Boom! Boom!
Encyclopedia
Boom! Boom! The Explosion of Irish Comedy was a four-part Irish
television program
me broadcast on RTÉ One
in 2008. Presented by Colm Meaney
it focused on the positive changes that occurred in Irish comedy during the Celtic Tiger
years. It combined rare and memorable performances from the archives with contemporary interviews with the featured comedians to explain how this transformation came about and who the people responsible for it were.
Boom! Boom! was broadcast on Thursdays at 22:15, beginning on 10 July 2008. The series was filmed from May through early July 2008 around various Dublin locations including the Comedy Cellar
, the Gaiety Theatre and Vicar Street
. The series was directed by Cormac Larkin. Producer Catherine Munro told IFTN
that the series was a review of the last 25 years in Irish comedy.
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
television program
Television program
A television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series...
me broadcast on RTÉ One
RTÉ One
RTÉ One is the flagship television channel of Raidió Teilifís Éireann , and it is the most popular and most watched television channel in Ireland. It was launched as Telefís Éireann on 31 December 1961, it was renamed RTÉ Television in 1966, and it was renamed as RTÉ One upon the launch of RTÉ...
in 2008. Presented by Colm Meaney
Colm Meaney
Colm J. Meaney is an Irish actor widely known for playing Miles O'Brien in Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. He is second only to Michael Dorn in most appearances in Star Trek episodes. He has guest-starred on many TV shows from Law & Order to The Simpsons...
it focused on the positive changes that occurred in Irish comedy during the Celtic Tiger
Celtic Tiger
Celtic Tiger is a term used to describe the economy of Ireland during a period of rapid economic growth between 1995 and 2007. The expansion underwent a dramatic reversal from 2008, with GDP contracting by 14% and unemployment levels rising to 14% by 2010...
years. It combined rare and memorable performances from the archives with contemporary interviews with the featured comedians to explain how this transformation came about and who the people responsible for it were.
Boom! Boom! was broadcast on Thursdays at 22:15, beginning on 10 July 2008. The series was filmed from May through early July 2008 around various Dublin locations including the Comedy Cellar
Comedy Cellar
The Comedy Cellar is a comedy club in Manhattan, where many top New York comedians perform. It was founded in 1982 by then standup comedian, and current television writer/producer Bill Grundfest...
, the Gaiety Theatre and Vicar Street
Vicar Street
Vicar Street is a concert and events venue in Ireland, located on Thomas Street, Dublin 8. Its capacity allows for 1,000 people for seated performances, and 1,500 people for standing gigs...
. The series was directed by Cormac Larkin. Producer Catherine Munro told IFTN
Irish Film and Television Network
The Irish Film and Television Network is a company that provides news and a directory service of information related to the Irish film industry....
that the series was a review of the last 25 years in Irish comedy.
"We interviewed comedians including Kevin Gildea, Ann Gildea and Sue Collins from "The Nualas", actor Michael McElhattonMichael McElhattonMichael McElhatton is an Irish actor and writer.-Selected filmography:* A Tiger's Tail* Spin the Bottle* Intermission* The Actors* Blow Dry* Saltwater* Crushproof* I Went Down* Perrier's Bounty-Selected Stage Career:...
(Fergus's Wedding, Paths to FreedomPaths to FreedomPaths to Freedom was a popular comedy on the Irish television network RTÉ Two. The shows stars two characters, Jeremy and Rats , who have both recently been released from a Dublin prison...
), Brendan O'CarrollBrendan O'CarrollBrendan O'Carroll is an Irish comedian, writer, actor and director. Best known for portraying the foul-mouthed Irish matriarch Mrs. Brown, O'Carroll has been a popular comedian in Ireland since the early 1990s.-Early life:...
, PJ GallagherPJ GallagherPJ Gallagher is an Irish stand-up comedian, perhaps better known for his television show Naked Camera. His various characters in the programme include a mentally unstable taxi driver, ladies man Jake Stevens and a "Dirty Auld One", an old woman who makes sexual comments. PJ's performances on T.V...
and new talent Jarlath Regan. We also talked to Father TedFather TedFather Ted is a comedy series set in Ireland that was produced by Hat Trick Productions for British broadcaster Channel 4. Written jointly by Irish writers Arthur Mathews and Graham Linehan and starring a predominantly Irish cast, it originally aired over three series from 21 April 1995 until 1 May...
writer Arthur MathewsArthur Mathews (writer)Arthur Mathews is an Irish comedy writer and actor who, often with writing partner Graham Linehan, has either written or contributed to a number of popular television comedies, most notably Father Ted. He is a graduate of the Dublin Institute of Technology...
and producer Shay HealyShay HealyShay Healy is an Irish songwriter, broadcaster and journalist. He is best known for his role as host of Nighthawks, a RTÉ Television chat show of the late 1980s and early 1990s, and for composing "What's Another Year", Ireland's winning entry in the 1980 Eurovision Song Contest.-Early life:Shay...
, who both contributed to Irish comedy's success."