Irish Olympic Sailing Commentary & the Hardy Bucks
August 8, 2012 9:21 AM Subscribe
"Over in Ireland, mention Chris ‘The Viper’ Tordoff of the Hardy Bucks, and everyone immediately thinks comedy. But when Tordoff’s mock-commentary of Olympic sailing went viral" (video, 3 1/2 min.) "most international media failed to get the joke." Often compared to the Canadian hit TV show Trailer Park Boys (previously here & here), Hardy Bucks is an Irish mockumentary TV show "set in a small town in West Ireland, following the misadventures of five hapless men down on their luck, trying to leave their backwards rural hometown and attempt to reach Galway to sample modern civilization". As a series of largely improvised webisodes, it went on to win the 2009 Storyland competition held by Irish national broadcaster RTÉ, which then commissioned nine TV episodes (two seasons) and a Xmas special.
"The Hardy Bucks is based on the misadventures of four disaffected lads from the fictitious ‘Castletown’ in the backwaters of County Mayo, Ireland. Scheming, drinking, work-shy procrastinators, the Hardy Bucks are daft lads from the country – the epicentre of their universe – tormented by their nemesis and small-town hash dealer, Viper Higgins. Written by Martin Maloney (Eddie Durkan), Chris Tordoff (Viper) and Mike Cockayne, Hardy Bucks was commissioned by RTE after it won the www.storyland.ie competition. Their 1st series received record viewing figures for a new show on RTE 2 – as a result they were re-commissioned for the Christmas Special. Since then Hardy Bucks has aired its 2nd series which they have just received an IFTA Nomination for ‘Best Entertainment Show’."*
nine webisodes & a Xmas short on the official Hardy Bucks YouTube channel
(episodes 3 through 9 were the six entries in the Storyland competition)
------------------------------------------------------
*episode 1, parts one & two
*episode 2, parts one & two
*episode 3, parts one & two
*episode 4, in full
*episode 5, parts one & two
*episode 6, parts one, two, & three
*episode 7, parts one, two, & three
*episode 8, parts one, two, & three
*episode 9, parts one, two, & three
*Christmas in Castletown, in full
4 mini-episodes (about 4 1/2 min. each): one - two - three - four
RTÉ season 1, three episodes:
*episode 1, parts one & two
*episode 2, parts one & two
*episode 3, parts one & two
Tordoff (in character as The Viper) plays Modern Warfare 3 & offers commentary:
Videos of MW3: Paris - MW3: London - MW3: Africa - MW3: Russia
more recent (2011) videos:
*Lads of Summer webisode
*No One Shouted Shtop! webisode
*Hardy Bucks Guide to St. Paddy's Day
"The Hardy Bucks is based on the misadventures of four disaffected lads from the fictitious ‘Castletown’ in the backwaters of County Mayo, Ireland. Scheming, drinking, work-shy procrastinators, the Hardy Bucks are daft lads from the country – the epicentre of their universe – tormented by their nemesis and small-town hash dealer, Viper Higgins. Written by Martin Maloney (Eddie Durkan), Chris Tordoff (Viper) and Mike Cockayne, Hardy Bucks was commissioned by RTE after it won the www.storyland.ie competition. Their 1st series received record viewing figures for a new show on RTE 2 – as a result they were re-commissioned for the Christmas Special. Since then Hardy Bucks has aired its 2nd series which they have just received an IFTA Nomination for ‘Best Entertainment Show’."*
nine webisodes & a Xmas short on the official Hardy Bucks YouTube channel
(episodes 3 through 9 were the six entries in the Storyland competition)
------------------------------------------------------
*episode 1, parts one & two
*episode 2, parts one & two
*episode 3, parts one & two
*episode 4, in full
*episode 5, parts one & two
*episode 6, parts one, two, & three
*episode 7, parts one, two, & three
*episode 8, parts one, two, & three
*episode 9, parts one, two, & three
*Christmas in Castletown, in full
4 mini-episodes (about 4 1/2 min. each): one - two - three - four
RTÉ season 1, three episodes:
*episode 1, parts one & two
*episode 2, parts one & two
*episode 3, parts one & two
Tordoff (in character as The Viper) plays Modern Warfare 3 & offers commentary:
Videos of MW3: Paris - MW3: London - MW3: Africa - MW3: Russia
more recent (2011) videos:
*Lads of Summer webisode
*No One Shouted Shtop! webisode
*Hardy Bucks Guide to St. Paddy's Day
If you don't click on anything else in this post, watch the sailing video (first link). Hysterical.
posted by desjardins at 9:29 AM on August 8, 2012
posted by desjardins at 9:29 AM on August 8, 2012
Ahhh the modern warfare one aahhhhhhahahahhaa brilliant.
posted by Potomac Avenue at 9:31 AM on August 8, 2012
posted by Potomac Avenue at 9:31 AM on August 8, 2012
"from Espanol" (iPhone not cooperating with special character)
I didnt stop laughing after that. How did any news outlet think this was real?
posted by tulip-socks at 9:37 AM on August 8, 2012
I didnt stop laughing after that. How did any news outlet think this was real?
posted by tulip-socks at 9:37 AM on August 8, 2012
Oh, it's the beginning of the race! And that's all the time we have folks...
posted by Old'n'Busted at 9:51 AM on August 8, 2012 [2 favorites]
posted by Old'n'Busted at 9:51 AM on August 8, 2012 [2 favorites]
Hardy Bucks are brilliant, but RTÉ have done the old trick of taking the edge off of comedy that they pick up.
posted by notseamus at 10:04 AM on August 8, 2012
posted by notseamus at 10:04 AM on August 8, 2012
How did any news outlet think this was real?
Anyone have any evidence that they did? From my quick googling of coverage of the video I think it would be fairer to say that the Irish Central failed to realize that when people linked to this as if it were real TV commentary they are trying to preserve the joke rather than failing to understand that it's a joke.
posted by yoink at 10:25 AM on August 8, 2012 [1 favorite]
Anyone have any evidence that they did? From my quick googling of coverage of the video I think it would be fairer to say that the Irish Central failed to realize that when people linked to this as if it were real TV commentary they are trying to preserve the joke rather than failing to understand that it's a joke.
posted by yoink at 10:25 AM on August 8, 2012 [1 favorite]
Come across mock Olympic sailing commentary video on the morning Internet prowl.
Oh, that's funny. Let's Google for the story behind it (is it real? no, of course not).
Is it on MeFi yet? No... I could share this.
The voiceover is by a comedian from the Hardy Bucks. What's that?
Oh, so like Trailer Park Boys, but Irish? I love Trailer Park Boys! Tell me more!
I can watch it online? Proceed directly to YouTube, do not pass GO.
...I have fifteen tabs about this open in my browser now. Maybe some people on MeFi will find this as interesting/amusing as I do.
...Single-link post of quick funny, or multi-link post about broader topic?
No one else has posted about this show before. It's an interesting story...
I've filtered through it already so if share it all then no one else has to do the same footwork...
MUST INCLUDE EVERY LINK OF RESEARCH THOROUGHNESS.
My MeFi participation does a good job of justifying time spent down Google rabbit holes. Or enabling. Same difference.
posted by flex at 10:52 AM on August 8, 2012 [6 favorites]
Oh, that's funny. Let's Google for the story behind it (is it real? no, of course not).
Is it on MeFi yet? No... I could share this.
The voiceover is by a comedian from the Hardy Bucks. What's that?
Oh, so like Trailer Park Boys, but Irish? I love Trailer Park Boys! Tell me more!
I can watch it online? Proceed directly to YouTube, do not pass GO.
...I have fifteen tabs about this open in my browser now. Maybe some people on MeFi will find this as interesting/amusing as I do.
...Single-link post of quick funny, or multi-link post about broader topic?
No one else has posted about this show before. It's an interesting story...
I've filtered through it already so if share it all then no one else has to do the same footwork...
MUST INCLUDE EVERY LINK OF RESEARCH THOROUGHNESS.
My MeFi participation does a good job of justifying time spent down Google rabbit holes. Or enabling. Same difference.
posted by flex at 10:52 AM on August 8, 2012 [6 favorites]
OMG priceless. A sincere, deepest heartfelt thanks for introducing me to Hardy Bucks. This'll get a lot of mileage in my corner of the world. We've already worn the Trailer Park boys out watching every last episode. Perfect. Huge thanks.
posted by halatukit at 11:07 AM on August 8, 2012
posted by halatukit at 11:07 AM on August 8, 2012
The thing about Hardy Bucks is that it's not that divorced from reality. Every small town in Ireland has a Viper.
posted by GallonOfAlan at 1:23 PM on August 8, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by GallonOfAlan at 1:23 PM on August 8, 2012 [1 favorite]
wow, wiping tears from my eyes as i type. awesome find.
posted by OHenryPacey at 1:56 PM on August 8, 2012
posted by OHenryPacey at 1:56 PM on August 8, 2012
"Mind yer head!, nearly got fucked out of it there."
I'm in love.
posted by Divine_Wino at 4:42 PM on August 8, 2012 [1 favorite]
I'm in love.
posted by Divine_Wino at 4:42 PM on August 8, 2012 [1 favorite]
Olympics spectator with Parkinson's wants 'exoneration' after arrest: Mark Worsfold, 54, says he was handcuffed by Surrey police officers 'for not smiling' while watching men's cycling road race
So, making people laugh is prohibited, but smiling is mandatory. Got it.
posted by homunculus at 10:37 AM on August 9, 2012
So, making people laugh is prohibited, but smiling is mandatory. Got it.
posted by homunculus at 10:37 AM on August 9, 2012
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posted by Potomac Avenue at 9:28 AM on August 8, 2012 [3 favorites]