Random TV Ratings

Carrie Fairchild

Carrie Fairchild

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Mel O'Drama said:
This is random, but I remember in the early Eighties, ITV attempted to give many of its franchises regional soaps, most of which were very short lived (like Taff Acre for HTV Wales). I wonder if this in some way could have inspired RTE.
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As it happens, RTE actually inspired ITV. Glenroe is the last of a trilogy of rural soaps, starting with The Riordans, which first aired in 1965. When ITV were launching Emmerdale Farm in the 70’s, they visited Ireland to see RTE’s techniques for filming The Riordans on the farm and in outdoor settings.

When The Riordans ended, it spawned Bracken, a two season spinoff that transplanted Gabriel Byrne’s character from Kilkenny to the Wicklow Mountains. When it ended after two years, two Bracken characters (played by Mick Lally and Joe Lynch) moved down off the mountain, to launch Glenroe.
 
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Mel O'Drama

Mel O'Drama

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Carrie Fairchild said:
When ITV were launching Emmerdale Farm in the 70’s, they visited Ireland to see RTE’s techniques for filming The Riordans on the farm and in outdoor settings.
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That's really impressive, and actually quite sweet.



Carrie Fairchild said:
When The Riordans ended, it spawned Bracken, a two season spinoff that transplanted Gabriel Byrne’s character from Kilkenny to the Wicklow Mountains. When it ended after two years, two Bracken characters (played by Mick Lally and Joe Lynch) moved down off the mountain, to launch Glenroe.
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What a legacy. Great to know that a currently-running soap has a history going back to the Sixties. There aren't many series of any kind that can say this anymore.
 
bmasters9

bmasters9

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Emergency! was down there near the bottom of the list, but even that didn't stop me from finishing it on DVD-- loved it, and worth the money I paid.
 
Daniel Avery

Daniel Avery

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It felt more of an "event" since that Thursday night on CBS was all about KL: The Block Party special at 8pm, then the two-hour finale at 9pm-11pm. I was pleased that CBS made a big deal of this departure rather than pull what they did to FC in its final episodes.

KL's exit from the schedule was overshadowed by Cheers's final episode which aired the following week on NBC.
 
ClassyCo

ClassyCo

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Daniel Avery said:
It felt more of an "event" since that Thursday night on CBS was all about KL: The Block Party special at 8pm, then the two-hour finale at 9pm-11pm. I was pleased that CBS made a big deal of this departure rather than pull what they did to FC in its final episodes.

KL's exit from the schedule was overshadowed by Cheers's final episode which aired the following week on NBC.
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After eight straight years on Friday nights at 10:00 (with a few exceptions), CBS moved FALCON CREST to Thursday nights at 9:00 for its final three episodes. Interestingly, this was finally when Jane Wyman returned to the show, and maybe CBS thought moving the show to Thursday would've helped increase ratings for the finale, considering it was airing right before KNOTS LANDING.
 
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