PRESS RELEASE
Monday 6th November
Comadaidh Óir (Comedy Gold)
6 x 30 mins - BBC Alba
TX: 16th November, 7.00pm – 7.30pm (Oban)
23rd November, 7.00pm – 7.30pm (Inverness)
30th November, 7.00pm – 7.30pm (Benbecula)
7th December, 7.00pm – 7.30pm (Stornoway)
14th December, 7.00pm – 7.30pm (Skye)
21st December, 7.00pm – 7.30pm (Glasgow)
Podcasts live from 9th November – www.comadaidhoir.co.uk
HIT GAELIC SERIES COMADAIDH ÓIR ON LINE AND ON SCREEN THIS NOVEMBER!
Comadaidh Óir returns on 16th November bigger, brighter and better. The comedy series with more than a hint of reality sees five aspiring writers fighting it out in six locations to see who will be crowned King or Queen of Comadaidh Óir. This year the show’s gone one step further with Comadaidh Óir podcasts offering tantalising tasters on the internet. Contenders for the crown in series two are - Iain MacKenzie (originally from Lewis), Cailean Collier (South Uist), Murdo MacSween (Lewis), Catriona Lexy Campbell (Plockton) and Janet Evans (originally from Eglinton in Ireland). The writing muse will be able to take inspiration from some fantastic locations. This year the Comadaidh Óir team travel to Oban, Inverness, Benbecula, Stornoway, Skye and Glasgow.
Writers have just three days to prepare their comedy sketches, drawing on inspiration from the location and it’s a punishing schedule as they take in six locations in just three weeks. Even the bus was tired out by Stornoway and gave up the ghost in a roadside ditch!
The five writers are joined on the Comadaidh Óir bus by the actors who will perform their sketches at each location. The troop for the second series are Carina MacLeod, Alec MacDonald, Calum McAulay and Alex ‘Bambi’ MacDonald. Events unfold under the watchful eyes of TV and radio personalities Cathy MacDonald and Morag MacDonald.
This year viewers have the chance for sneak previews as the Comadaidh Óir podcasts reveal some of the show’s best bits as well as the behind the scenes action and footage that you won’t see on the broadcast programme. Make sure you catch them from Thursday 9th November at www.comadaidhoir.co.uk. You might even spot last year’s winner Gilleasbuig Ferguson. He so impressed the programme makers that he’s back this year advising the new writers on what it takes to be crowned king of Comedy Gold!
Comadaidh Óir is a Comedy Unit and MNE co-production funded by the Gaelic Media Service for BBC Alba.
For more information
Claire Hancock
The Comedy Unit
Tel: 0141 305 6627
Email: clairehancock@comedyunit.co.uk
Editors Notes
The Comedy Unit was founded in 1996 and for the last decade has produced some of the best loved and highest rating programmes in Scotland, as well as a wide range of shows for network. The company consistently delivers high rating quality programmes to large audiences while simultaneously developing new performing and writing talent. The credentials of the Comedy Unit speak for themselves; 7 nominations for the Rose D'Or, 3 Royal Television Society awards, a range of BAFTAs and a host of accolades from many other industry bodies. In August 2006 the Comedy Unit became part of the successful RDF Media Group.
The company produce several hugely popular returning series such as The Karen Dunbar Show, Offside, and Only An Excuse? A second series of Comadaidh Oir (Comedy Gold) transmits this autumn and the Comedy Unit are again producing Only An Excuse? as part of returning hogmanay schedule on BBC Scotland. They are also currently working on a sketch show pilot for Channel 4. Their production is not just confined to television and the company now produce around 50 hours of radio for the like so of BBC Radio Scotland, Radio Four and Radio Five Live. Along with the production of award-winning programmes, the Comedy Unit is now working with 2Entertain, the top UK’s top DVD distribution company. There is also a talent management arm to the company which supports many of the leading names in Scottish comedy.
The Comedy Unit is in the enviable position of having a pool of accomplished in house writers, directors, producers and script editors. Central to the success of the company is its approach to attracting and developing key talent. The blend of youth and experience in the creative team has facilitated a creative mass of comedy production that consistently delivers.
MnE Television is one of Scotland’s leading independent production companies with an outstanding reputation for producing high-quality broadcast programming. An international award winning company, MnE has continued to deliver consistently high-rating, quality, popular and innovative programmes for the BBC, ITV and the Gaelic Media Service for over 14 years. These have ranged from one-off documentaries to long-running and returning series across a wide range of genres. The company specializes in sport, factual and drama.
A former winner of the Spirit of the Festival and Children’s Awards at the Celtic Film Festival, it’s most recent recognition includes a Certificate for Creative Excellence at the US International Film and Video Festival in California, for its Documentary The Eriskay Causeway. A company with international experience and character, MnE has a terrific team and talent base and have amassed a global reputation for distinction and originality.
The company recently produced a series of live sports programmes, Spòrs, for BBC Scotland, a series of network programmes, Seasonally Scottish, for UKTV Food channel, and also Your Other National Game and Songs of Praise for the BBC. The company are currently in production with two documentary programmes from the Celtic Colours festival in Canada, and are in development on an international drama series with companies in Northern Ireland and Eire.
