Say Nothing (TV series)

Last updated

Say Nothing
Say Nothing FX (TV Series).jpg
GenreDrama
Created byJoshua Zetumer
Based on Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland by Patrick Radden Keefe
Starring
Country of originUnited States
Original languagesEnglish
Irish
No. of episodes9
Production
Executive producers
Producer
Production companies
Original release
Network FX on Hulu (United States)
Disney+ (Internationally)
ReleaseNovember 14, 2024 (2024-11-14)

Say Nothing is a 2024 historical drama limited series created by Joshua Zetumer and produced by FX Productions. The series premiered on November 14, 2024, on FX on Hulu. It is an adaptation of the 2018 book by Patrick Radden Keefe [1] and details four generations in Northern Ireland during The Troubles. [2] Say Nothing received generally positive reviews from critics. [3]

Contents

Synopsis

The series follows the lives of people growing up in Belfast in the 1970s, 80s and 90s during the Troubles, as well as their involvement in the Provisional Irish Republican Army, and inquiries into the Disappeared and particularly the murder of Jean McConville. [4] Interviews from the Belfast Project are woven into the narrative which also includes depictions of the 1973 Old Bailey bombing and the subsequent hunger strike by the Price sisters, Dolours and Marian. [5]

Cast

Episodes

No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal release date
1"The Cause" Michael Lennox Joshua ZetumerNovember 14, 2024 (2024-11-14)
2"Land of Password, Wink, and Nod"Michael LennoxJoshua ZetumerNovember 14, 2024 (2024-11-14)
3"I'll Be Seeing You" Mary Nighy Clare Barron November 14, 2024 (2024-11-14)
4"Tout"Mary NighyJoe MurtaghNovember 14, 2024 (2024-11-14)
5"Evil Little Maniacs"Anthony ByrneStory by : Joe Murtagh & Kirsten Sheridan & Joshua Zetumer
Teleplay by : Joe Murtagh		November 14, 2024 (2024-11-14)
6"Do No Harm"Alice SeabrightClare BarronNovember 14, 2024 (2024-11-14)
7"Theater People"Anthony ByrneClare Barron & Joshua ZetumerNovember 14, 2024 (2024-11-14)
8"I Lay Waiting"Michael LennoxStory by : Kirsten Sheridan
Teleplay by : Kirsten Sheridan & Joshua Zetumer		November 14, 2024 (2024-11-14)
9"The People in the Dirt"Michael LennoxJoshua ZetumerNovember 14, 2024 (2024-11-14)

Production

The production is an adaptation of the Patrick Radden Keefe best-selling book Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland , which detailed the abduction and murder of widowed mother-of-ten Jean McConville. [6] Edward McDonnell, Monica Levinson, Joshua Zetumer and Michael Lennox are executive producers with Zetumer also serving as showrunner and Lennox directing the nine-part series. Nina Jacobson and Brad Simpson's Color Force are producing. [7]

In February 2024, Lola Petticrew, Hazel Doupe, Anthony Boyle, Josh Finan and Maxine Peake were confirmed as the lead cast. [8] The cast also includes Michael Colgan, Kerri Quinn, Stuart Graham, Laura Donnelly, Rory Kinnear, Amy Molloy, Helen Behan, Damien Molony and Judith Roddy. [9] [10] [11] [5] Filming took place in the Walton area of Liverpool in May 2023. Filming locations also include Belfast, London, Sheffield, [12] and Shepton Mallet Prison, near Bath in Somerset in August and September 2023. [13]

Broadcast

The series was released internationally on 14 November, 2024, on Disney+ in the UK and elsewhere [14] and on Hulu in the United States. [15]

The series portrays Gerry Adams as being a senior IRA commander. Adams has always denied any involvement in the IRA. Each episode contains an endnote stating "Gerry Adams has always denied being a member of the IRA or participating in any IRA-related violence." [16] At the end of episodes 7 to 9 there is an additional disclaimer that "He further denies any involvement in the abduction of Jean McConville."

Episode 9 depicts Marian shooting Jean McConville. Marian Price has denied any involvement in the death of McConville. [16] [17] The episode contains an endnote stating "Marian Price also denies any involvement in the murder of Jean McConville." In December 2024, she initiated legal action against the makers of the show for the depiction. [18]

Reception

Viewership

The streaming aggregator Reelgood, which tracks 20 million monthly viewing decisions across all streaming platforms in the U.S., calculated that Say Nothing was the seventh most-streamed series in the U.S. from November 14—20. [19] [20] It moved to ninth place for the week ending November 27. [21] [22]

Critical response

Say Nothing holds a 93% "Certified Fresh" approval rating from 45 critics and an average rating of 8.5/10 on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes. The critics consensus on the website states, "All the more powerful for its moral and political ambiguity, Say Nothing is a haunting depiction of The Troubles." [23] On Metacritic, the series has a "generally favorable" reception based on a weighted average score of 80 out of 100 from 23 critics. [24]

Benji Wilson of The Daily Telegraph gave Say Nothing a grade of five stars out of five, describing it as a powerful blend of history, tragedy, and thriller, effectively weaving together multiple narratives that span four decades of the Troubles in Northern Ireland. He praised the series for its compelling portrayal of key figures like Gerry Adams, Jean McConville, Dolours Price, and Brendan Hughes, noting their strong performances and well-developed storylines. Wilson acknowledged the challenge of adapting Patrick Radden Keefe's 2018 book but commended the show for capturing its essence. He pointed out that the series initially romanticizes the IRA but later shifts to a more profound reflection on the past, with the inclusion of interviews from the Belfast Tapes. He highlighted the theme of the need for reconciliation and the tension between silence and truth, particularly through the character of Gerry Adams. [9] Lucy Mangan of The Guardian rated Say Nothing three stars out of five, saying it could have easily become chaotic, given its multiple narratives and time shifts, but it maintains clarity by firmly grounding its characters and their stories in history. She praised the series for its gripping portrayal of the Troubles, particularly focusing on the abduction of Jean McConville and the story of Dolours Price, an IRA volunteer. Mangan highlighted the performances, especially from Maxine Peake as Dolours in later years and Lola Petticrew as her younger self. She noted that while the series is emotionally engaging, it sometimes feels overly sympathetic to its main characters, particularly the Price sisters, Gerry Adams, and Brendan Hughes, and fails to fully address the consequences of their actions. Despite its darkening tone, Mangan felt that the show did not sufficiently reckon with the suffering caused by its protagonists. [25]

Reactions

McConville's son was critical of the adaption, saying that "[u]sing what happened to our mother for entertainment is sickening. To make money out of her murder and the pain that has been in our lives ever since is cruel and obscene. I doubt they even think of us as real people." [26] On 4 December 2024, Marian Price announced, through her solicitor, that she would be taking legal action against Disney+ over the series depicting her killing Jean McConville. [27] [28] [29]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gerry Adams</span> Irish republican politician (born 1948)

Gerard Adams is a retired Irish republican politician who was the president of Sinn Féin between 13 November 1983 and 10 February 2018, and served as a Teachta Dála (TD) for Louth from 2011–2020. From 1983–1992 and from 1997–2011, he won election as a Member of Parliament (MP) of the UK Parliament for the Belfast West constituency, but followed the policy of abstentionism.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stephen Rea</span> Irish actor (born 1946)

Stephen Rea is an Irish actor of stage and screen. Born in Belfast, Northern Ireland, he began his career as a member of Dublin's Focus Theatre, and played many roles on the stage and on Irish television. He came to the attention of international film audiences in Irish filmmaker Neil Jordan's 1992 film The Crying Game, and subsequently starred in many more of Jordan's films, including Interview with the Vampire (1994), Michael Collins (1996), Breakfast on Pluto (2005), and Greta (2018). He also played a starring role in the Hugo Blick 2011 TV series The Shadow Line.

Jean McConville was a woman from Belfast, Northern Ireland, who was kidnapped and murdered by the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) and secretly buried in County Louth in the Republic of Ireland in 1972 after being accused by the IRA of passing information to British forces.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eamonn McCann</span> Northern Irish writer and activist (born 1943)

Eamonn McCann is an Irish political activist, former politician and journalist from Derry, Northern Ireland. McCann was a People Before Profit (PBP) Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) for Foyle from 2016 to 2017. In 2019, he was elected to Derry City and Strabane District Council, remaining in the position until his resignation for health reasons in March 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Denis Donaldson</span> Irish republican (1950–2006)

Denis Martin Donaldson was a volunteer in the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) and a member of Sinn Féin who was killed following his exposure in December 2005 as an informer in the employ of MI5 and the Special Branch of the Police Service of Northern Ireland. It was initially believed that the Provisional IRA were responsible for his killing although the Real IRA claimed responsibility for his murder almost three years later. His friendship with French writer and journalist Sorj Chalandon inspired two novels: My Traitor and Return to Killybegs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dolours Price</span> PIRA volunteer; Irish republican activist (1950-2013)

Dolours Price was a Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) volunteer. She grew up in an Irish republican family and joined the IRA in 1971. She was sent to jail for her role in the 1973 Old Bailey bombing, and released in 1981. In her later life, Price was a vocal opponent of the Irish peace process, Sinn Fein, and Gerry Adams.

Marian Price, also known by her married name as Marian McGlinchey, is a former Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) volunteer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Divis Tower</span> Residential tower in Belfast

Divis Tower is a 19-floor, 200-foot (61 m) tall tower in Belfast, Northern Ireland. It is located in Divis Street, which is the lower section of the Falls Road. It is currently the fifteenth-tallest building in Belfast.

Edmund "Ed" Moloney is an Irish journalist and author best known for his coverage of the Troubles in Northern Ireland, and the activities of the Provisional IRA, in particular.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brendan Hughes</span> Irish republican (1948-2008)

Brendan Hughes was a leading Irish republican and former Officer Commanding (OC) of the Belfast Brigade of the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA). Also known as 'The Dark', and 'Darkie', he was the leader of the 1980 Irish hunger strike.

Ivor Malachy Bell is an Irish republican, and a former volunteer in the Belfast Brigade of the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) who later became Chief of Staff on the Army Council.

Anthony McIntyre is a former Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) volunteer, writer and historian.

The Disappeared are people from Northern Ireland believed to have been abducted, murdered and secretly buried, the large majority of which occurred during the Troubles. The Independent Commission for the Location of Victims' Remains (ICLVR) is in charge of locating the remaining bodies, and was led by forensic archaeologist John McIlwaine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1973 Old Bailey bombing</span> Provisional IRA attack in London, England

The 1973 Old Bailey bombing was a car bomb attack carried out by the Provisional IRA (IRA) which took place outside the Old Bailey Courthouse on 8 March 1973. The attack was carried out by an 11-person active service unit (ASU) from the Provisional IRA Belfast Brigade. The unit also exploded a second bomb which went off outside the Ministry of Agriculture near Whitehall in London at around the same time the bomb at the Old Bailey went off.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anthony Boyle</span> Irish actor (born 1994)

Anthony Boyle is an Irish actor. A graduate of the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, Boyle began his acting career on London stage and rose to prominence for originating the role of Scorpius Malfoy in the West End and Broadway productions of the play Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (2016), for which he won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role and was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play.

Roy Walsh was a Provisional IRA volunteer. He was convicted for his part in the IRA's 1973 Old Bailey bombing which injured over 200 people.

<i>Say Nothing</i> (book) 2018 book by Patrick Radden Keefe

Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland is a 2018 book by writer and journalist Patrick Radden Keefe. It focuses on the Troubles in Northern Ireland. It spent six weeks on The New York Times Best Seller list and received widespread critical acclaim. It was adapted into a 2024 limited series for Hulu and Disney+.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Belfast Project</span> Boston College oral history on the Troubles

The Belfast Project was an oral history project on the Troubles based at Boston College in Massachusetts, U.S. The project began in 2000 and the last interviews were concluded in 2006. The interviews were intended to be released after the participants' deaths and serve as a resource for future historians.

Lola Petticrew is an Irish actor. Their films include A Bump Along the Way (2019), Dating Amber (2020), and Tuesday (2023). On television, Petticrew is known for their roles in Bloodlands (2021–) and Three Families (2021) on BBC One, and the FX series Say Nothing (2024).

Josh Finan is a British actor, known for his role in the TV series The Responder.

References

  1. ↑ O'Reilly, Séamas (12 November 2024). "'No Americans putting on bad Belfast accents!' How Disney drama Say Nothing brings the Troubles to life". The Guardian . ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 23 December 2024.
  2. ↑ "Say Nothing premiere date and more to know about the upcoming FX series". Show Snob . 24 August 2024. Retrieved 23 December 2024.
  3. ↑ "Say Nothing: critics react to Disney Plus and Hulu series with 93% on Rotten Tomatoes". The Irish News . 18 November 2024. Retrieved 23 December 2024.
  4. ↑ "Liverpool street transformed". Liverpool Echo . 24 May 2023. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
  5. 1 2 Herman, Alison (14 November 2024). "FX's 'Say Nothing' Is a Moving, Empathetic Assessment of the Troubles: TV Review". Variety . Retrieved 15 November 2024.
  6. ↑ Breslin, John (18 July 2023). "Disney begins filming 10-part drama on Jean McConville's abduction and murder". Irish News . Retrieved 6 September 2023.
  7. ↑ Kroll, Justin (1 February 2024). "Lola Petticrew, Hazel Doupe, Anthony Boyle, Josh Finan and Maxine Peake To Star In FX Limited Series 'Say Nothing'". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved 9 February 2024.
  8. ↑ Reid, Kurtis (2 February 2024). "Cast revealed for TV adaptation of book about Troubles and Jean McConville disappearance". Belfast Telegraph . Retrieved 9 February 2024.
  9. 1 2 Wilson, Benji (7 November 2024). "Say Nothing, review: superb drama captures both the tragedy – and the thrills – of the Troubles". The Daily Telegraph . Retrieved 8 November 2024.
  10. ↑ Fienberg, Daniel (13 November 2024). "'Say Nothing' Review: FX/Hulu's Tale of the Troubles Is Powerful, Ambitious and a Little Too Scattered". Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved 15 November 2024.
  11. ↑ Sepinwall, Alan (14 November 2024). "The Troubles Are Too Big For 'Say Nothing' To Contain". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 15 November 2024.
  12. ↑ Williams, Olivia (25 May 2023). "Beaumont: Troubles era Belfast drama films in Liverpool ahead of Disney Plus release". Belfast Live . Retrieved 6 September 2023.
  13. ↑ Linham, Laura (29 August 2023). "All you need to know about 'Beaumont', the new drama filming at Shepton Mallet Prison". sheptonmallet.nub. Retrieved 6 February 2024.
  14. ↑ Cumber, Robert (4 June 2023). "Beaumont TV series: New 10-part drama being filmed in Sheffield is set in Belfast during the Troubles". Thestar.co.uk .
  15. ↑ Blackburn, Alix (14 November 2024). "Hulu's new drama thriller just dropped". Tom's Guide . Retrieved 17 November 2024.
  16. 1 2 Emma Fraser (15 November 2024). "Say Nothing: Who Were the Real Dolours and Marian Price?". Elle.com . Retrieved 15 November 2024.
  17. ↑ Morris, Allison (1 November 2018). "Marian Price denies murder of Jean McConville". The Irish Times . Retrieved 15 November 2024.
  18. ↑ "Marian Price suing Disney+ over 'Say Nothing' scene". RTÉ. 4 December 2024. Retrieved 4 December 2024.
  19. ↑ Al-Ghamdi, Abdullah (25 November 2024). "Historical Drama With 92% RT Score Becomes Streaming Hit". Screen Rant . Retrieved 23 December 2024.
  20. ↑ Meek, Andy (23 November 2024). "TV you can't skip: The 10 hottest shows right now on Paramount+, Apple TV+, Prime Video, HBO, Netflix and more". Boy Genius Report . Retrieved 23 December 2024.
  21. ↑ Al-Ghamdi, Abdullah (29 November 2024). "Taylor Sheridan's New Show Beats Yellowstone For Top Streaming Spot". Screen Rant . Retrieved 23 December 2024.
  22. ↑ Meek, Andy (30 November 2024). "Landman, Yellowstone, and the Rest of This Week's Biggest Streaming TV Hits". Boy Genius Report . Retrieved 23 December 2024.
  23. ↑ "Say Nothing: Limited Series". Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved 4 January 2025.
  24. ↑ "Say Nothing Reviews". Metacritic . Retrieved 4 January 2025.
  25. ↑ Mangan, Lucy (14 November 2024). "Say Nothing review – a compelling but fatally flawed account of the Troubles". The Guardian . ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 23 December 2024.
  26. ↑ Moore, Paul (11 March 2019). "New TV show to document one of the most infamous murders during The Troubles". JOE. Retrieved 1 December 2024.
  27. ↑ O'Neill, Julian (4 December 2024). "Say Nothing: Marian Price to sue Disney over murder scene". BBC News . Archived from the original on 4 December 2024. Retrieved 4 December 2024.
  28. ↑ "Marian Price suing Disney+ over 'Say Nothing' scene". RTÉ News . 4 December 2024. Archived from the original on 4 December 2024. Retrieved 4 December 2024.
  29. ↑ McCurry, Cate (4 December 2024). "Veteran republican suing Disney over IRA murder scene". The Independent . Archived from the original on 4 December 2024. Retrieved 4 December 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.