Dry Your Eyes (TV series)
Encyclopedia
Dry Your Eyes was a Northern Irish
sketch show
on BBC One NI
, created by the Hole in the Wall Gang
, the makers of one of Northern Ireland's most successful shows Give My Head Peace
. The show is written by Damon Quinn who also produces and stars in the series.
Writer Damon Quinn
said "It's a temporary move away from Give My Head Peace for us and is made up of a series of short series featuring new characters. We are delighted to be able to welcome on board actors Sharon Morwood, Martin McCann and Emma Little, which is a credit to BBC Northern Ireland in its commitment to bringing on local talent and promoting local comedy."
in Derry
from 19-24 March and at Belfast's
Grand Opera House
from 26 March-7 April. The show featured new material from Dry Your Eyes and Give My Head Peace and Tim McGarry also performed stand-up comedy
. It was very well received. The next show in 2008, Give My Head Peace: Back from the Grave, also featured stand-up comedy and appearances by Dry Your Eyes characters Derek and the McDowell Brothers alongside the regular Give My Head Peace cast.
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
sketch show
Sketch comedy
A sketch comedy consists of a series of short comedy scenes or vignettes, called "sketches," commonly between one and ten minutes long. Such sketches are performed by a group of comic actors or comedians, either on stage or through an audio and/or visual medium such as broadcasting...
on BBC One NI
BBC Northern Ireland
BBC Northern Ireland is the main public service broadcaster in Northern Ireland.The organisation is one of the three national regions of the BBC, together with BBC Scotland and BBC Wales. Based at Broadcasting House, Belfast, it provides television, radio, online and interactive television content...
, created by the Hole in the Wall Gang
Hole in the Wall Gang (comedy)
The Hole in the Wall Gang is the name of a Northern Irish comedy group, who came to prominence in the mid 1990s with the popular satirical comedy Give My Head Peace....
, the makers of one of Northern Ireland's most successful shows Give My Head Peace
Give My Head Peace
Give My Head Peace was a satirical television comedy series on BBC Northern Ireland that pokes fun at political parties, paramilitary groups and the sectarian divide in Northern Ireland...
. The show is written by Damon Quinn who also produces and stars in the series.
Writer Damon Quinn
Damon Quinn
Damon Quinn is a Northern Irish actor, writer and producer. He is a member of the Hole in the Wall Gang comedy group.He is best known for the Northern Irish television comedy Give My Head Peace where he stars as Cal. He also appears in the comedy Dry Your Eyes as many characters including Angry...
said "It's a temporary move away from Give My Head Peace for us and is made up of a series of short series featuring new characters. We are delighted to be able to welcome on board actors Sharon Morwood, Martin McCann and Emma Little, which is a credit to BBC Northern Ireland in its commitment to bringing on local talent and promoting local comedy."
Sketches
- Angry Steve is an overweight radio DJ who is usually unpopular with his audience and makes disparaging comments to his assistants. Fans widely believed Angry Steve was based on Radio Ulster talk show host Stephen NolanStephen NolanStephen Nolan, born Belfast in 1973, is a radio and television presenter for BBC Northern Ireland and BBC Radio Five Live. He was educated at Royal Belfast Academical Institution, and Queen's University Belfast where he studied French and Business Studies....
, although the creators claim that any likeness is entirely coincidental. Played by Damon Quinn. - Arthur Heckler is a loud character who insults just about everyone - including his wife - and then retracts it by saying "I'm only sleggin'!". Arthur once ran a course in heckling at Queens, although it was closed down after he failed all his students. Played by Tim McGarryTim McGarryTim McGarry is an Irish actor and comedian from North Belfast in Northern Ireland.He is a member of the comedy group Hole In The Wall Gang, and played "Da", a fictional Sinn Féin spokesman, in the comedy series Give My Head Peace....
. - Betty the Cleaner usually interrupts important events to ask when she can start cleaning, such as the evolution of apes and a UN meeting. her catchphrase is "Are youse gonna be long?" Played by Tim McGarryTim McGarryTim McGarry is an Irish actor and comedian from North Belfast in Northern Ireland.He is a member of the comedy group Hole In The Wall Gang, and played "Da", a fictional Sinn Féin spokesman, in the comedy series Give My Head Peace....
. - Derek is a fanatic, foul-mouthed Linfield F.C.Linfield F.C.Linfield F.C. , is a semi-professional, Northern Irish football club, whose home ground is Windsor Park in Belfast, which is also the home of the Northern Ireland international team....
supporter. He has a very direct and no-nonsense way of dealing with issues. When disagreeing with someone, he usually blurts out "Is it/Are you by fuck!". He is widely regarded as the most popular character in the series. Derek is played by Martin ReidMartin ReidMartin "Marty" Reid is a Northern Irish actor and comedian, and is part of the Hole in the Wall Gang, a Belfast comedy troupe. He has played the role of staunch loyalist Uncle Andy in the satirical BBC comedy Give My Head Peace since 1997, which was created by and starred the Hole in the Wall Gang...
. - McDowell Brothers: Jonjo 1 (Martin ReidMartin ReidMartin "Marty" Reid is a Northern Irish actor and comedian, and is part of the Hole in the Wall Gang, a Belfast comedy troupe. He has played the role of staunch loyalist Uncle Andy in the satirical BBC comedy Give My Head Peace since 1997, which was created by and starred the Hole in the Wall Gang...
) and his brother Jonjo 2 (Michael McDowell) are two motorbike enthusiasts from RasharkinRasharkinRasharkin , is a small village and townland in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It is south of Ballymoney, near Dunloy and Kilrea. It had a population of 864 people in the 2001 Census, after 30 years of gradual decline from a peak of 1,000 in 1971.-History:...
, AntrimCounty AntrimCounty Antrim is one of six counties that form Northern Ireland, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland. Adjoined to the north-east shore of Lough Neagh, the county covers an area of 2,844 km², with a population of approximately 616,000...
. Despite their name being written as McDowell, they claim it is actually pronounced "McDooooooooowell". In the second series the brothers were terrorised by a supernatural bike named Black Betty. - Norman and his mother: A man (Michael McDowell) who goes around wheeling the corpse of his dead mother in a wheelchair. The mother speaks to Norman in his mind and reprimands him at any opportunity. These sketches are a clear reference to the 1960 film PsychoPsycho (1960 film)Psycho is a 1960 American suspense/psychological horror film directed by Alfred Hitchcock and starring Janet Leigh and Anthony Perkins. The film is based on the screenplay by Joseph Stefano, who adapted it from the 1959 novel of the same name by Robert Bloch...
, with Norman being based on Norman BatesNorman BatesNorman Bates is a fictional character created by writer Robert Bloch as the central character in his novel Psycho, and portrayed by Anthony Perkins as the main antagonist of the 1960 film of the same name directed by Alfred Hitchcock...
and his mother on Norma Bates. - Trendy Priest: A young priestPriestA priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
(Martin McCannMartin McCann (actor)-Biography:McCann born to Anne McCann, he grew up with a brother and sister in the working-class Divis Flats area of Falls Road in Belfast.He credits his mother with helping him with his success...
) is taking part in an event and doing his normal duties, as would be expected of a priest. At some point his mobile rings with the unmistakable Crazy FrogCrazy FrogCrazy Frog, originally known as Adam King, is a computer-animated character created in 2003 by Erik Wernquist. Marketed by the ringtone provider Jamba!, the animation was originally created to accompany a sound effect produced by Daniel Malmedahl in 1997 while attempting to imitate the sound of a...
ringtone and the priest starts chatting to his friend about where is his, often making disparaging remarks about his audience.
Stage show
In the spring of 2007 Dry Your Eyes it's Give My Head Peace played sell-out shows at two venues in Northern Ireland; the Millennium ForumMillennium Forum
The Millennium Forum is a theatre and conference centre in Newmarket Street, Derry, Northern Ireland.It was the first purpose built theatre in Derry and opened in 2001. It has a seating capacity of 1000 and the largest theatre stage in Ireland. It hosts entertainment of all kinds and can also be...
in Derry
Derry
Derry or Londonderry is the second-biggest city in Northern Ireland and the fourth-biggest city on the island of Ireland. The name Derry is an anglicisation of the Irish name Doire or Doire Cholmcille meaning "oak-wood of Colmcille"...
from 19-24 March and at Belfast's
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
Grand Opera House
Grand Opera House (Belfast)
The Grand Opera House is a theatre in Belfast, Northern Ireland, designed by the most prolific theatre architect of the period, Frank Matcham. It opened on 23 December 1895....
from 26 March-7 April. The show featured new material from Dry Your Eyes and Give My Head Peace and Tim McGarry also performed stand-up comedy
Stand-up comedy
Stand-up comedy is a comedic art form. Usually, a comedian performs in front of a live audience, speaking directly to them. Their performances are sometimes filmed for later release via DVD, the internet, and television...
. It was very well received. The next show in 2008, Give My Head Peace: Back from the Grave, also featured stand-up comedy and appearances by Dry Your Eyes characters Derek and the McDowell Brothers alongside the regular Give My Head Peace cast.
Trivia
- The theme tune to Dry Your Eyes is a recording also titled Dry Your Eyes, written and performed by The ProclaimersThe ProclaimersThe Proclaimers are a Scottish band composed of identical twin brothers, Charlie and Craig Reid . They are probably best known for the songs "Letter from America", "I'm On My Way" and "I'm Gonna Be ". The band tours extensively throughout Europe and other continents...
exclusively for the show. - Linfield manager David Jeffrey criticised the Derek sketch in February 2007 over fears it would harm the club's image. He claimed it "brings up the old stereotypical image of what a Linfield supporter used to be like".
- The idea for the McDowell Brothers came about after the GangHole in the Wall Gang (comedy)The Hole in the Wall Gang is the name of a Northern Irish comedy group, who came to prominence in the mid 1990s with the popular satirical comedy Give My Head Peace....
read about a local rider who was badly injured in a crash in 2006. Despite his long-term injuries his only real concern was whether he would be able to race in the North West 200North West 200The North West 200 is a motorcycle race meeting held each May in Northern Ireland. The course, made up of public roads running between the towns of Portstewart, Coleraine and Portrush is one of the fastest in the world, with speeds in excess of . It is one of around fifteen events run on public...
. The actors playing the McDowells have also never been on a motorbike in their lives, and scenes aboard a bike are performed by a stunt actor.