Reeling In The Years
Encyclopedia
Reeling in the Years is a historical
documentary series
broadcast in Ireland
by RTÉ. Each episode
, approximately 25 minutes long, looks back at the news
and events of a particular year, from 1962 to 2009. The programme uses news archive
footage, along with subtitles
as the means of narration, to recount notable Irish
and international
events of the time. Music from the particular year is also played over the footage, with occasional scenes of live performance
s or music video
s, generally (but not exclusively) by an Irish artist. Each decade takes at least eight months to make.
The programme runs on RTÉ without advertisements during it. The theme tune
for the series comes from Steely Dan
's 1972 hit "Reelin' In the Years
". The series was voted "most popular home-produced TV programme ever" in a poll of Ireland's Top 100 television programmes conducted by the RTÉ Guide
in 2008. In 2008, a DVD entitled Reeling in the 80s was released for the Irish market, with follow-up DVDs Reeling in the 90s and Reeling in the 70s released in 2009 and 2010, respectively.
The 1960s series does not cover 1960 or 1961 because these years pre-date the official launch of Telefís Éireann
, the television arm of the national broadcaster. It was felt, presumably, that there would be too little archive material from which to make an engaging programme about these years. Indeed, the episodes covering the first half of the 1960s are characterised by extensive use of photographs and posters, as opposed to film and video footage, in order to represent various historical events.
All five series are marked by a knowing attitude, where certain stories that seemed inconsequential at the time are remembered because they have taken on significance in the present day. This has gained the programme a reputation for being very funny. An example is seen in the 1987 episode: Taoiseach
Charles Haughey
discusses what he would do if he were to win money in the newly-formed National Lottery
. Haughey, whose lavish lifestyle was later revealed to have been funded by "donations" from businessmen, exclaims, "I might keep a bit for myself!".
as a filler programme during the summer months and the Easter and Christmas
periods.
or DVD
. It claimed that securing "video clearance" for each clip and song would make any release prohibitively expensive. RTÉ did consider releasing an altered version of the programme which would only contain the images and music that they owned the rights to, but that "the programme would only be half as good then, it wouldn't be anything like the shows that went out on air, and we'd end up disappointing people."
However, in October 2008, RTÉ announced that they would be releasing a DVD of a cut-down version of the 1980s material. Reeling in the 80s is an altered version of the programme which contains only the images and music that the producers were able to secure rights to, and it runs to about 150 minutes (versus 240 minutes for the original series). It does, however, contain some original material that has been unearthed since 1999, and which has greater significance now, such as footage of Taoiseach
Brian Cowen
.
Reeling in the 90s was released on 13 November 2009 and Reeling in the 70s was released in November 2010.
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
documentary series
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
broadcast in Ireland
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,...
by RTÉ. Each episode
Episode
An episode is a part of a dramatic work such as a serial television or radio program. An episode is a part of a sequence of a body of work, akin to a chapter of a book. The term sometimes applies to works based on other forms of mass media as well, as in Star Wars...
, approximately 25 minutes long, looks back at the news
News
News is the communication of selected information on current events which is presented by print, broadcast, Internet, or word of mouth to a third party or mass audience.- Etymology :...
and events of a particular year, from 1962 to 2009. The programme uses news archive
Archive
An archive is a collection of historical records, or the physical place they are located. Archives contain primary source documents that have accumulated over the course of an individual or organization's lifetime, and are kept to show the function of an organization...
footage, along with subtitles
Subtitle (captioning)
Subtitles are textual versions of the dialog in films and television programs, usually displayed at the bottom of the screen. They can either be a form of written translation of a dialog in a foreign language, or a written rendering of the dialog in the same language, with or without added...
as the means of narration, to recount notable Irish
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
and international
International
----International mostly means something that involves more than one country. The term international as a word means involvement of, interaction between or encompassing more than one nation, or generally beyond national boundaries...
events of the time. Music from the particular year is also played over the footage, with occasional scenes of live performance
Concert
A concert is a live performance before an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, a choir, or a musical band...
s or music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
s, generally (but not exclusively) by an Irish artist. Each decade takes at least eight months to make.
The programme runs on RTÉ without advertisements during it. The theme tune
Theme music
Theme music is a piece that is often written specifically for a radio program, television program, video game or movie, and usually played during the title sequence and/or end credits...
for the series comes from Steely Dan
Steely Dan
Steely Dan is an American rock band; its core members are Donald Fagen and Walter Becker. The band's popularity peaked in the late 1970s, with the release of seven albums blending elements of jazz, rock, funk, R&B, and pop...
's 1972 hit "Reelin' In the Years
Reelin' in the Years
"Reelin' In the Years" is a song by jazz rock band Steely Dan, released as the sixth track on their 1972 album, Can't Buy a Thrill.The song was written by Donald Fagen and Walter Becker and features Fagen on vocals. The song was also a #11 hit on the Pop singles chart in 1973. In March 2005, Q...
". The series was voted "most popular home-produced TV programme ever" in a poll of Ireland's Top 100 television programmes conducted by the RTÉ Guide
RTÉ Guide
The RTÉ Guide is a television and radio listings magazine in Ireland published by RTÉ Commercial Enterprises Ltd, a subsidiary of Raidió Teilifís Éireann....
in 2008. In 2008, a DVD entitled Reeling in the 80s was released for the Irish market, with follow-up DVDs Reeling in the 90s and Reeling in the 70s released in 2009 and 2010, respectively.
Series
There have been five series of Reeling in the Years, each focused on a different decade:- 1980s – first broadcast in 1999
- 1990s – first broadcast in 2000
- 1970s – first broadcast in 2002
- 1960s – first broadcast in 2004 (only covers 1962 to 1969)
- 2000s – broadcast in 2010
The 1960s series does not cover 1960 or 1961 because these years pre-date the official launch of Telefís Éireann
RTÉ Television
RTÉ Television is a department of Ireland's state broadcaster Raidió Teilifís Éireann.The first channel to broadcast was Telefís Éireann which began broadcasting on 31 December 1961...
, the television arm of the national broadcaster. It was felt, presumably, that there would be too little archive material from which to make an engaging programme about these years. Indeed, the episodes covering the first half of the 1960s are characterised by extensive use of photographs and posters, as opposed to film and video footage, in order to represent various historical events.
All five series are marked by a knowing attitude, where certain stories that seemed inconsequential at the time are remembered because they have taken on significance in the present day. This has gained the programme a reputation for being very funny. An example is seen in the 1987 episode: Taoiseach
Taoiseach
The Taoiseach is the head of government or prime minister of Ireland. The Taoiseach is appointed by the President upon the nomination of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas , and must, in order to remain in office, retain the support of a majority in the Dáil.The current Taoiseach is...
Charles Haughey
Charles Haughey
Charles James "Charlie" Haughey was Taoiseach of Ireland, serving three terms in office . He was also the fourth leader of Fianna Fáil...
discusses what he would do if he were to win money in the newly-formed National Lottery
National Lottery (Ireland)
The National Lottery is the state lottery of Ireland. It was founded when the Oireachtas passed the to support initiatives in the areas of sport and recreation, health and welfare, national heritage and the arts, and the Irish language. Since gaming operations began on 23 March 1987, over €3.6...
. Haughey, whose lavish lifestyle was later revealed to have been funded by "donations" from businessmen, exclaims, "I might keep a bit for myself!".
Recent years
In recent years, Reeling in the Years has been used regularly by RTÉ OneRTÉ 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...
as a filler programme during the summer months and the Easter and Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
periods.
Online material
RTÉ has included written summaries of the series on its online database with some audio/visual footage included.| 1960s | 1970s | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s |
| 1970 | 1980 | 1990 | 2000 | |
| 1971 | 1981 | 1991 | 2001 | |
| 1972 | 1982 | 1992 | 2002 | |
| 1973 | 1983 | 1993 | 2003 | |
| 1974 | 1984 | 1994 | 2004 | |
| 1975 | 1985 | 1995 | 2005 | |
| 1976 | 1986 | 1996 | 2006 | |
| 1977 | 1987 | 1997 | 2007 | |
| 1978 | 1988 | 1998 | 2008 | |
| 1979 | 1989 | 1999 | 2009 | |
Copyright and DVD release
In the past, RTÉ had said that, because of the number of clips from external companies used in the series, it would be infeasible to release it on VHSVHS
The Video Home System is a consumer-level analog recording videocassette standard developed by Victor Company of Japan ....
or DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
. It claimed that securing "video clearance" for each clip and song would make any release prohibitively expensive. RTÉ did consider releasing an altered version of the programme which would only contain the images and music that they owned the rights to, but that "the programme would only be half as good then, it wouldn't be anything like the shows that went out on air, and we'd end up disappointing people."
However, in October 2008, RTÉ announced that they would be releasing a DVD of a cut-down version of the 1980s material. Reeling in the 80s is an altered version of the programme which contains only the images and music that the producers were able to secure rights to, and it runs to about 150 minutes (versus 240 minutes for the original series). It does, however, contain some original material that has been unearthed since 1999, and which has greater significance now, such as footage of Taoiseach
Taoiseach
The Taoiseach is the head of government or prime minister of Ireland. The Taoiseach is appointed by the President upon the nomination of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas , and must, in order to remain in office, retain the support of a majority in the Dáil.The current Taoiseach is...
Brian Cowen
Brian Cowen
Brian Cowen is a former Irish politician who served as Taoiseach of Ireland from 7 May 2008 to 9 March 2011. He was head of a coalition government led by Fianna Fáil which until 23 January 2011 had the support of the Green Party and independent TDs.Cowen was also leader of Fianna Fáil from 7 May...
.
Reeling in the 90s was released on 13 November 2009 and Reeling in the 70s was released in November 2010.
DVD discography
- Reeling in the 80s (2008)
- Reeling in the 90s (2009)
- Reeling in the 70s (2010)
See also
- Timeline of Irish historyTimeline of Irish historyThis is a timeline of Irish history. To read about the background to these events, see History of Ireland. See also the list of Lords and Kings of Ireland and Irish heads of state and the list of years in Ireland....
- The Rock 'n' Roll YearsThe Rock 'n' Roll YearsThe Rock 'n' Roll Years was a BBC television programme aired between 1985 and 1994. In a half-hour time slot the programme focused on a different year each week, starting with the year 1956 and ending with 1989....
– the producer's inspiration for Reeling in the Years
External links
- Official site
- 'It's impossible now to view the decade past without regret' – interview with series producer John O'Regan. The Irish TimesThe Irish TimesThe Irish Times is an Irish daily broadsheet newspaper launched on 29 March 1859. The editor is Kevin O'Sullivan who succeeded Geraldine Kennedy in 2011; the deputy editor is Paul O'Neill. The Irish Times is considered to be Ireland's newspaper of record, and is published every day except Sundays...
, 9 October 2010.