RT s Bridget & Eamon heading for UKTV S Gold

RT 2 s Bridget & Eamon heading for UKTV S Gold

RT comedy series Bridget & Eamon, which debuted on RT 2 in February, has been acquired by UKTV. Under the deal, which marks the first time that an RT fully funded comedy will air in the UK, the six-episode sitcom will air on Gold, UKTV's 24-carat comedy channel this autumn.

Bridget & Eamon started life as a sketch on RT 2's satirical TV review and magazine show The Republic of Telly. Such was its popularity, both on television and social media, that RT commissioned a full series late last year from Pure Class Productions. Following the first season's strong ratings performance, Bridget & Eamon was renewed for a second series in July.

Written by Bernard O Shea, Jennifer Zamparelli and Jason Butler, the show is set in the 1980s and stars Zamparelli as aspirational housewife Bridget and O'Shea as her hapless husband Eamon. The unhappily married couple live somewhere in the Irish Midlands with their indeterminate number of children. Chain-smoking Bridget has notions. She wants the lifestyle from the pages of Woman's Way, but times are tight and among Eamon's many annoying habits is his inability to make money. The show features the cream of Irish comedy and acting talent, including Norma Sheahan, Eleanor Tiernan and Sharon Mannion as Bridget s neighbours, Colum McDonnell as Eamon s mate Fierce Handy Frank and Edwin Sammon as the local parish priest.

RT Head of Comedy, Eddie Doyle, said: This is a real breakthrough for Irish comedy in Britain. Building on the success of Mrs Browns Boys, Bridget & Eamon shows how Irish writers, performers and producers can compete in one of the biggest, most creative comedy marketplaces in the world.

The deal was brokered by Edel Edwards, head of international programme sales for RT , and Daniel Thomas, acquisitions executive for UKTV.

Edwards said: Bridget & Eamon is just very, very funny. It has great jokes, great characters and has delivered great audiences for RT 2. We're confident that Gold's viewers will laugh as loudly to Bridget and Eamon's 1980s-inspired antics as RT 2's especially anybody who remembers those days of Dallas, Dynasty and massive shoulder pads. And with a second season due to launch in October, the even better news is that there's more hilarity to come.

Thomas added: "We're very excited to bring Bridget and Eamon to British TV screens. The series is absolutely hilarious and is the perfect addition to Gold's existing slate of high quality comedy. We're sure our audience will love the witty one liners and brilliantly executed 80s nostalgia as much as RT 's audience did in Ireland."

LINK:	http://www.rte.ie/about/en/press-office/press-releases/2016/0822/81097...
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