Hardy Bucks

Last updated

Hardy Bucks
Hardy Bucks logo.jpg
Also known asHardy Bucks Ride Again
Written by
  • Martin Maloney
  • Chris Tordoff
  • Owen Colgan
  • Tom Kilgallon
  • Peter Cassidy
  • Mike Cockayne
StarringMartin Maloney
Owen Colgan
Peter Cassidy
Tom Kilgallon
Jamie Gartlan as Salmon
Chris Tordoff
Country of origin Ireland
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons4
No. of episodes32 (12 webisodes + 20 episodes)
Production
Producer Mike Cockayne
Running time26 minutes per episode (TV)
9 minutes per webisode
Original release
Network RTÉ Two
Release19 October 2008 (2008-10-19) 
12 April 2018 (2018-04-12)

Hardy Bucks is an Irish comedy series, filmed in mockumentary style and following the fictional exploits of a group of twentysomething slackers living in small-town Ireland.

Contents

It started out as an online series of largely improvised scenes. A six-part webisode series went on to win the 2009 Storyland competition held by Irish national broadcaster RTÉ Television.

Production

Hardy Bucks was created in 2007 when Chris Tordoff (Viper Higgins) filmed Martin Maloney (Eddie Durkan) and Owen Colgan (Buzz McDonnell) for a college project. After sitting on the footage for a year, Tordoff uploaded the shorts to YouTube. Hardy Bucks was entered into the RTÉ Storyland competition and from a total of 122 applications, nine projects were commissioned to make one episode each. These episodes were released in March 2009. With all nine projects on the website, the public could vote for their favourite and at the end of every month the shows with the fewest votes would be voted off, leaving the remaining teams to make the next episode with the same €8,000 budget per episode. Hardy Bucks made it all the way to the finals (two teams) and ultimately won with the largest number of votes. The show was filmed on location in Swinford, County Mayo, from where many of the extras were sourced.

A three-episode television series, written by the writing trio Tordoff, Maloney and Mike Cockayne, was commissioned and broadcast by RTÉ from 12 October 2010 until 26 October 2010. [1] Following the success of the debut television series, RTÉ commissioned a half-hour Christmas special which aired on 26 December 2010, with Liz Gill succeeding Cockayne as director. [2] Hardy Bucks' second series, a six-episode run, was broadcast by RTÉ during 2011. The Hardy Bucks Movie was released by Universal Pictures in Feb 2013, achieving Box Office no.1 on its opening weekend and becoming the most successful Irish film of the year. Hardy Bucks returned with a third series in November 2015, and again with a fourth series in March 2018.

The programme has been compared to Trailer Park Boys , a Canadian mockumentary, with Tordoff citing the show as an influence. [3]

Characters

Protagonists

Antagonists

Other characters

Episode list

Webisodes

No.TitleOriginal air date
1"Eddie & Buzz"19 October 2008 (2008-10-19)
Introduces the two "hardy bucks" and the Viper. They visit the library where they meet "Ladybird" who runs a psychic book club. "The Boo" somehow finds his way into Eddie and Buzz's cottage, and teaches them about weapons. Eddie gets drunk and stoned the night before his Safe Pass test.
2"Safe Pass"19 October 2008 (2008-10-19)
Eddie sits the Safe Pass Course which he needs to get on the sites in Galway. Buzz has other ideas and runs away to meet new friends at Ladybirds workshop.
3"The Plan"20 October 2008 (2008-10-20)
It's time for a plan. Galway beckons but the lads have no money. With a bit of help from an unwitting buddy, they hatch a scheme that's guaranteed to at least cover the petrol money. The lads manage to escape the disturbing Aloisius Lavin but how will they throw a party if the Viper has their mushrooms?
4"The Mitzi Turbo Cup"16 March 2009 (2009-03-16)
The lads try to earn a bit of money "in the claw" by entering the Mitzi Turbo Cup - an annual underground boy racer tournament.
5"Foamy Nites"27 April 2009 (2009-04-27)
After getting laid off Big Mick's construction site, the lads try their hand at organizing a party to make some quick cash
6"Episode 6"5 June 2009 (2009-06-05)
Summer is upon Castletown, and the lads try their hand at speed dating. Buzz learns of Viper's relationship with Ladybird.
7"The Drink is a Curse"21 July 2009 (2009-07-21)
A lovely bit of sunshine descents upon Castletown. Eddie's cousin Lexus is introduced. The bucks gatecrash a party in the forest.
8"The Interview"31 August 2009 (2009-08-31)
Big Mick secures Eddie a job interview, but everyone in the town is trying for the same job. Buzz forgoes it in favor of a local festival.
9"Episode 9"29 September 2009 (2009-09-29)
Scorpio is hosting a karaoke party. The Viper has to corner the local drug market, and Noreen has some important news for Eddie.
10"Christmas in Castletown"27 December 2009 (2009-12-27)
The lads have to figure out how to make cash for Christmas. French Toast and Buzz teach an urban survival course in the handball alley; while The Boo brings Salmon out the forest to cut down Christmas trees and hopefully teach him about the ways of nature.
11"No One Shouted Shtop!"12 April 2011 (2011-04-12)
The bucks reflect upon the recession. The Guards seize 400k worth of hash from a local gaff, opening the market up for the Viper
12"The Lads of Summer"3 May 2011 (2011-05-03)
The Boo is trying to break into the security industry, as Obama is about to visit Ireland.

Television

Season 1 (2010)

No.
overall
No. in
season
TitleOriginal air date
11"The Shkyline"10 October 2010 (2010-10-10)
Eddie tries to earn some extra cash by running a taxi service, as well as entering a celebrity look-alike contest.
22"Zambezi Nights"17 October 2010 (2010-10-17)
The Bucks promote a Zambezi-themed restaurant. The Viper tries to harass Eddie.
33"King of the Town"24 October 2010 (2010-10-24)
The Bucks recruit Lexus in an effort to win the annual King of the Town competition, a day-long celebration of toughness and debauchery.
44"Christmas Special"26 December 2010 (2010-12-26)
The Bucks hit the 12 pubs of Christmas culminating in the ultimate hangover cure – a Hardy Christmas dinner.

Season 2 (2011)

No.
overall
No. in
season
TitleOriginal air date
51"America"14 November 2011 (2011-11-14)
A lie told by Eddie in order to impress his ex-girlfriend sets his life on a new track. Meanwhile, Frenchtoast hopes to change his fortunes, but is finding it difficult to get help from the lads - especially Buzz, whose sex life has reached an unexpected high.
62"Broadband"21 November 2011 (2011-11-21)
Boo has an offer the gang cannot refuse, a plan that will see them bringing the cottage into the 21st-century, but they hit a stumbling block when Buzz's aunty decides to visit. Meanwhile, Viper schemes to bring his big plan to fruition, but realises he needs help from Simcard to make it happen
73"L.A. Pool Party"28 November 2011 (2011-11-28)
Having lost the cottage, the lads are homeless. Buzz and Frenchtoast move in with Simcard, leaving Eddie to move back in with his family. Eddie gets the lads work at an "LA pool party", organised by an unknown artist.
84"The Vision"5 December 2011 (2011-12-05)
Buzz visits Eddie in the middle of the night after experiencing a vision in a dream, but when the future does not pan out as Buzz imagined, it is up to Frenchtoast to bring the boys back together. Meanwhile the Viper gives Simcard his dream job.
95"The Stag"12 December 2011 (2011-12-12)
Eddie is asked to perform an important duty for Salmon, and considers Uncle Mick's surprise solution to his problems.
106"Salmon's Wedding"19 December 2011 (2011-12-19)
Buzz calls on the help of Boo when his sex-life causes him problems, and Viper goes into hiding after his insurance policy falls through. Meanwhile, the whole town turns out for a major event on the social calendar, and Eddie spots an opportunity to make amends when he shares an intimate moment with his ex.

Season 3: Hardy Bucks Ride Again (2015)

No.
overall
No. in
season
TitleOriginal air date
111"Panic Attack"26 October 2015 (2015-10-26)
Eddie feels he needs a woman's touch to put him back on the straight and narrow, so tries to win back Noreen.
122"The Psych Ward"2 November 2015 (2015-11-02)
After ruining his chances with his ex, Eddie Durkan finds love in a psychiatric ward, and Boo offers the lads the chance to run their own pub.
133"Soft Lad"9 November 2015 (2015-11-09)
Castletown is about to witness its first ever interracial gay wedding, while Eddie has finally got a job. But can he cope with the pressure from his nymphomaniac girlfriend, the lads at work and his best mate, who all think he's gone soft?
144"Castle Con"23 November 2015 (2015-11-23)
When a minor celebrity lands in Castletown Eddie spots an opportunity and decides to put on a science fiction convention. Meanwhile Viper joins one of Ireland’s biggest gangs, but has he bitten off more than he can chew?
155"Oxogen"30 November 2015 (2015-11-30)
Castletown is hosting a major music festival and Eddie decides to organise a day out with the lads, but his plans for a bonding session go awry when his long-lost brother turns up.
166"The Intervention"7 December 2015 (2015-12-07)
With Frenchtoast still on the wagon, the lads decide to take drastic action and plan an intervention to get him back on the drink. Eddie and Buzz's love lives become very complicated. Meanwhile, Viper organises a fight with the Sligo boy's with help from the Chinese.

Season 4 (2018)

No.
overall
No. in
season
TitleOriginal air date
171"Threeway"20 March 2018 (2018-03-20)
Ciara wants Eddie to move in with her, while the Viper acquires an ice-cream van and tries to use it to sell hash.
182"Jimmy the Hammer"29 March 2018 (2018-03-29)
Eddie is moving out of the cottage, but then Buzz's long lost cousin Jimmy 'The Hammer' Harrington shows up to cause trouble.
193"VR"5 April 2018 (2018-04-05)
Viper tries to resurrect his business by gambling, while the lads attempt to set up a virtual reality pub.
204"The Viper"12 April 2018 (2018-04-12)
The guys receive bad news from Bangkok.

Film

On 28 November 2012, a trailer was released to promote The Hardy Bucks Movie , scheduled for cinematic release on 21 February 2013. The film follows the Hardy Bucks as they travel to Poland to support the Irish football team during the UEFA Euro 2012 football tournament. The film was produced by Universal Studios. The film had a budget of €300,000, partly funded by a €175,000 production loan granted by The Irish Film Board, and was an Irish box office success. It grossed €176,887 on its opening weekend from 57 locations, and went on to take over €500,000 at the Irish box office.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">RTÉ2</span> Irish television station

RTÉ2 is an Irish free-to-air television channel operated by public service broadcaster RTÉ. It was launched in 1978 as the Republic of Ireland's second television channel.

<i>Challenging Times</i> Irish TV series or programme

Challenging Times was a television quiz show for teams representing higher education institutes in Ireland, both those in the Republic of Ireland and those in Northern Ireland. It was televised by Raidió Teilifís Éireann (RTÉ) from 1991 to 2001, sponsored by The Irish Times, and presented by Kevin Myers, then a columnist with that newspaper. The programme used a quizbowl format similar to that of University Challenge in the United Kingdom, which is itself a licensed version of the College Bowl format popular in the United States. Each year, 16 teams qualified for the televised knockout stages, with two teams of three competing in each programme up to the final.

Killinaskully is an Irish television comedy series which details the bizarre goings-on in a fictitious Irish village called Killinaskully located in the hills of Ireland. It was actually filmed on location in the villages of Killoscully and Ballinahinch near Birdhill in County Tipperary, the title being a fusion of these two placenames. The show's humour comes from the unusual characterisations of traditional, stereotypical rural Irish folk. The show was chiefly written by the comedian, Pat Shortt, who also performed many of his own roles - starring among him were Jack Walsh, Joe Rooney and Páraic Breathnach. It has spawned its own themed holiday in farm accommodation in the Slieve Felim Mountain range region, within walking distance of the village used for filming the series. In an allusion to the popular song released by Pat Shortt, visitors are given a complimentary "Jumbo Breakfast Roll" upon their arrival.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Swinford</span> Town in County Mayo, Ireland

Swinford is a town in County Mayo, Ireland. It is surrounded by a number of smaller villages, including Midfield and Meelick. It is just off the N5 road, 18 km (11 mi) from Knock Airport. Situated on a tributary of the River Moy, Swinford is known for its fishing waters, including the Callow lakes and the lakes of Conn and Cullin. Swinford was bypassed in 1993 by the N5 route and was the first town in Mayo to be bypassed.

David Wilmot is an Irish stage, screen and television actor.

<i>One to One</i> (TV series) Irish TV series or programme

One to One was an Irish television series which airs on RTÉ One. Since the first edition was broadcast at 12:15pm on 1 October 2006, the programme has featured personal interviews with a well-known figure from Ireland and abroad, one per episode. The second series moved to a Monday slot, beginning on 1 October 2007. A third series was broadcast during the summer months of June and July 2008. The fourth series aired from 10 November 2008 to 16 March 2009.

Conversations with Eamon Dunphy was an Irish radio programme, on which Eamon Dunphy interviewed various celebrities. It aired on Saturdays on RTÉ Radio 1.

<i>Republic of Telly</i> Irish TV series or programme

Republic of Telly is a TV review and magazine programme on Irish public broadcaster, RTÉ2. Presented by comedian Kevin McGahern, the programme is intended as a satirical examination of television, mocking various Irish and British TV channels, including sketches and special guests making an appearance from the shows. An added feature of the show is its correspondents Jennifer Maguire and Bernard O'Shea. Maguire conducts vox pops and celebrity interviews, whereas O'Shea conducts live 'on the spot' reports. Series two also introduced comedians The Rubberbandits as reporters, bizarre weathermen and agony aunts. The series has contributed to the chart success of The Rubberbandits single "Horse Outside", as well as "Everybody's Drinkin'" and "Big Box Little Box" by Damo and Ivor.

Susan Patricia Loughnane is an Irish actress and author. She is known for playing Debbie in drama Love/Hate, for which she won the 2013 Irish Film and Television Award for Best Supporting Actress. Her first novel The Art of Scandal was published in October 2014.

The 9th Irish Film & Television Awards took place on Saturday 11 February 2012 at the Convention Centre Dublin (CCD), honouring Irish film and television released in 2011.

<i>The Hardy Bucks Movie</i> 2013 Irish film

The Hardy Bucks Movie is a 2013 Irish comedy film based on the RTÉ Two sitcom Hardy Bucks, directed by Mike Cockayne. The film follows the characters from the TV series, a group of Irish slackers who travel to Poland to follow the Republic of Ireland team at UEFA Euro 2012. It stars Martin Maloney, Chris Tordoff, Owen Colgan, Peter Cassidy and Tom Kilgallon. The Hardy Bucks Movie was released on 13 February 2013 to favourable reviews, and was a box office success in Ireland.

Celebrity Apprentice Ireland is an Irish reality television series, in which a group of Irish celebrities compete for the chance to win €25,000 for their chosen charity.

The following is a list of events relating to television in Ireland from 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chris Tordoff</span> Irish comedian, actor, and writer

Chris Tordoff is an English-born Irish comedian, actor, writer, YouTuber, and streamer. He is best known for co-creating the RTÉ mockumentary series Hardy Bucks, in which he plays drug dealer Francis "The Viper" Higgins. He has reprised the role in other media, such as The Hardy Bucks Movie, the comedy series Republic of Telly and Viper's View, and on his own YouTube and Twitch channels.

<i>The Young Offenders</i> (TV series) Television series

The Young Offenders is an Irish coming-of-age television sitcom, developed by Peter Foott, for RTÉ and BBC Three. Based on the IFTA-winning 2016 film of the same name, the first series began broadcasting on 1 February 2018, to generally favourable reviews. The series follows the lives of Conor MacSweeney and Jock O'Keeffe, lovable rogues from Cork.

Kevin McGahern is an Irish comedian, TV presenter, writer and actor. He is the former host of Republic of Telly between 2013 and 2017 and documentary series Kevin McGahern's America.

Normal People is a romantic psychological drama television miniseries produced by Element Pictures for BBC Three and Hulu in association with Screen Ireland. It is based on the 2018 novel by Sally Rooney. The series follows the relationship between Marianne Sheridan and Connell Waldron, as they navigate adulthood from their final days in secondary school to their undergraduate years in Trinity College. The series was primarily written by Rooney and Alice Birch and directed by Lenny Abrahamson and Hettie Macdonald.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jambon</span> Savoury pastry snack

Jambons are square pastries filled with cheese and chunks of ham. They are a ubiquitous deli item in Ireland and parts of the UK. The product emerged during the 1990s as part of a broader movement towards "food to go". The multinational bakery company Délifrance claims to have adapted and launched the jambon as a new product in the Irish market in 1997.

Last Singer Standing is an Irish singing competition show that was first broadcast on 23 October 2021 on RTÉ One.

References

  1. Hardy Bucks TV debut Archived 18 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine Connaught Telegraph, 12 October 2010
  2. "Hardy Bucks". RTÉ.ie. Retrieved 20 February 2013.
  3. INTERVIEW:The Hardy Bucks of Swinford Mayo News, 22 June 2009