Bitter Sweet (TV drama)
Encyclopedia
Bitter Sweet is an Irish
television drama produced by Element Pictures for RTÉ
. It follows the difficulties encountered by three female friends who undergo difficult changes to their respective lives. The drama was broadcast on RTÉ One
on 23 March 2008, an Easter Sunday
, at 21:30. It is written and produced by Di Burrows and directed by Declan Eames. The costume designer was Sonya Lennon, future co-presenter of the fashion magazine show Off the Rails. It featured the comedian/mimic
Risteárd Cooper
in a serious acting role. Robert Sheehan played the role of Liam.
begins to develop serious feelings for her despite her disinterest in such a notion. Marie has to deal with post-divorce dating. Carmel is reeling from a series of shock-revelations that have broken her marriage.
was scathing in its criticism, describing the drama as "complete bollocks" in which "no cliché was left unturned". It was named by the newspaper as one of its six worst television programmes of 2008.
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
television drama produced by Element Pictures for RTÉ
Raidió Teilifís Éireann
Raidió Teilifís Éireann is a semi-state company and the public service broadcaster of Ireland. It both produces programmes and broadcasts them on television, radio and the Internet. The radio service began on January 1, 1926, while regular television broadcasts began on December 31, 1961, making...
. It follows the difficulties encountered by three female friends who undergo difficult changes to their respective lives. The drama was broadcast on RTÉ One
RTÉ One
RTÉ One is the flagship television channel of Raidió Teilifís Éireann , and it is the most popular and most watched television channel in Ireland. It was launched as Telefís Éireann on 31 December 1961, it was renamed RTÉ Television in 1966, and it was renamed as RTÉ One upon the launch of RTÉ...
on 23 March 2008, an Easter Sunday
Easter
Easter is the central feast in the Christian liturgical year. According to the Canonical gospels, Jesus rose from the dead on the third day after his crucifixion. His resurrection is celebrated on Easter Day or Easter Sunday...
, at 21:30. It is written and produced by Di Burrows and directed by Declan Eames. The costume designer was Sonya Lennon, future co-presenter of the fashion magazine show Off the Rails. It featured the comedian/mimic
Impressionist (entertainment)
An impressionist or a mimic is a performer whose act consists of imitating the voice and mannerisms of others. The word usually refers to a professional comedian/entertainer who specializes in such performances and has developed a wide repertoire of impressions, including adding to them, often to...
Risteárd Cooper
Risteárd Cooper
Risteárd Cooper is an Irish actor, comedian, singer and writer and is one third of comedy trio Aprés Match.Cooper graduated from the acting programme at the Samuel Beckett Centre, Trinity College...
in a serious acting role. Robert Sheehan played the role of Liam.
Synopsis
Bitter Sweet is the story of three reunited female friends from Dublin – Carmel, Gerry and Marie. The three are from very different worlds, but still share common attributes that appear most prominent when they all undergo significant changes in their lives. Carmel is married with four children and owns a house by the sea. Gerry has a successful career and is sophisticated but husbandless since his death. Marie has just been divorced after twenty years of marriage and struggles to adapt to the changes that Dublin has undergone in this time. The drama follows the new problems that the three encounter. Gerry’s toyboyAge disparity in sexual relationships
Age disparity in sexual relationships refers to sexual relations between people with a significant difference in age. Whether these relationships are accepted and the question of what counts as a significant difference in age has varied over time; and varies over cultures, different legal systems,...
begins to develop serious feelings for her despite her disinterest in such a notion. Marie has to deal with post-divorce dating. Carmel is reeling from a series of shock-revelations that have broken her marriage.
Characters
| Name | Age | Abode | Detail | Actress | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 42 | fashionable city-centre apartment | Young and married, she has spent her life being a mother and raising children. Has led a sheltered, safe, comfortable, cosy life. Has not work because of her maternal and marital circumstances. Financially secure. | Deirdre O'Kane Deirdre O'Kane Deirdre O'Kane originally from Drogheda, County Louth, Ireland, became a stand-up comic in 1996 and got into the finals of the BBC New Comedy Awards of that year. She has played at the Edinburgh Festival every year since including 2001 where she not only performed her own solo show, Deirdre O'Kane... |
||
| 39 | large architect-designed house with a huge garden in Malahide Malahide Malahide is a coastal suburban town, near Dublin city, located in the administrative county of Fingal, within the traditional County Dublin, Ireland. It has a village-like centre and extensive residential areas to the south, west and northwest.-Name:... |
Happy, contented and taking her life for granted at first. Creative but has not been allowed to explore that creativity. Adapts to her new situation quite well. | Úna Kavanagh | ||
| 36 | alone, in a beach house in Howth Howth Howth is an area in Fingal County near Dublin city in Ireland. Originally just a small fishing village, Howth with its surrounding rural district is now a busy suburb of Dublin, with a mix of dense residential development and wild hillside, all on the peninsula of Howth Head. The only... |
Bright, motivated, confident and career central. Has suffered a loss in her life at a very young age when she got married and her husband died. Because of this she has become more focused on her career and has done very well. She has a sexual relationship with a young man, but has intimacy issues when she buries her real feelings. | Catherine Walker Catherine Walker (actor) Catherine Walker is an Irish actress, notable for British and Irish television appearances including The Clinic , Northanger Abbey and Bitter Sweet .-External links:... |
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Reaction
The Irish IndependentIrish Independent
The Irish Independent is Ireland's largest-selling daily newspaper that is published in both compact and broadsheet formats. It is the flagship publication of Independent News & Media.-History:...
was scathing in its criticism, describing the drama as "complete bollocks" in which "no cliché was left unturned". It was named by the newspaper as one of its six worst television programmes of 2008.