Could a drama produced by RTÉ, not featuring its executives, garner significant attention? ITV’s widely praised Mr Bates vs the Post Office, penned by Gwyneth Hughes, has shifted the spotlight back to the influential ‘state-of-the-nation’ TV dramas. These kinds of series not only mould political objectives but also draw huge crowds. So, where would an Irish state-of-the-nation drama fit within RTÉ’s ambitious plan of expanding its post-9 PM drama schedule to 60 hours per annum?
David Crean, RTÉ’s interim head of drama, and Dermot Horan, its director of co-productions and acquisitions, shared their insights, beginning with their recall of the last time RTÉ broadcast a state-of-the-nation decade-hopping drama. Crean cites ‘Taken Down’, penned by Jo Spain and Stuart Carolan, due to its strong focus on issues central to our society. The 2018 series followed a murder investigation undertaken by Garda, where a young migrant had been found dead near a direct provision centre. True, this reaction would match mine as well, but it’s almost been six years — isn’t there a need for more?
Crean concurs, adding that RTÉ has already got two mini-series lined up for 2026, both inspired by existing works of literature. One such development reflects on life in Ireland during the 80s and 90s and would qualify as ‘state-of-the-nation’, according to Crean. The important thing is to ensure that stories are being told by those who are invested in telling them, not because they are merely assigned the task.
For instance, while they may avoid explicitly asking for a drama about neurodiversity, the topic might come up naturally in conversation with scriptwriters, allowing for topics that truly reflect the ‘state-of-the-nation’. TV dramas don’t necessarily need to explicitly chase the ‘state-of-the-nation’ angle to convey societal messages. Take, for example, The Responder by BBC or Connell’s therapeutic visit in Normal People produced by Element Pictures for BBC and Hulu.
Agreed, dramatic portrayals that explicitly champion certain matters can often cross the line into awkwardness. The idea of reflecting the state of a nation through television might even be considered outdated, stemming from a time when TV viewers were not as segmented and platforms like Netflix were unheard of.
The Guardian termed the special TV programme “Mr Bates vs the Post Office” as a state-of-the-nation production, drawing on the real-life confounding injustices it was based on to boost its popularity. Classic state-of-the-nation dramas, though – expansive works of fiction pushing a political agenda – might face more difficulty in achieving a similar impact.
BBC Drama director Lindsay Salt in February claimed the term was somewhat “moth-eaten and outmoded”, expressing her desire to modernise it to represent narratives that were not necessarily “serious or burdened with teachings” but candid, “untidy”, and crucial.
The question, however, is whether smaller, fragile markets like Ireland have the financial muscle to produce television that stimulates national introspection, particularly in a context where global co-productions are commonplace.
Kevin Bakhurst, RTÉ director general’s New Direction strategy details the typical investment in a drama at around 20% if it is developed and commissioned by RTÉ. The contribution is significantly smaller if developed elsewhere, although for some series like the forthcoming four-part drama “The Boy That Never Was” based on a Karen Perry novel, the investment may be higher.
The Section 481 tax credit factors in a net 25%, with Screen Ireland adding 10%, and international distributors and broadcasters accounting for 45%. This implies that even when RTÉ spends between €12 million-€13 million on drama, excluding Fair City, in a single year, as was the case in 2023, the total budget that audiences witness on screen would amount to roughly €60 million.
According to Horan, only Netflix, Disney+, and Apple TV+ currently finance their original shows entirely. This financial model has enabled RTÉ to increase its post-watershed drama content to over 30 hours a year. The resulting international deals offer substantial value for license fee payers in terms of volume. However, a bloated 43½ hours tally in 2023 was a result of tight fiscal conditions, as the broadcaster kept its 2022 shortfall to €2.8 million by postponing the airing of Clean Sweep, a thriller, and The Dry, a comedy-drama by Element Pictures.
The Dry, penned by Nancy Harris and co-produced with ITV, is a meticulously crafted gem that is returning for its second season next month, with a third in the pipeline. 2023 also saw the breakout of Obituary, a dark comedic crime drama from Ray Lawlor, which offered an unusual angle rarely seen on RTÉ. After a successful run on Hulu in the US, the show will be making a comeback next year. Both series accurately capture the essence of Ireland.
Ed Guiney, co-founder of Element Pictures, however, believes there’s a gap in this picture. He asserts that many concepts that could potentially be successful with the Irish audience are scrapped due to lack of significant resources from the local public service broadcaster, which is critical for securing international finances.
Despite appreciating RTÉ’s support for The Dry, Guiney thinks it should not let its corporate governance crisis go unaddressed. He hopes that the broadcaster will pay heed to criticisms and make changes in how they engage with the creative community.
Jennifer Davidson, a screenwriter who also chairs the Writers Guild of Ireland, observes a certain risk aversion in RTÉ’s current strategy. She notes an overwhelming focus on crime dramas, which is not to undermine their value. According to her, writers often do not explore certain genres, such as period dramas, as production houses usually discourage them with assumptions about RTÉ’s preferences.
In what could be seen as a time-efficient process, RTÉ has outlined in its current commissioning criteria what to exclude from proposed pitches. The blacklist includes genres such as supernatural tales (excluding ghosts, vampires, or mummies), science fiction, biographies, shows set in hospitals or police stations, and period dramas among others. Whilst this may seem somewhat dismissive, Crean emphasises that the intent is not to restrict creativity but to consider what is financially viable, what they believe the audience will enjoy, and what aligns with the directives from the executives.
Looking to the future, he plans on meticulously targeting content to avoid an overload of repeat genre patterns, such as producing numerous crime dramas with a female lead in a cosy jumper. His belief is that viewers aren’t looking to end their evenings in a state of fear, hidden under their bedclothes.
Meanwhile, crime series involving multiple jurisdictions have grown common, with local critics appearing to grow weary of the convention, particularly upon the release of The Gone, a New Zealand-based production co-created by Keeper Pictures, last autumn.
Horan strongly contests these negative reactions, asserting significant investment and asserting the storyline – revolving around a missing Irish citizen – provides a meaningful narrative to resonate with audiences in a time of high youth emigration. He queries whether British viewers criticised The Tourist, a BBC production set in Australia.
The Gone is scheduled to resume later this year, alongside the cross-border drama Hidden Assets, set to return for a third season in 2025, moving the international plotline from Antwerp to Bilbao. North Sea Connection, however, was a one-off, concluding with multiple cliffhangers in 2022, as Scandinavian streaming platform Viaplay ceased their funding of English language co-productions.
Kin, touted as RTÉ’s most successful drama since Love/Hate, is currently in an uncertain situation due to the filing of Chapter 11 bankruptcy by Bron Studios, the Canadian company that provided significant financial backing for the Dublin-based gangster family narrative. As a result, the assets relating to Kin are up for grabs, and the possibility of a third series hinges on who purchases the assets.
Horan compares the situation to attempting to acquire property in an estate sale. This irregularity results from the unexpected consequences of the so-called ‘peak TV’ bubble, fuelled by streaming platforms, bursting. Now, in the ‘post-peak-TV’ era, achieving RTÉ’s target of 60 hours of content becomes a more challenging feat, not to mention the network’s own shaky financial situation.
Horan notes that the targeted 60 hours are dependent upon future funding. Reforming the licence fee is only a piece of the puzzle. A potential solution could be to impose a content levy on foreign broadcasters and streamers operating in the country, which could generate an estimated €25 million for the sector each year, an idea that has not been yet explored.
Other networks can provide a home for good scripts that RTÉ might not be able to accommodate. Baz Ashmawy’s modern family sitcom Faithless found a sponsor in Virgin Media Television after initially being developed with RTÉ’s comedy department. TG4 picked up Stephen Jones’s Northern Lights, a soft-paced grief drama, after RTÉ chose not to pursue it.
But unless the government entirely withdraws funding, RTÉ is still likely to be the preferred platform for impactful ‘national statement pieces’ that stimulate discussion and bring about change. UK commissioners, for instance, have been encouraged by the public response to Mr Bates vs the Post Office, which aired in the midst of a public inquiry, and are keen to produce dramas that could similarly spotlight other noteworthy injustices.
Furthermore, a plan by the BBC to adapt James Graham’s play Dear England into a show – which explores themes of masculinity, colonialism, and depicts the story of Gareth Southgate – inspired a suggestion that the RTÉ could create a drama about the Football Association of Ireland. However, as RTÉ learned from its experience with Whistleblower (2008), creating a show around an ongoing news story has many legal complications. “I admire ITV for figuring it out,” concedes Horan.
The future of RTÉ is currently uncertain, as the government dangles its fate. This may hinder the broadcaster’s capacity to make big moves. However, Guiney is not alone in believing that it is RTE’s duty to champion daring narratives reflecting modern Ireland. Audiences might also remain optimistic that sooner rather than later, according to the broadcaster’s teaser for “local drama”, it will satisfy a new kind of craving.