Victoria and Shane Grow Their Own
Encyclopedia
Victoria and Shane Grow Their Own is an Irish
reality television
special which originally aired on RTÉ One
on Tuesday 8 December 2009. It follows the trials of Victoria Mary Clarke
and Shane MacGowan
as they endeavour to grow their own food in their own garden. The show documents Clarke's struggles to grow vegetables and MacGowan's attempts to assist. Filming of the special took place in Dublin. It has been compared to the 1970s sitcom The Good Life. MacGowan is from an agricultural background. First Lady of the United States
Michelle Obama
was said to have influenced the couple.
Victoria Mary Clarke admitted during the show that she had neither read nor bought the book she was supposed to use for assistance. She also spoke of her belief in angels and how she spoke to them. Clarke's friend, a Marina Guinness, provides her with an allotment to carry out her task. A celebration is also expected to take place when the crops have grown sufficiently. The potatoes which Clarke is attempting to grow turn black. Caterpillars which attack her food are thrown to the hens as food themselves. Various celebrities and well-known people also featured, including musician Glen Hansard
, and cousins of British pop star Lily Allen
made an appearance as well. A container of urine belonging to Shane MacGowan was auctioned by Clarke as the show drew to a close. The show was narrated by Stephen Rea
, using an ironic tone. Clarke also wrote about her experiences in the Sunday Independent
.
Pat Stacey, reviewer for the Evening Herald
newspaper, gave the show one star out of five, calling it "a disjointed and rushed production" and questioning where the plot had been. Hilary Fannin, reviewer for The Irish Times
newspaper, called the entire premise an "anarchic idea", satirically suggesting it was time for Ozzy Osbourne
and Sharon Osbourne
to move on as a replacement had been found. Olaf Tyaransen
called it "an enjoyable hour of television". Dave O'Connell, reviewer for The Connacht Sentinel, "watched gobsmacked and cringed quite a bit", though later admitted the show had been "compulsive viewing".
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,...
reality television
Reality television
Reality television is a genre of television programming that presents purportedly unscripted dramatic or humorous situations, documents actual events, and usually features ordinary people instead of professional actors, sometimes in a contest or other situation where a prize is awarded...
special which originally aired 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...
on Tuesday 8 December 2009. It follows the trials of Victoria Mary Clarke
Victoria Mary Clarke
Victoria Mary Clarke is an Irish journalist and writer. She writes a column for the Sunday Independent. She has also written for The Guardian and the Daily Mail. She is the author of Angel in Disguise?....
and Shane MacGowan
Shane MacGowan
Shane Patrick Lysaght MacGowan is an Irish musician and singer, best known as the original singer and songwriter of The Pogues.-History:...
as they endeavour to grow their own food in their own garden. The show documents Clarke's struggles to grow vegetables and MacGowan's attempts to assist. Filming of the special took place in Dublin. It has been compared to the 1970s sitcom The Good Life. MacGowan is from an agricultural background. First Lady of the United States
First Lady of the United States
First Lady of the United States is the title of the hostess of the White House. Because this position is traditionally filled by the wife of the president of the United States, the title is most often applied to the wife of a sitting president. The current first lady is Michelle Obama.-Current:The...
Michelle Obama
Michelle Obama
Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama is the wife of the 44th and incumbent President of the United States, Barack Obama, and is the first African-American First Lady of the United States...
was said to have influenced the couple.
Victoria Mary Clarke admitted during the show that she had neither read nor bought the book she was supposed to use for assistance. She also spoke of her belief in angels and how she spoke to them. Clarke's friend, a Marina Guinness, provides her with an allotment to carry out her task. A celebration is also expected to take place when the crops have grown sufficiently. The potatoes which Clarke is attempting to grow turn black. Caterpillars which attack her food are thrown to the hens as food themselves. Various celebrities and well-known people also featured, including musician Glen Hansard
Glen Hansard
Glen Hansard is the Academy Award–winning principal songwriter and vocalist/guitarist for Irish group The Frames and one half of folk rock duo, The Swell Season...
, and cousins of British pop star Lily Allen
Lily Allen
Lily Rose Beatrice Cooper , better known as Lily Allen, is an English recording artist and fashion designer. She is the daughter of actor and musician Keith Allen and film producer Alison Owen. In her teenage years, her musical tastes evolved from glam rock to alternative...
made an appearance as well. A container of urine belonging to Shane MacGowan was auctioned by Clarke as the show drew to a close. The show was narrated by Stephen Rea
Stephen Rea
Stephen Rea is an Irish film and stage actor. Rea has appeared in high profile films such as V for Vendetta, Michael Collins, Interview with the Vampire and Breakfast on Pluto...
, using an ironic tone. Clarke also wrote about her experiences in the Sunday Independent
Sunday Independent
The Sunday Independent is a broadsheet Sunday newspaper published in Ireland by Independent News and Media plc. The newspaper is edited by Aengus Fanning, and is the biggest selling Irish Sunday newspaper by a large margin ; average circulation of 291,323 between June 2004 and January 2005,...
.
Pat Stacey, reviewer for the Evening Herald
Evening Herald
The Evening Herald is a mid-market tabloid evening newspaper published in Dublin, Ireland by Independent News & Media. It is published Monday-Saturday, and has three editions — City Edition, City Final Edition and National Edition...
newspaper, gave the show one star out of five, calling it "a disjointed and rushed production" and questioning where the plot had been. Hilary Fannin, reviewer for The Irish Times
The Irish Times
The Irish Times is an Irish daily broadsheet newspaper launched on 29 March 1859. The editor is Kevin O'Sullivan who succeeded Geraldine Kennedy in 2011; the deputy editor is Paul O'Neill. The Irish Times is considered to be Ireland's newspaper of record, and is published every day except Sundays...
newspaper, called the entire premise an "anarchic idea", satirically suggesting it was time for Ozzy Osbourne
Ozzy Osbourne
John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne is an English vocalist, whose musical career has spanned over 40 years. Osbourne rose to prominence as lead singer of the pioneering English heavy metal band Black Sabbath, whose radically different, intentionally dark, harder sound helped spawn the heavy metal...
and Sharon Osbourne
Sharon Osbourne
Sharon Rachel Osbourne is an English television host, author, music manager, businesswoman and promoter as well as the wife of heavy metal singer-songwriter Ozzy Osbourne....
to move on as a replacement had been found. Olaf Tyaransen
Olaf Tyaransen
Olaf Tyaransen is an Irish author and journalist, and is a contributing editor with Dublin's Hot Press magazine and the Evening Herald...
called it "an enjoyable hour of television". Dave O'Connell, reviewer for The Connacht Sentinel, "watched gobsmacked and cringed quite a bit", though later admitted the show had been "compulsive viewing".