Comic Relief: revisiting our greatest hits on telly
As RTE prepares a night of comedy and music, Tanya Sweeney looks back on some classics from the archives
As the country moves into Phase 3, and parts of the world we once knew reopen, tonight could be seen for all intents and purposes as the last ‘big night in’ of the lockdown. RTE and Comic Relief International plan to bid adieu to Phase 2 with a bang; a stew of comedy, showbiz and music that they hope will raise millions for charity.
There has been much talk of Zeitgeisthitting sketches by the teams that bought us Normal People and Derry Girls, not to mention Huberbod taking on Chris O’Dowd and Dawn O’Porter in Lip Sync Battle.
Per Comic Relief tradition, think unexpected celebrity collaborations and famous types finding themselves in strange circumstances.
Yet amid the firmament of stars lies a hefty helping of full-blown nostalgia. Some familiar faces are likely to cheer many a viewer, but we decided to bring you up to speed.
Whether you remember these classics from first time round, or are largely unfamiliar with their greatness, we’ve done up some pass notes.
1. The Panel
The indie licks in the Stone Roses’ Waterfall were the musical harbinger for a solid-half hour of salty banter, current affairs and topical comedy. Recorded originally in the Helix, Dublin, The Panel first aired in September 2003, and eventually wound down nine series later in 2011.
Dara O’Briain was the original master of ceremonies, before departing in 2006 (Neil Delamere, Colin Murphy and Craig Doyle picked up the reins thereafter). Ed Byrne, Andrew Maxwell, and Mairead Farrell were regular panellists, and the great and the good from the world of Irish showbiz showed up from time to time.
Marty Whelan, Charlie Bird, Pauline McLynn and Ray D’Arcy are some of the more memorable guests from The Panel.
What to Expect: Insiders hint that the original gang — O’Briain, Farrell, Delamere — will be joined by a new tranche of comedians, including Aisling Bea, Jimmy Carr and David Mitchell.
2. The Den
It’s almost hard to believe, but The Den is now 33 years old. Ian Dempsey helmed the longrunning kids’ show until 1990, and handed the reins over to Ray D’Arcy (Damien McCaul and Francis Boylan Jr then presented the show, until its final run in 2005). Taking a cue from CBBC’s
Broom Cupboard format, Dempsey’s Den was broadcast live from a tiny, single-camera Presentation studio at RTE, used mostly for in-vision continuity. Sometimes the action came from a chip van, sometimes from a hair salon called On The Noggin.
In between presenting music videos and cartoons was mainly the human presenter’s job to sit in between Zig & Zag (or later, Podge & Rodge) and make sure no one said anything too off-colour for after-school TV. Joining them were Socky the Sock Monster and Dustin the Turkey, a nearly ran in the presidential race and former Eurovision contestant. It was a stone-cold cultural institution and no mistake.
What to expect: Ray D’Arcy will reunite with Zig, Zag and Dustin. Given that they will be part of tonight’s in-studio live offering, anything could happen.
3. Bull Mick
David McSavage’s homophobic, racist, bigoted creation was a publican on The Savage Eye
‘Anne and Dustin the Turkey famously have a long-standing association, slash affection for each other. Could a reunion in front of the nation be on the cards?’
‘Bull Mick is likely to say an off-colour thing or two...’
(which began on RTE Two in 2009) and delighted, petrified and enraged viewers in one fell swoop. McSavage’s biting satire poked fun at subjects dear to the collective hearts of the Irish people; to say it shaved close to the bone is putting it mildly.
What to expect: In today’s particularly woke times, Bull Mick is likely to say an off-colour thing or two… charity telethon or not.
4. Paths To Freedom
There are hardcore comedy fans who attest that Paths To Freedom is one of the finest Irish comedies ever made, and laid the groundwork for countless other shows, from The Young Offenders to Damo & Ivor.
Blackrock gynaecologist Jeremy (Brendan Coyle) and inner-city hero Rats (Michael McElhatton) are two men recently released from an Irish prison. In this mockumentary-style comedy, the camera follow each as they try to reintegrate back into society. Depending on whom you ask, Deirdre O’Kane, playing Jeremy’s posh wife Helen, was one of the best things in it.
What to expect: Is it fair to say that Rats has something interesting up his sleeve? Seeing as O’Kane is organising the entire event, Helen might make a cameo, too.
5. Anne Doyle
It’s nearly a decade since Anne Doyle read her last RTE News bulletin (33 years to the day since her first). Though she has been a sporadic presence on Irish screens since then, appearing in RTE’s series The Keys To My Life earlier this year, she has been enjoying a somewhat low-key retirement.
What to expect: Anne and Dustin the Turkey famously have a long-standing association, slash affection for each other. Could a reunion in front of the nation be on the cards?