The new Kildare-shot TV series Louise Lives Large, RTÉ's biggest-ever drama commission for young people, has launched on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player.
The eight-part series tells the story of artistic 13-year-old Louise Edgar (Beth Fallon) who has just got the all-clear after a year of cancer treatment.
Louise has missed out on everything and feels she'll never catch up with her worldly, intimating teenage peers.
That’s until she finds an unlikely new best friend in Jess (Aimee Kennedy), the school loner, who inspires her to write up a 'Live Large List' and leap headfirst back into life, one item at time.
Louise Lives Large is a witty, dynamic and sometimes poignant drama aimed at 9 to 13-year-olds. Created and written by Carol Walsh, the series was inspired by her experience of being out of school for a prolonged period due to illness.
The show is an international co-production with Canada's WildBrain and Belgium’s Ketnet with funding partners Coimisiún na Meán and Screen Ireland.
Alongside Fallon and Kennedy in leading roles, Louise Lives Large also stars Damian Williams, Luan Ní Cheallaigh, Katie Fitzpatrick, Harvey McGann, Rachel Lynch, Matthew Whelan and Noah Rafferty.
Suzanne Kelly, Head of Children's & Young People's Content at RTÉ said: "The arrival of Louise Lives Large to our platform in 2024 marks a very significant milestone for RTÉ Kids. Since I took up my role in 2019, it was always my ambition to invest and grow home-produced Irish drama for kids.
"The launch of our first home grown drama series Louise Lives Large, produced by Tailored Films in conjunction with Vérité Films, Ketnet, Wildbrain and funding partners Coimisiún na Meán and Screen Ireland, is the culmination of a lot of hard work, but is only just the beginning of a new re-energised drama offering for Irish kids and I for one am so excited as to what it might deliver!"
Creator and head writer Carol Walsh added: "The goal of Louise Lives Large is to bring teens and families together to enjoy a great story.
"It’s also about the journey of countless teenagers who struggle with illness, bullying, and ostracism, in a way that reflects true-to-life experiences but doesn’t shy away from the humour and courage they display. It’s a series about survival, self-definition, and, above all, hope."
Watch episode one of Louise Lives Large on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player at 4pm today (3 April). The full series will be available to stream from Wednesday 10 April.
