Parish Matters features the strange goings-on of a border town

Radio 4 has commissioned what’s thought to be its first sitcom ever to be made in Northern Ireland.

Parish matters is based around the weekly parish council meetings in a town somewhere in Ulster, near the border with the Republic.

The four-part series is written by Michael McCullagh and Phil Taggart, who also star alongside actor and comics drawn from across all Ireland including, Michael Fry, Ciara Knight Michael Stranney, Hannah Mamalis, Mary Flanigan and Peter McGann.

Executive producer Sam Michell said: ‘It has been an honour and ultimately a pleasure to work on this fantastic new narrative format from some of the brightest comedic talent across Ireland. 

‘I cannot wait for audiences to revel in the shenanigans, for that is what they are, that the parish has to contend every week. And they might even find they're not too far away from what goes on in their own parish…'

Storylines include the AI man going around stealing everyone’s jobs, fears for the dwindling birth rate where the only baby born all year was on a bus heading straight through town and the morale-clobbering disappearance of a 400lb whiskered town mascot. 

The creators say: ‘We're excited to welcome you all into the rare beauty of the Irish border town that we've created.’

They previously made the one-off sketch show pilot Parish Is Burning, which aired on Radio 4 in 2022, featuring many of the same cast and set in a similar town.

Radio 4’s commissioning editor, Julia McKenzie, said: ‘It was such a pleasure reading the scripts for the show which were incredibly funny and I’m looking forward to bringing this series to listeners.’

Parish Matters launches on  Radio 4 on November 9 and is made by Befast-based Fabel.

Producer Keith Martin said: ‘I couldn’t be prouder to help make Mick and Phil’s brilliant and daft ideas for BBC Radio 4. Thanks to Julia McKenzie for sticking with us and to this whole Island for the funny people in the show. High hopes.’

Published: 14 Oct 2024