Killinaskully is a light hearted, inoffensive romp set in the Irish Country side. Set in the village of Killinaskully it follows a cast of colorful characters (played mostly by Pat Shortt) whose lives center around the local pub. It success with audiences was already guaranteed with it's star Pat Shortt's swelling popularity due to his continuous touring of the Republic of Ireland over the previous ten years. Critics have slammed it, but the general public can't get enough. With two series and two Christmas specials this show seems to continue for a very long time indeed.
Which is very surprising considering if this was produced and broadcast in the UK a second series would not have commissioned. The first series when I look at it now consists of boring story lines, feeble scripts, poor acting on the supporting casts behalf and what's more the direction on James Finlans behalf is very amateur and uninspiring. The only person who keeps it all together is the star Pat Shortt. Like I have previously stated Pat Shortt had spent ten years touring Ireland, all the characters he played in his live shows have become iconic in Irelands comedy scene and therefore the audience naturally enough want to see them when he is on screen. But the success in Pat Shortts live shows is that he is a master of interacting with the audience dragging them on stage therefore the fun and frolics are duly shared with the audience. However in the world of television sitcom he can't do this therefore he has to resort to creating other non-established characters such as Jimmy, Timmy, Guard Dick, Dieter the German film maker and his girlfriend the local schoolteacher Ms. Fahy. With new characters and actors who are unsure of how Pat Shortt's style of comedy their performances are going to suffer. Also the added factor that none of them are comedic actors except for Joe Rooney also hampers the story. The scripts are badly written and the punch lines are feeble and weak. Sometimes they show promise but they are mostly let down by performance and direction.
The second series is a massive improvement. Director Eugene O'Connor takes the helm and presents Killinaskully in the visual style that it should have been presented in to begin with. He incorporates various angles and this the town land and Killinaskully becomes the oasis of lunacy that Pat Shortt had originally intended it too. The actors have developed very well into their characters. Their inclusion into the script with their own story lines gives them all more to go on. What I originally perceived as bad acting is in fact an inability to work with the poor scripting. The comedy is spread around this time and the characters really go with it. The scripts are also greatly improved and it seems that the writers have critiqued the first series very heavily and really have wanted to learn from their previous mistakes. The story lines are better this time. They are very adventurous and they really add to the lunacy of this tiny village. My favorite episode is the one where the priest organizes the drama festival. The sequence at the haunted house is very well done in all areas. Fantastic camera angles with fantastic sets fused with great acting makes it a stand out scene.
I may be harsh on the scripts, acting and in certain cases the direction, but to be honest I really enjoy this show. I love Pat Shortt's characters and their mannerisms mostly. Everything they say and do I can recognize from everyday life. While living in England I had the DVD's sent over to me and I cherished them as they were fun reminders of home. This series are definitely aimed at a rural Ireland audience and these people are easily pleased therefore there is nothing too taxing in the episodes. Critics have slammed it. This is not because any of the technical items that I have pointed at but because it is set in the countryside. Most of the critics are based in Dublin and their experience of life outside Dublin is very limited. What's more most Irish people know the Dublin wants all the success stories therefore it pains them to see Irelands first successful sitcom is based in the countryside. This is after fruitless attempts by RTE to produce a phenomenal successful sitcom, all of them set in Dublin and all of them failure. It is good to see that the ordinary folk of Eire don't listen to the critics. I predict Killinaskully is like a good wine and it matures with age. It is above all good family entertainment. 6 out of 10.
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