45,000 people catching it on RTÉ One +1 and more than 9,000 people viewing it on the RTÉ Player.[10]
The Irish Times gave the first episode a favourable review.[6] The Irish Mirror claimed that the series was "destined to court controversy".[1] Dr. Shane Kenna, a historian and lecturer at TCD, criticised the series for its "poor ahistorical script with no educational benefit".[11] The series was slated on social media, with many viewers criticising its historical inaccuracies.[12] Pat Stacey, writing in the Irish Independent, wrote negatively about the dialogue, stating: "the characters didn’t so much converse as chuck out egregiously stilted slabs of text which hung in the air for a moment, before crashing to the floor", concluding: "It’s not historical accuracy the Rebellion has to worry about; it's plain, old-fashioned bad writing, allied with dismally flat direction." [13]
References
- 1 2 Ward, James (January 3, 2016). "RTE 1916 drama Rebellion makes debut and is perhaps destined to court controversy". irishmirror. Retrieved January 5, 2016.
- ↑ "Rebellion - The Irish Film & Television Network". iftn.ie. Retrieved January 5, 2016.
- ↑ Brosnan, Seán (May 21, 2015). "RTÉ announces new Irish drama series 'Rebellion'". iftn.ie. Retrieved January 5, 2016.
- ↑ Brosnan, Seán (December 21, 2015). "RTÉ launch new five part series 'Rebellion'". iftn.ie. Retrieved January 5, 2016.
- ↑ "RTÉ Unveils First Episode of Rebellion as Part of RTÉ 1916". rte.ie. December 21, 2015. Retrieved January 5, 2016.
- 1 2 "Rebellion review: RTÉ fires first salvo in 1916 centenary schedule". The Irish Times. January 3, 2016. Retrieved January 5, 2016.
- ↑ "RTÉ to make follow-up to 1916 Rising drama Rebellion (Sound and Vision Fund backs Rebellion: Two States, to be set during War of Independence)". The Irish Times. July 12, 2016.
- ↑ https://www.rte.ie/player/be/show/rebellion-30003790/10596079/
- ↑ "Rebellion". Netflix. Retrieved 9 April 2016.
- ↑ "Rebellion draws impressive viewing figures". rte.ie. January 4, 2016. Retrieved January 5, 2016.
- ↑ "Dr Shane Kenna". Twitter.
- ↑ "RTE's Rebellion SLATED on social media for historical inaccuracies". Breaking News. 1 November 2016.
- ↑ "Pat Stacey: Historical howlers are the least of the things wrong with RTE's Rebellion drama". Independent.ie.