Thrones and Roses: The history behind Game of Thrones, part 1

 With season 8 of HBO's Game of Thrones underway I thought I'd take a look at some of the historical events and figures that inspired the series. Although Game of Thrones is set in a distinctly fictional fantasy sphere, many aspects of the world portrayed in the series are reminiscent of medieval Europe. George R.R. Martin, the author of...

A reassessment of ‘Poor Polidori’: a look at the life and times of John William Polidori

“ 'We will each write a ghost story', said Lord Byron, and his proposition was acceded to. There were four of us” (Shelley, Author's Introduction, 7). The above quote is from Mary Shelley's introduction to her 1818 novel Frankenstein and refers to the fateful night in the summer of 1816 where Lord Byron ordered the guests gathered at...

Picnic at Hanging Rock: The story of Marion Quade

 In the late summer of 2018, RTÉ 2 aired the Australian set period drama Picnic at Hanging Rock. An adaptation of Joan Lindsay’s 1967 novel of the same name, the six-part series tells the story of the disappearance of three schoolgirls and their teacher in 1900 Australia. This is the second major screen adaptation of...

Picnic at Hanging Rock: “Purity and refinement, the Appleyard promise.” Part Two, conduct and confinement

In the late summer of 2018, RTÉ 2 aired the Australian set period drama Picnic at Hanging Rock. An adaptation of Joan Lindsay’s 1967 novel of the same name, the six-part series tells the story of the disappearance of three schoolgirls and their teacher in 1900 Australia. This is the second major screen adaptation of...

Picnic at Hanging Rock: “Purity and refinement, the Appleyard promise.” Part One, clothing and identity

In the late summer of 2018, RTÉ 2 aired the Australian set period drama Picnic at Hanging Rock. An adaptation of Joan Lindsay’s 1967 novel of the same name, the six-part series tells the story of the disappearance of three schoolgirls and their teacher in 1900 Australia. This is the second major screen adaptation of...

Picnic at Hanging Rock: “The arse end of the world.” Colonialism and escape in the Australian wilderness

In the late summer of 2018, RTÉ 2 aired the Australian set period drama Picnic at Hanging Rock. An adaptation of Joan Lindsay’s 1967 novel of the same name, the six-part series tells the story of the disappearance of three schoolgirls and their teacher in 1900 Australia. This is the second major screen adaptation of...

Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell: Hidden lives and conflicting identities in The Assassination of Gianni Versace

The second season of American Crime Story ended its run on RTÉ last month. Entitled The Assassination of Gianni Versace, the series focuses on the crimes of Andrew Cunanan, a disturbed young man who killed five people over a few months in 1997. The celebrated fashion designer Gianni Versace became Cunanan final victim on the 15th July. As...

Season 1 of Lisa McGee’s Derry Girls bows out with a gripping and poignant finale

Since its debut on Channel 4 this spring, Lisa McGee’s Derry Girls proved to be a hit with critics and viewers alike. Partly based on McGee’s experiences growing up in Derry, the series offered a refreshingly warm and funny look at adolescence in 1990’s Northern Ireland. Throughout the first season, the Troubles acted as a...

Funny Girls: A look at female-centric Irish television comedies

In celebration of the release of season one of Stefanie Preissner's comedy-drama, Can't Cope, Won't Cope on Netflix, I'm taking a look at some of the best recent Irish television comedies. I want to pay particular attention to comedies that have female writers and shows where female characters play a substantial role. Derry Girls: Lisa...

Five Daughters and Murdered By My Boyfriend: Giving a human face to the victims of crime

The following article looks at two BBC productions that recounted true incidents of violence against women. The three-part drama Five Daughters aired on BBC One in April 2010. Written by Stephen Butchard, the mini-series revolves around the Ipswich serial killer case, when Steve Wright murdered five young women during the winter of 2006. The BAFTA...