Soupy Norman
Encyclopedia
Soupy Norman was a nine-part Irish
television programme broadcast by RTÉ
. It was aired weekly on Thursday nights at 23:05 on the RTÉ Two
channel, in ten-minute segments. The series ran from 24 May to 24 July 2007 . The show is a comedic re-dubbing of the Polish
soap opera Pierwsza miłość (First Love), which has been running on Polsat
television since 2004.
The series is written and edited by Barry Murphy and Mark Doherty, with additional voices provided by Tara Flynn, Sue Collins, Luke Murphy and Mario Rosenstock
. Where the original soap opera dealt with a girl leaving her family behind to go to college, the re-dubbed version of the programme explores the culture shock
of a dysfunctional Cork
family in Dublin. The series' surreal humour
led to a cult following
, with its episodes being popular on YouTube
.
A special episode entitled "The Late Late Soupy Norman Tribute" which featured dubbed clips from RTÉ
's The Late Late Show
as well as clips from previous episodes of Soupy Norman as well as including a new scene of the show. This was broadcast on Christmas Eve
2007..
A pilot sketch for the series initially aired on Armando Iannucci
’s show Time Trumpet
on BBC 2.
, County Cork
, who travels up to Dublin to study in college. There she encounters strong discrimination, for being a "culchie
". She lives with Susan Costigan, "a woman with red hair", her daughter Kylie, her son Nathan (who becomes possessed by voices in the episode "Omen"), and her husband. Kylie becomes Esther's friend, and they are seen robbing items (such as a dog) in the episode "Margarita".
The series' other main characters are Esther's father, named Jack, and her grandfather, known as Daddy, who live in Buttevant
. The grandfather is an extreme authority figure, as seen in the first episode "Buttevant", and constantly berates Jack, calling him a "great big disappointment". The two of them are mostly seen drinking vinegar
(Jack thinking it was whisky
), and being visited by Soupy Norman, the title character. Soupy is always inebriated, and only ever delivers rambling, nonsensical rantings to the two men. In one episode, he asks to marry Esther's sister. He refers to Esther as "that culchie bitch". The Soupy Norman sequences are always taken from the same scene from First Love, and are repeated every episode.
The series has a subplot of Sean, a Dublin youth, trying to make a living in the city. He does this by applying for increasingly strange jobs, such as a builder
, walking a dog with "canine leg disorder", running the "Red Car Bar" nightclub, and helping Satanic spirits.
In the final episode, "Straz", a character called Soupy Dave is contracted to kill Jack by his wife, using a number of surreal techniques.
, and is amazed by the ordinary things in the city, such as buses and weathergirls. A woman (who has had previous jobs as a nun and an ice cream
) tells Ester to find representation in Dublin. Esther visits an agent, who claims was a representative of Mother Teresa
. It is later revealed he is a robber.
Meanwhile, in Buttevant, Jack and Grandad are wistful about Esther leaving for Dublin. Grandad belittles Jack, telling him he'll sit in "the bold chair" if he didn't shut up. Grandad has sent Soupy Norman to see how Esther is doing in Dublin. When he arrives back in Buttevant, all he can say to the two men is "Dublin....beans...Dublin, what are you lookin' at?!"
Esther is sad about being away from her family, but has brought a picture of "an old woman outside the village" with her, to remind her of home, "especially after midnight".
2. "Margarita" (Aired 31 May 2007) : Esther calls Jack, and asks him to come up to Dublin to visit her. Esther has been staying with Mrs. Gleeson, "a woman with red hair", and her daughter, Kylie. Kylie brings Esther along when she is out stealing, and Esther asks if they can steal a dog.
The Dublin youth has gotten a job as a dog-walker, and his first dog is called Margarita. It is revealed Margarita can't walk, as she has "canine leg disorder", so he'll have to carry her. Esther and Kylie steal Margarita off him, and he confesses this to his roommate, who is a priest
.
Jack travels up to Dublin, where he meets Mr. and Mrs. Gleeson. He is entranced by "that thing (Mrs. Gleeson) does with her eyes", which is simply moving them around. He travels back to Buttevant, and Grandad orders a pizza
for them both. Meanwhile, Esther shoots Margarita, as she cannot sell her to anyone.
It is revealed Grandad ordered the pizza from Soupy Norman, who now owns a pizza business. When he arrives, however, he refuses to give it to them, as they owe him money, and he put his schlong
in the last one he gave to them.
When he leaves, Jack and Grandad begin a farting contest.
3. "Taxi" (Aired 6 June 2007) : Jack and Grandad attempt to call a taxi
, in order to go to the pub. However, they are left waiting an entire day for it to arrive (when the taxi company said "twenty" they meant hours). While they waiting, they are visited by Soupy Dave, a dodgy salesman, who attempts to sell them many types of fish
(including a whale
).
Meanwhile, in Dublin, the youth is brought to the dole office by a taxi driver, as he is mistaken for a Romanian
immigrant.
After Dave is kicked out, Grandad tells Jack the story of how he met his wife, who is also called Esther, while working as a taxi driver in Dublin. It is shown that after a few minutes, Young Grandad proposes to her within minutes, and go off to buy a house.
Afterwards, very late at night, Soupy Norman arrives. He is their taxi driver. He refuses to take Grandad, as Soupy claims "he smells of cabbage
and wee
". He thens says the fare for the trip is €150. As Soupy stumbles back outside, Jack says to Grandad "You know, he's been off the booze for over a year ....that's nearly 12 months. I'll get the jackets."
4. "Doctors" (Aired 13 June 2007) : After Grandad starts talking to his eggs
(calling it soup
), Jack suggests he go see a doctor
. Grandad refuses, calling Jack a "disappointment. That you would tell me out loud my brain is broken!" He then proceeds to call the dog "Scaly" and tells it to "go back to your tank".
Meanwhile, in Dublin, Kylie is being forced to paint her head a different color by her father. Mr. Gleeson eventually leaves the house and moves to Italy
, as "the colors in (his family's) and my head don't match".
Jack visits a friend, who is married to a boy 31 years younger than her for advice on Grandad. She advises Jack to bring his dad to Soupy Norman, saying he'll "make (Grandad) better, or put him to sleep".
Up in Dublin, Mrs. Gleeson is looking for medical solutions to stop her husband from leaving for Italy. She is given "green hands, purple feet, blue eyes, and white face". Her reply is simple: "bollocks...".
Back in Buttevant, Soupy's service, "Norman's Head Doctors", arrives at the house. Soupy stumbles inside, drunk as usual. After Jack helps him off the floor, Soupy runs off, saying he'll "report (Jack) to some organisation I belong to".
Jack decides the best thing to do is "go to the scratcher
", and then adds "I'll warm up our thongs
".
5. Niteklub
6. Prodigirl
7. Omen
8. Straz
9. The Late Late Soupy Norman Tribute
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 programme broadcast by RTÉ
RTE
RTÉ is the abbreviation for Raidió Teilifís Éireann, the public broadcasting service of the Republic of Ireland.RTE may also refer to:* Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, 25th Prime Minister of Turkey...
. It was aired weekly on Thursday nights at 23:05 on the RTÉ Two
RTÉ Two
RTÉ Two is a free-to-air general entertainment channel operated by Irish state broadcaster Raidió Teilifís Éireann. RTÉ Two is available throughout the island of Ireland through digital terrestrial service Saorview, VHF and UHF bands, and is also available via satellite to Irish subscribers of...
channel, in ten-minute segments. The series ran from 24 May to 24 July 2007 . The show is a comedic re-dubbing of the Polish
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
soap opera Pierwsza miłość (First Love), which has been running on Polsat
Polsat
Polsat is Poland's second biggest television channel, founded on December 5, 1992 and owned by Zygmunt Solorz-Żak.Polsat belongs to the Polsat Group , which also owns other channels:*Polsat HD*Polsat 2 International*Polsat News*TV Biznes...
television since 2004.
The series is written and edited by Barry Murphy and Mark Doherty, with additional voices provided by Tara Flynn, Sue Collins, Luke Murphy and Mario Rosenstock
Mario Rosenstock
Mario Rosenstock born 31 August 1971, is an Irish actor, comedian, impressionist and musician who is best known for his parody music singles and his role in the Gift Grub comedy series on Irish radio station Today FM....
. Where the original soap opera dealt with a girl leaving her family behind to go to college, the re-dubbed version of the programme explores the culture shock
Culture shock
Culture shock is the anxiety, feelings of frustration, alienation and anger that may occur when a person is emplaced in a new culture.One of the most common causes of culture shock involves individuals in a foreign country. Culture shock can be described as consisting of one or more distinct phases...
of a dysfunctional Cork
County Cork
County Cork is a county in Ireland. It is located in the South-West Region and is also part of the province of Munster. It is named after the city of Cork . Cork County Council is the local authority for the county...
family in Dublin. The series' surreal humour
Surreal humour
Surreal humour is a form of humour based on violations of causal reasoning with events and behaviours that are logically incongruent. Constructions of surreal humour involve bizarre juxtapositions, non-sequiturs, irrational situations, and/or expressions of nonsense.The humour arises from a...
led to a cult following
Cult following
A cult following is a group of fans who are highly dedicated to a specific area of pop culture. A film, book, band, or video game, among other things, will be said to have a cult following when it has a small but very passionate fan base...
, with its episodes being popular on YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
.
A special episode entitled "The Late Late Soupy Norman Tribute" which featured dubbed clips from RTÉ
RTE
RTÉ is the abbreviation for Raidió Teilifís Éireann, the public broadcasting service of the Republic of Ireland.RTE may also refer to:* Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, 25th Prime Minister of Turkey...
's The Late Late Show
The Late Late Show
The Late Late Show, sometimes referred to as The Late Late, or in some cases by the acronym LLS, is the world's longest-running chat show by the same broadcaster and the official flagship television programme of Irish broadcasting company RTÉ...
as well as clips from previous episodes of Soupy Norman as well as including a new scene of the show. This was broadcast on Christmas Eve
Christmas Eve
Christmas Eve refers to the evening or entire day preceding Christmas Day, a widely celebrated festival commemorating the birth of Jesus of Nazareth that takes place on December 25...
2007..
A pilot sketch for the series initially aired on Armando Iannucci
Armando Iannucci
Armando Giovanni Iannucci is a Scottish comedian, satirist, writer, director, performer and radio producer. Born in Glasgow, he studied at Oxford University and left graduate work on a PhD about John Milton to pursue a career in comedy....
’s show Time Trumpet
Time Trumpet
Time Trumpet is a six-episode satirical television comedy series which aired on BBC Two in 2006. The series was written by Armando Iannucci, Roger Drew and Will Smith in a similar manner to Iannucci's earlier one-off programmes 2004: The Stupid Version and Clinton: His Struggle with...
on BBC 2.
Plot
The main story of the show concerns Esther, a young girl from ButtevantButtevant
Buttevant is a medieval market town, incorporated by charter of Edward III, situated in North County Cork, Ireland.While there may be reason to suggest that the town may occupy the site of an earlier settlement of the Donegans, Carrig Donegan, the origins of the present town are clearly and...
, County Cork
County Cork
County Cork is a county in Ireland. It is located in the South-West Region and is also part of the province of Munster. It is named after the city of Cork . Cork County Council is the local authority for the county...
, who travels up to Dublin to study in college. There she encounters strong discrimination, for being a "culchie
Culchie
In Irish-English culchie is a term sometimes used to describe a person from rural Ireland. In Dublin, it is often used to describe someone from without the bounds of the 'M50' motorway. It usually has a pejorative meaning, but is also reclaimed by some proud of their rural origin, and may be used...
". She lives with Susan Costigan, "a woman with red hair", her daughter Kylie, her son Nathan (who becomes possessed by voices in the episode "Omen"), and her husband. Kylie becomes Esther's friend, and they are seen robbing items (such as a dog) in the episode "Margarita".
The series' other main characters are Esther's father, named Jack, and her grandfather, known as Daddy, who live in Buttevant
Buttevant
Buttevant is a medieval market town, incorporated by charter of Edward III, situated in North County Cork, Ireland.While there may be reason to suggest that the town may occupy the site of an earlier settlement of the Donegans, Carrig Donegan, the origins of the present town are clearly and...
. The grandfather is an extreme authority figure, as seen in the first episode "Buttevant", and constantly berates Jack, calling him a "great big disappointment". The two of them are mostly seen drinking vinegar
Vinegar
Vinegar is a liquid substance consisting mainly of acetic acid and water, the acetic acid being produced through the fermentation of ethanol by acetic acid bacteria. Commercial vinegar is produced either by fast or slow fermentation processes. Slow methods generally are used with traditional...
(Jack thinking it was whisky
Whisky
Whisky or whiskey is a type of distilled alcoholic beverage made from fermented grain mash. Different grains are used for different varieties, including barley, malted barley, rye, malted rye, wheat, and corn...
), and being visited by Soupy Norman, the title character. Soupy is always inebriated, and only ever delivers rambling, nonsensical rantings to the two men. In one episode, he asks to marry Esther's sister. He refers to Esther as "that culchie bitch". The Soupy Norman sequences are always taken from the same scene from First Love, and are repeated every episode.
The series has a subplot of Sean, a Dublin youth, trying to make a living in the city. He does this by applying for increasingly strange jobs, such as a builder
Construction worker
A construction worker or builder is a professional, tradesman, or labourer who directly participates in the physical construction of infrastructure.-Construction trades:...
, walking a dog with "canine leg disorder", running the "Red Car Bar" nightclub, and helping Satanic spirits.
In the final episode, "Straz", a character called Soupy Dave is contracted to kill Jack by his wife, using a number of surreal techniques.
Episodes
1. "Buttevant" (Aired 24 May 2007): Esther travels up to Dublin on her pet donkeyDonkey
The donkey or ass, Equus africanus asinus, is a domesticated member of the Equidae or horse family. The wild ancestor of the donkey is the African Wild Ass, E...
, and is amazed by the ordinary things in the city, such as buses and weathergirls. A woman (who has had previous jobs as a nun and an ice cream
Ice cream
Ice cream is a frozen dessert usually made from dairy products, such as milk and cream, and often combined with fruits or other ingredients and flavours. Most varieties contain sugar, although some are made with other sweeteners...
) tells Ester to find representation in Dublin. Esther visits an agent, who claims was a representative of Mother Teresa
Mother Teresa
Mother Teresa , born Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu , was a Roman Catholic nun of Albanian ethnicity and Indian citizenship, who founded the Missionaries of Charity in Calcutta, India, in 1950...
. It is later revealed he is a robber.
Meanwhile, in Buttevant, Jack and Grandad are wistful about Esther leaving for Dublin. Grandad belittles Jack, telling him he'll sit in "the bold chair" if he didn't shut up. Grandad has sent Soupy Norman to see how Esther is doing in Dublin. When he arrives back in Buttevant, all he can say to the two men is "Dublin....beans...Dublin, what are you lookin' at?!"
Esther is sad about being away from her family, but has brought a picture of "an old woman outside the village" with her, to remind her of home, "especially after midnight".
2. "Margarita" (Aired 31 May 2007) : Esther calls Jack, and asks him to come up to Dublin to visit her. Esther has been staying with Mrs. Gleeson, "a woman with red hair", and her daughter, Kylie. Kylie brings Esther along when she is out stealing, and Esther asks if they can steal a dog.
The Dublin youth has gotten a job as a dog-walker, and his first dog is called Margarita. It is revealed Margarita can't walk, as she has "canine leg disorder", so he'll have to carry her. Esther and Kylie steal Margarita off him, and he confesses this to his roommate, who is a priest
Priest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
.
Jack travels up to Dublin, where he meets Mr. and Mrs. Gleeson. He is entranced by "that thing (Mrs. Gleeson) does with her eyes", which is simply moving them around. He travels back to Buttevant, and Grandad orders a pizza
Pizza
Pizza is an oven-baked, flat, disc-shaped bread typically topped with a tomato sauce, cheese and various toppings.Originating in Italy, from the Neapolitan cuisine, the dish has become popular in many parts of the world. An establishment that makes and sells pizzas is called a "pizzeria"...
for them both. Meanwhile, Esther shoots Margarita, as she cannot sell her to anyone.
It is revealed Grandad ordered the pizza from Soupy Norman, who now owns a pizza business. When he arrives, however, he refuses to give it to them, as they owe him money, and he put his schlong
Penis
The penis is a biological feature of male animals including both vertebrates and invertebrates...
in the last one he gave to them.
When he leaves, Jack and Grandad begin a farting contest.
3. "Taxi" (Aired 6 June 2007) : Jack and Grandad attempt to call a taxi
Taxicab
A taxicab, also taxi or cab, is a type of vehicle for hire with a driver, used by a single passenger or small group of passengers, often for a non-shared ride. A taxicab conveys passengers between locations of their choice...
, in order to go to the pub. However, they are left waiting an entire day for it to arrive (when the taxi company said "twenty" they meant hours). While they waiting, they are visited by Soupy Dave, a dodgy salesman, who attempts to sell them many types of fish
Fish
Fish are a paraphyletic group of organisms that consist of all gill-bearing aquatic vertebrate animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish, as well as various extinct related groups...
(including a whale
Whale
Whale is the common name for various marine mammals of the order Cetacea. The term whale sometimes refers to all cetaceans, but more often it excludes dolphins and porpoises, which belong to suborder Odontoceti . This suborder also includes the sperm whale, killer whale, pilot whale, and beluga...
).
Meanwhile, in Dublin, the youth is brought to the dole office by a taxi driver, as he is mistaken for a Romanian
Romanians
The Romanians are an ethnic group native to Romania, who speak Romanian; they are the majority inhabitants of Romania....
immigrant.
After Dave is kicked out, Grandad tells Jack the story of how he met his wife, who is also called Esther, while working as a taxi driver in Dublin. It is shown that after a few minutes, Young Grandad proposes to her within minutes, and go off to buy a house.
Afterwards, very late at night, Soupy Norman arrives. He is their taxi driver. He refuses to take Grandad, as Soupy claims "he smells of cabbage
Cabbage
Cabbage is a popular cultivar of the species Brassica oleracea Linne of the Family Brassicaceae and is a leafy green vegetable...
and wee
Urine
Urine is a typically sterile liquid by-product of the body that is secreted by the kidneys through a process called urination and excreted through the urethra. Cellular metabolism generates numerous by-products, many rich in nitrogen, that require elimination from the bloodstream...
". He thens says the fare for the trip is €150. As Soupy stumbles back outside, Jack says to Grandad "You know, he's been off the booze for over a year ....that's nearly 12 months. I'll get the jackets."
4. "Doctors" (Aired 13 June 2007) : After Grandad starts talking to his eggs
Egg (food)
Eggs are laid by females of many different species, including birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fish, and have probably been eaten by mankind for millennia. Bird and reptile eggs consist of a protective eggshell, albumen , and vitellus , contained within various thin membranes...
(calling it soup
Soup
Soup is a generally warm food that is made by combining ingredients such as meat and vegetables with stock, juice, water, or another liquid. Hot soups are additionally characterized by boiling solid ingredients in liquids in a pot until the flavors are extracted, forming a broth.Traditionally,...
), Jack suggests he go see a doctor
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
. Grandad refuses, calling Jack a "disappointment. That you would tell me out loud my brain is broken!" He then proceeds to call the dog "Scaly" and tells it to "go back to your tank".
Meanwhile, in Dublin, Kylie is being forced to paint her head a different color by her father. Mr. Gleeson eventually leaves the house and moves to Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, as "the colors in (his family's) and my head don't match".
Jack visits a friend, who is married to a boy 31 years younger than her for advice on Grandad. She advises Jack to bring his dad to Soupy Norman, saying he'll "make (Grandad) better, or put him to sleep".
Up in Dublin, Mrs. Gleeson is looking for medical solutions to stop her husband from leaving for Italy. She is given "green hands, purple feet, blue eyes, and white face". Her reply is simple: "bollocks...".
Back in Buttevant, Soupy's service, "Norman's Head Doctors", arrives at the house. Soupy stumbles inside, drunk as usual. After Jack helps him off the floor, Soupy runs off, saying he'll "report (Jack) to some organisation I belong to".
Jack decides the best thing to do is "go to the scratcher
Sleep
Sleep is a naturally recurring state characterized by reduced or absent consciousness, relatively suspended sensory activity, and inactivity of nearly all voluntary muscles. It is distinguished from quiet wakefulness by a decreased ability to react to stimuli, and is more easily reversible than...
", and then adds "I'll warm up our thongs
Thong (clothing)
The thong is a garment generally worn as either underwear or as a swimsuit in many industrialized societies around the world. It may also be worn for traditional ceremonies or competitions such as sumo wrestling...
".
5. Niteklub
6. Prodigirl
7. Omen
8. Straz
9. The Late Late Soupy Norman Tribute