Can’t Cope, Won’t Cope, written by Stefanie Preissner and directed by Cathy Brady, is a six-part series about two Cork girls whose lives revolve around partying in Dublin but who start to drift apart as one of them spirals out of control.

Irish audiences got to see the drama first when it aired with a special double-bill episode on Monday, September 19^th at 10pm on RTÉ2.

Starring up-and-coming actresses Seána Kerslake (A Date for Mad Mary) and Nika McGuigan (Traders,) Can’t Cope, Won’t Cope shines a light on what it’s like to be young and somewhat reckless in Ireland right now.

In a unique proposition for Irish television drama, Can’t Cope, Won’t Cope is written, directed and produced by an all-female team with two women in the leading roles. Making her television debut, writer Stefanie Preissner is best known as a playwright, penning the award winning Solpadeine is My Boyfriend. Director Cathy Brady, a Screen international ’Star of Tomorrow’ is a two-time IFTA winner with an international profile having worked on projects including E4’s Glue. Producer Ailish McElmeel, of Deadpan Pictures, is currently producing Conor McDermottroe’s Halal Daddy; previously produced RTEs mutliawardwinning web series Burning Wishes and executive produced Hardy Bucks Rides Again for RTÉ2. Amy Huberman (The Clinic,Striking Out) heads up a strong supporting cast including Norma Sheahan (Bridget & Eamon), Laurence O’ Fuarain (Philomena), Muiris Crowley (Vikings) and a cameo appearance by Eileen Walsh (Catastrophe).

RTÉ2 channel controller Adrian Lynch said: “Can’t Cope, Won’t Cope is an exciting new series for RTÉ2 and one which amply demonstrates the channel’s ongoing commitment to working with great Irish talent both on and off screen. It also goes to the heart of what RTÉ2 is all about – reflecting the lives of young Irish people as they are living them now. We are very excited to see what people make of it.”

RTÉ head of Comedy, Talent Development and Music, Eddie Doyle said: “We are very proud of Can’t Cope, Won’t Cope. The show aims to capture what life is really like for young women in Ireland today in a funny, engaging and realistic way, while also taking an unflinching look at some serious issues. It brings a uniquely Irish sensibility to universal themes that we are sure will resonate with audiences.”

Speaking after the transmission Deadpan Pictures Ailish McElmeel said “We are so excited to see that Irish audiences have engaged so positively with the show, the overwhelming response is that it’s so real and representative of the young female experience.  Not surprising given that it’s written, directed and starring some of Ireland’s most talented women”

Can’t Cope, Won’t Cope has already earned recognition abroad with Irish Screen America set to host the show’s international premiere in LA in the next week. Nika McGuigan and Stefanie Preissner have also been honoured with Irish Screen America’s Rising Star Award.

The series is produced by Deadpan Pictures for RTE2, with support from the BAI Sound and Vision Fund and with Content Media handling international sales.

Some say it caused the recession, Coppers getting its own ATM. It’s certainly put a dent in the bank accounts of Aisling O’ Dowd (Seana Kerslake) and Danielle Mullane (Nika McGuigan).   CCWC is a dark comic drama detailing the unravelling of a friendship between two co-dependent young women as the hangover wears off and their lives and priorities begin to radically diverge.

Danielle and Aisling get as excited about the ‘euro saver menu’ as their school friends now get about their engagements and mortgage approval. And they both agree that the real walk of shame is when you bring all the mugs and plates that have gathered in your room back down to the kitchen. The girls are a perfect fit.

Set in contemporary Dublin, in the house they have shared since moving from Cork, these two very different twenty something’s navigate their respective professions; a high-powered finance job in Aisling’s case, and a struggling art career in Danielle’s.

Aisling is used to getting her own way and Danielle, never one to hog the spotlight, is only too happy to go along with it. But ‘going along with it’ is starting to lose its appeal; there seems to be a lot more cleaning up than just last night’s empty cans.

Aisling has learned that if you leave a mess for long enough, someone else will clean it up.

Something is changing and Aisling, head firmly turned in the opposite direction, is going to be the last to find out. After years of living in each other’s pockets, the shine of a hilarious hangover is wearing off for Danielle. As she starts to invest in her other relationships, like the charming Ferg (Muiris Crowley) things come to a head for Aisling. Her boss (Amy Huberman) is losing patience with her. Her part time love interest Lorcan (Laurence O Fuarain) has a full time girlfriend, and professionally, things are coming to a very ugly head.

The one thing that holds Aisling and Danielle together, their fear of reality, might wind up being what drives them apart. They might not know it yet, but the sobering light of day has them firmly in its sights.

Sometimes the biggest dreams can be found in the smallest places. Mary (Niamh McGirr) is a 12 year old girl up against the world. At school, she is tormented by bullies. At home, her parents – Frank (Colm Meaney) and Katey (Susan Lynch) – are struggling to save their disintegrating marriage. Meanwhile, their rural farm is under threat of repossession. Life could not be harder, but Mary finds escape through the company of her best friend Tom (Jonathan Mason) and the adrenalin-high of go-kart racing. Despite her youth, she harbours dreams of becoming a professional race car driver and she is seeing them slowly come to fruition, albeit in the form of a makeshift, ramshackle go-kart.
Reviews
“The Berlin based director André F.Nebe is in his feature film debut more interested in a multi-layer storyline than with cracking action. His film not only tells the story of Mary’s charming race preparation, but it also aims for contemplative tones. Thanks to the appealing cast and the multi-layered storylines contrasting fun and melancholy, The Race is a traditional kids’ movie and a recommendation for visitors from 8 on.”
Nibelungen Kurier 24.10.09

” This kids movie captures our hearts by storm.”
TV today

“A timeless beautiful kids’ movie, that impresses with a simple story and refreshing young characters.”
Cinema

International Sales Agent: Highpoint Media UK

A comedy about the parents and pupils of a southside Gael Scoil as they struggle to mount a school nativity play.

Val Falvey (Ardal O’Hanlon) is a man who has inherited a job of importance and status only to realise that he is hopelessly out of his depth. While getting his name in the paper and meeting celebrities like Linda Martin makes the life of a politician appealing to Val, the daily grind of dealing with his constituents’ demands lands Val in continuous trouble. His side-kick and fixer, Pat Daly (Owen Roe), has a full-time job handling Val and ensuring he emerges unscathed. The series is a timely insight into the incongruous world of local politics.

Reviews
“Ardal O’Hanlon delivers a show-stealing performance as Falvey, a character he renders simultaneously laughable and pitiful. The show’s sharpest moments are the exchanges between the hapless TD and his adviser Pat Daly.”
The Sunday Times, 2009

“Val Falvey stars Ardal O’Hanlon as the eponymous TD, is written by Arthur Mathews and Paul Woodfull, and features plenty of laugh-out-loud bits…it’s hampered sometimes by lack of budget but in general it successfully occupies that space between surrealism and kitchen-sink realism with which most Irish townsfolk are only too familiar.”
Sunday Tribune, 2009

A six part TV series for prime time RTE One, Trivia is a witty and charming comedy following Lawrence and Molly who, having got together in series one, now have to make a go of their relationship.  Thirty-something Lawrence is finally moving out of his parents’ home and becoming the temporary bread winner while Molly trains to be a paramedic.  Will their relationship survive as Lawrence is lured back to the world of pub quizzes?