Val Falvey T(ruly).D(ire).

It started on RTE One tonight and continues a long tradition of the most depressing comedies this side of ‘Gimme Gimme Gimme’ spawned by the Irish broadcaster.

Here is a list of things I’d rather do than sit through another episode of ‘Val Falvey T.D.’

1) Twiddle my groin using knitting needles tipped with nitric acid.

2) Go speed dating in a room full of Marys Harney.

3) French kiss Shane McGowan.

4) Listen to John and Edward singing the… just listen to John and Edward.

5) Have Twink as a fuck buddy.

6) Piss myself in front of all the women I’ve ever fancied.

7) Sit through the film ‘Hitch.’ Again.

You get the point. Being an RTE comedy, nobody could reasonably expect it to be remotely passable, but sweet mother of the divine lanterns of Saint Wilhelmina it was fucking shit.

Ardal O’Hanlon plays Dougal playing a politician who is barely interested in, or up to, the task.

His right-hand man - some rotund veteran actor whose name I couldn’t be bothered looking up - shepherds him through such fraught affairs as an encounter with Linda Martin, the slomo saving of a dog in peril from, like, a big truck, learning how to ride a bike (look Ma, he fell over AGAIN!!! It’s GAS it is!!!!) and bribing a member of the public with swimming caps and flippers.

Just kill me now.

Val Falvey T.D.: Making Killinaskully look like The Sopranos, only with fewer top heavy fat blokes and a fuckload more Bada Bing.

13 comments on this post.
  1. Darragh Doyle:

    Gimme Gimme Gimme… eugh.

    What was that National Lottery one? Upwardly mobile, wasn’t it?

    Thanks for the headsup Radge, will be avoiding this one as much as I avoid most of all other TV!

  2. Maxi Cane:

    I was actually looking forward to this, I’ll give it a miss now.

    Love the things you’d rather do by the way. I’ve actually done 3 of them already.

  3. Radge:

    Cheers Darragh, I was trying to remember ‘Upwardly Mobile.’

    Maxi Cane - They were influenced, if I’m honest, by fellow blogger Maxi Cane.

  4. Darren Byrne:

    Yeah, I accidentally watched this. Missed the first 5 minutes. Disappointed I managed to catch the remaining 20. As comedies go, it lacked any comedy.

  5. Suzy:

    Lots of the politico types liked it I think… There were some very good lines! Doing a Cameron will amuse me for the week especially when I’m thinking of the junior party in Government.

  6. Radge:

    Darren - It was an exercise in non humour.

    Suzy - Speaking honestly, I failed to curve my lip upwards even barely even once. The Cameron thing was topicality for its own sake, not to be too wanky about it.

    OK, I wanted to be a little wanky about it.

  7. Catherine Crichton:

    Admittedly this show was not a laugh-a-minute but I agree with Suzy, it did have some very good lines. Also, I thought Owen Roe as Falvey’s minder/fixer (is there a name for that job?) was excellent. I’m going to give it another chance - lots of sitcoms bomb in the first episode but get better with time. Words cannot describe how much I hate Killinaskully - would not put this in the same category at all.

  8. ed:

    Anyone see this in yesterdays tribune?

    http://www.tribune.ie/article/2009/nov/22/rte-order-ensures-political-satire-doesnt-offend-f/

  9. Redlemonaders:

    yea it was fair bad and i really wanted it to be good because Arthur Matthews was one of the writers i guess Graham Linehan was the funny one in that duo.

    lots of sitcoms bomb on the first episode but fr. ted, and i really dont want to compare, but lets face it everyone else will, had a brill first episode.

  10. Radge:

    Redlemonaders - Yeah, Ted had me from the start too.

    Ed - Read it afterwards. Proof that, even when it comes to something that inconsequential, RTE are pussy-footing, humourless trolls.

    Catherine - Owen Roe. Thanks for the name. Have seen him elsewhere and the one, the ONE thing in this show’s favour. An actor who’d be far better served in something even moderately good.

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  12. JP Power:

    Well, Val Falvey reflects exactly the kind of material that makes the perfect politician. He reminds me of that stupid Mahmoud Ahmadinejad guy (the illegitimate president of Iran) or George W Bush or a lot of our own Irish ones! I don’t see anything remotely funny about looking at some combination of Ahmadinejad and Bush (aren’t these the clowns we are paying the price for with this recession). However, Falvey and the other rival guy show (as in reality) that silly disputes are more important than doing right by the people. I severely doubt that Ahmadinejad or Bush have IQs even near 55 (both have fake postgrad qualifications though).

  13. Lightenup100:

    Saw this on sunday - it’s getting better lads! let’s face it! Not much mind you - but it’s getting there. I’m confident this one will find it’s feet if the tossers in montrose give them a bit o’ room.
    I think the show’s heart is in the right place.