It’s been hyped up as a bit of a Father Ted reunion – but Ardal O’Hanlon and Pauline McLynn insist that there’s a lot more to Rosie Molloy Gives Up Everything than them.
Father Ted doesn’t just cast a shadow over every single Irish comedy that’s come in its wake. That’s both a given and a good thing. You need to be on the ball to get a positive comparison to Graham Linehan and Arthur Mathews’ magnificent sitcom.
On the negative side, Father Ted was never allowed the luxury of a reunion. The one great thing about a showbiz break-up is getting the gang back together again. But the sudden death of Dermot Morgan - Father Ted himself - just as filming the show’s third and final season was wrapping-up in 1998, meant that the gang could never get together again.
Then in 2016, Frank Kelly, the great Father Jack, passed away. That left just Ardal O’Hanlon (Father Dougal) and Pauline McLynn (Mrs Doyle) remaining from the fantastic four central cast members.
Now, nearly a quarter-of-a-century after its final episode aired, O’Hanlon and McLynn are working together again on television for the first time. And this time around they play a married couple. Not just any married couple, mind.
Rosie Molloy Gives Up Everything stars Sheridan Smith in the eponymous role of a woman in her 30s who is basically a human Hoover of all things consumable. The list includes smoking, alcohol, Terry’s Chocolate Oranges, Xanax, Adderall and caffeine.
Ardal O’Hanlon and Pauline McLynn play her parents, Conall and Win.
After an embarrassing incident at her brother Joey’s wedding, Rosie wakes up in hospital and decides to change her life by ‘giving up everything’.
But as Rosie juggles her father’s ill health and the possibility of losing her job, she has the dawning realisation that her addictions are destroying all she really holds dear- her friendships, her family and her work life.
But that’s where things get even more complicated as Rosie makes the realisation that perhaps it isn’t the addictions that are the problem. If Rosie really does give up everything, will she still be Rosie?
Naturally enough, both Ardal and Pauline are keen to talk about their new show, which runs on Sky Comedy from December 7, and through Sky’s streaming service NOW.
But the obvious starting point is the fact that they’re working with each other for the first time since Father Ted. And given that they’re the last remaining principals from that show, many people will see this as a bit of a Ted-together.
Back together again
Ardal It was all too easy in one way. We have this shorthand going back 25 years. We were able to pick it very quickly and make for a convincing married couple. I think!
Pauline Possibly because we’re not actually married in real life. So it was easier in some ways. I didn’t have to go home with you every night.
Ardal That was a blessing. But we just have this kind of – from day one – we start teasing each other and slagging each other. The old bickering started up very quickly!
I think that really helped because, sometimes when you go into a new show, and you’re mixing with people for the first time, it might take a while to get to know them and get to know what to say and what not to say.
You’ve got to negotiate everything, particularly nowadays people are very sensitive on TV sets. We just had that. We’re very comfortable with each other. We have this ease with each other.
The show’s the thing
Pauline Although it’s been a very long time since we worked together on television. I’m kind of glad that it’s taken until now. To follow a script like Father Ted, to follow a series that brilliant, together again.
It needed to be something special. We were just lucky that it is a wonderful series. Rosie Molloy Gives Up Everything is such a brilliantly written thing.
Ardal The scripts are really good. I loved that when we were presented with the scripts that our characters were secondary characters. The whole show revolves around the Rosie Molloy character played – so brilliantly - by Sheridan Smith.
But what was really lovely and gratifying from our point of view was that the characters were actually quite well-drawn and well-developed.
We play her parents who should be helping her a little more than we are because we’re in denial about her problems and our own.
Sheridan Smith
Ardal I think Sheridan's performance is what it’s all about. She’s quite incredible and it’s award-winning on every level. We’re very happy to be in that ensemble around her, to facilitate her and this character.
Pauline Sheridan, she was on the money every time. I don't know how she does it! When you’re working with someone that good, they pull you along. She was doing some of our work as well! You go in on the coattails and get something good to say at the end of all of it.
The bottom line
Pauline I’m excited to see us do some decent acting, in a well-made series. It’s something to be proud of and it was such a relief to know it’s good. As an actor, you want to be in good things. It’s very exciting and I think people are going to enjoy it.
And that was all down to brilliant scripts by Susan Dixon. You get to work on brilliant scripts if you're lucky, but this one came just so perfectly formed.
Ardal And the writing is so good. My character is dealing with a serious illness and he’s in denial about his fondness for alcohol. That’s all there.
And such grim subject matter too, Rosie Molloy is addicted to everything, she’s addicted to sex and drink and drugs and food and she’s reaching a critical point in her life where she needs to change something or there will be trouble.
Rosie Molloy Gives Up Everything, Sky Comedy and NOW from Wednesday December 7
