Bridget & Eamon

Bridget & Eamon
GenreSitcom
Written byJason Butler
Bernard O'Shea
Jennifer Zamparelli
Directed byJason Butler
StarringJennifer Zamparelli
Bernard O'Shea
Norma Sheahan
Edwin Sammon
Sharon Mannion
Colum McDonnell
Eleanor Tiernan
Opening theme"Why?"
by Bronski Beat
Country of originIreland
No. of seasons4
No. of episodes24 + 3 Christmas specials
Production
Executive producersBernard O'Shea
Jennifer Zamparelli
ProducerJason Butler
CinematographyEleanor Bowman
EditorsBob Caldwell
John Phillipson
Running time25 minutes
Production companyPure Class Productions
Original release
NetworkRTÉ Two
Release1 February 2016 (2016-02-01)

Bridget & Eamon is an Irish sitcom that first aired on RTÉ Two on 1 February 2016. It is based on the Bridget & Eamon sketches written by Shane Mulvey that featured on the Republic of Telly comedy review show.[1] The show centres on 1980s husband and wife played by Bernard O'Shea and Jennifer Zamparelli.[2][3]

The show won the IFTA for Best Comedy at the IFTA GALA Television 2016 awards. The show's director Jason Butler also won the IFTA for Best Director Soap / Comedy.[4]

It was the first comedy funded entirely by the Irish state broadcaster RTÉ to screen in Britain.[5]

It is produced with the support of investment incentives for the Irish Film Industry provided by the Government of Ireland, and filmed on location in Ireland.[6]

Plot

Bridget and Eamon are an unhappily married 1980s Irish couple. They live in the Irish Midlands with their 6 to 8 children.

Cast

Main cast

  • Jennifer Maguire as Bridget
  • Bernard O'Shea as Eamon
  • Edwin Sammon as Father Gabriel
  • Norma Sheahan as Noreen
  • Sharon Mannion as Concepta
  • Laura O'Mahony as Grainne
  • Eleanor Tiernan as Dolores
  • Colum McDonnell as Frank
  • Neil Molloy as Garda Paul
  • Danny Kehoe as Garda Ger
  • John Colleary as Jimmy
  • Patrick McDonnell as Martin
  • Kevin Barry as Donal
  • Keith Walsh as Phelim

Episodes

Season 1

No. in series Title Directed by Written by Original air date
1"The Trócaire Box"Jason ButlerJennifer Maguire, Jason Butler & Bernard O'Shea1 February 2016 (2016-02-01)
Eamon always spends the money from the Trócaire box so Fr. Gabriel is keeping an eye on him this year. Bridget hosts a Tupperware party that goes disastrously wrong when illegal condoms are delivered instead. She and Eamon become successful at selling them, and travel to Northern Ireland to buy more. They make over £37,000, which they store in Trócaire boxes. Fr. Gabriel takes the boxes of cash.
2"The Divorce Referendum"Jason ButlerJennifer Maguire, Jason Butler & Bernard O'Shea8 February 2016 (2016-02-08)
The couple are chosen to be on the poster for the no campaign for the forthcoming divorce referendum, but Feilim returns home from the United States to tell them that he is divorced.
3"The Lottery"Jason ButlerJennifer Maguire, Jason Butler & Bernard O'Shea15 February 2016 (2016-02-15)
Winning the National Lottery would be the answer to the couple's financial troubles. However, Bridget is unhappy when the syndicate they form with their neighbours wins, because she did not buy the ticket.
4"The Job"Jason ButlerJennifer Maguire, Jason Butler & Bernard O'Shea22 February 2016 (2016-02-22)

When Eamon loses his job, Bridget must get her first one ever.

Eamon accidentally joins a small group of men whom he is unaware are an IRA cell.
5"The Last Day of the Cigarettes"Jason ButlerJennifer Maguire, Jason Butler & Bernard O'Shea7 March 2016 (2016-03-07)

The television can now receive British channels. When the TV licence inspector appears at the door, Bridget puts the house into lockdown.

Bridget becomes very angry when she runs out of cigarettes.
6"The La-sag-ne"Jason ButlerJennifer Maguire, Jason Butler & Bernard O'Shea29 February 2016 (2016-02-29)
Bridget is a finalist in the Housewife of the Year competition, and Eamon goes to extreme lengths to maximise her chance of winning.

Season 2

No. in series Title Directed by Written by Original air date
1"New Best Friends"Jason ButlerJennifer Maguire, Jason Butler & Bernard O'Shea14 November 2016 (2016-11-14)
Bridget and Eamon befriend visiting American couple Barbara and Mikey. They wrongly believe the Americans to be swingers.
2"The Election"Jason ButlerJennifer Maguire, Jason Butler & Bernard O'Shea21 November 2016 (2016-11-21)
Eamon runs for the local election helped by Billy the builder, but when Bridget runs against Eamon, the battle between husband and wife becomes personal.
3"The Salon"Jason ButlerJennifer Maguire, Jason Butler & Bernard O'Shea28 November 2016 (2016-11-28)
Eamon cuts Bridget's hair and she is very pleased with the result. She sets up a salon in the Good Room. Her friends visit to have their hair cut by Eamon, ignoring Bridget.
4"Who Called?"Jason ButlerJennifer Maguire, Jason Butler & Bernard O'Shea5 December 2016 (2016-12-05)
When Bridget and Eamon miss a phone call, they scramble to find out who it was from before the news spreads out of control.
5"The Moving Statue"Jason ButlerJennifer Maguire, Jason Butler & Bernard O'Shea12 December 2016 (2016-12-12)
The couple start a lucrative business when the holy statue in their front room begins to move every hour, but Father Gabriel doubts that it is a genuine miracle.
6"The Irish Summer"Jason ButlerJennifer Maguire, Jason Butler & Bernard O'Shea19 December 2016 (2016-12-19)
The sun is out. The Irish summer has started and it will not last, so Bridget and Eamon get out there fast...using cooking oil as suntan lotion.
7"Bridget & Eamon's Christmas Special"Jason ButlerJennifer Maguire, Jason Butler & Bernard O'Shea24 December 2016 (2016-12-24)
2016 Christmas Special. On St. Stephen's Day, Eamon's mother arrives to make her daughter-in-law's life even more miserable. Bridget accidentally cuts her neck with an electric carving knife, then deliberately cuts her neck with it a few more times, killing her. She becomes a zombie.

Season 3

No. in series Title Directed by Written by Original air date
1"Where There's a Will..."Jason ButlerJennifer Maguire, Jason Butler & Bernard O'Shea19 September 2017 (2017-09-19)

Bridget's mother has a new Turkish boyfriend who is 32 years younger than she. She tells Bridget that she is rewriting her will in favour of her boyfriend, so Eamon makes him leave by using a turd on a stick.

Eamon reveals to Bridget and her mother that he has been in love with her mother since before he married Bridget.
2"The Radio Station"Jason ButlerJennifer Maguire, Jason Butler & Bernard O'Shea26 September 2017 (2017-09-26)
Bridget and Eamon take over the airwaves when they start a pirate radio station in their front room.
3"The Camogie Team"Jason ButlerJennifer Maguire, Jason Butler & Bernard O'Shea3 October 2017 (2017-10-03)
Bridget has joined the local camogie team. Soon after, jealous Eamon joins – badly disguised as a woman.
4"The Video Shop"Jason ButlerJennifer Maguire, Jason Butler & Bernard O'Shea10 October 2017 (2017-10-10)
Eamon has got a VHS video cassette recorder. The whole town want to rent it off him, but he and Bridget try to satisfy the demand for films by opening a video shop. There is a lot of demand for blue movies, so the couple decide to make one, despite not knowing what they are.
5"The Census"Jason ButlerJennifer Maguire, Jason Butler & Bernard O'Shea17 October 2017 (2017-10-17)
Bridget's job with the census gives her information to blackmail half the town, but Eamon has bigger ideas. Some of the neighbours find out that the couple are second cousins, but they say that is common knowledge, and they were granted dispensation to marry in a Catholic church.
6"The Trip to Lourdes"Jason ButlerJennifer Maguire, Jason Butler & Bernard O'Shea24 October 2017 (2017-10-24)
There are two free seats on the bus to Lourdes, but how far will Bridget go to make sure she gets to go this year? All she is missing is someone who needs to be cured. Bridget beats Eamon up, making him eligible.
7"Eamon's Last Christmas"Jason ButlerJennifer Maguire, Jason Butler & Bernard O'Shea28 December 2017 (2017-12-28)
2017 Christmas Special. Bridget works out that with the widow's pension and life insurance, Eamon would be worth more dead than alive.

Season 4

No. in series Title Directed by Written by Original air date
1"The Musical Society"Jason ButlerJennifer Maguire, Jason Butler & Bernard O'Shea24 December 2018 (2018-12-24)
2018 Christmas Special. Held at gun point by paramilitaries Jimmy and Martin, and with their TV broken and house surrounded Bridget, Eamon and their neighbours must act out popular TV shows to keep the IRA entertained and stay alive. They might just get away with it as long as Jimmy doesn't ask them to perform "Dirty Dancing"...
2"Pints, Fights & Poetry"Jason ButlerJennifer Maguire, Jason Butler & Bernard O'Shea10 January 2019 (2019-01-10)
To prove he's not "no craic" Eamon gets his 70s rock band back together for a gig.
Bridget accuses Eamon on being no craic in front of everyone – the single worst thing you can say about any Irish person. So when Maurice Mallumphy the lead singer of Eamon's celtic beat poetry rock band from the 70s shows up in town, Eamon gets the band back together to prove he's is still craic after all. But Bridget and Maurice seem to have history and the oldest kid has more than a passing resemblance to Maurice. On the day of the big gig will Eamon finally figure out what's right in front of his eyes?..
3"The Home Brew"Jason ButlerJennifer Maguire, Jason Butler & Bernard O'Shea17 January 2019 (2019-01-17)
When Eamon and by association Bridget are barred from the pub, Eamon decides to cook up his own home brew poitín based on an old family recipe. The recipe seems to be nothing more than white spirits and rat poison so when all the neighbours sample it they’re snapped out of the drunken stupor by the fact the dog is dead. The dog drank some of the home brew 12 hours before them. So they’ve only got 12 hours left to live. What are they going to do with the little time they have left? Apart from a very disappointing orgy or three, nobody can think of anything or wants to do anything. Until Eamon convinces them not to leave any money for their kids and instead blow their collective savings on getting Foster & Allen to play in the front room.
4"The Dating Agency"Jason ButlerJennifer Maguire, Jason Butler & Bernard O'Shea24 January 2019 (2019-01-24)
Frank is Eamon’s only friend but from Eamon’s perspective Frank won’t leave him alone. The ad for a Dating Agency in the Parish Newsletter gives them the opportunity to hopefully get Frank married so he can stop bothering Eamon. Although Fr Gabriel’s Dating Agency initially pairs Frank up with Eamon. In truth they are a perfect match. After a complaint he’s eventually paired up for a blind date with Alexis. Bridget and Eamon train Frank for his first date and though it appears there’ll be no hope for Frank, he comes back from the first date engaged and asking Eamon to be his best man. Shite! Eamon doesn’t want to be anyone’s best man and jealous of Frank’s happiness, and his beautiful and caring financé, Bridget and Eamon plan to break them up. With the help of an obliging auld dear and some cabbage soup and old people urine they tempt Frank into destroying his own nuptials. Success! Except Frank’s on his own again and back wanting to hang out with Eamon.
5"The Vase"Jason ButlerJennifer Maguire, Jason Butler & Bernard O'Shea31 January 2019 (2019-01-31)
When Bridget and Eamon witness the same vase as they have in their house be valued for £1 million on Antique Roadshow it sparks off a bitter fight between them, Bridget’s Mother and Fr Gabriel for who actually owns The Vase. Each of them tells their version of the story of how they came to own it, coincidentally on the same night as Bridget’s debs when Eamon proposed to her back in the 1970s. Guest star: Deirdre O’Kane as Bridget’s Mother
6"The Imposter"Jason ButlerJennifer Maguire, Jason Butler & Bernard O'Shea7 February 2019 (2019-02-07)
Bridget is practically invisible to everyone especially Eamon so it’s not surprising that when Bridget is in hospital Eamon mistakes the little woman Betty at the front door as his wife. Bridget must make her way back home in an epic journey and then prove to everyone that Betty is the imposter and she’s the real Bridget via a recreation of a popular TV game show. But when it comes down to a matter of life or death for Eamon will he finally acknowledge Bridget? Guest stars: Mary Murray as Betty and Jason Byrne as the Bus Driver
7"The Alien"Jason ButlerJennifer Maguire, Jason Butler & Bernard O'Shea14 February 2019 (2019-02-14)
Bridget’s inability to keep a secret has just cost Eamon £13.50 a week in false claims but when a strange woman Veronica moves in as a lodger the hole in the household finances is filled. Veronica, though, is acting suspiciously like one of the Visitors in the TV Sci-fi mini series Bridget and Eamon are obsessed with. They confront Veronica who reveals she is an alien… an illegal alien from Russia. To keep the £13.50 a week rent Eamon will have to make Bridget keep her mouth shut for once. Featuring: Amy De Bhrún as Veronica

References

  1. ^ "Bridget & Eamon bring 80s cop-on and a love of Dick...Moran". RTÉ News. 28 January 2016. Retrieved 1 February 2016.
  2. ^ "Bernard and Jen hope to take new RTE show 'Bridget & Eamon' on the road like Mrs Brown's Boys". Irish Independent. 29 January 2016. Retrieved 1 February 2016.
  3. ^ "Bridget & Eamon, RTE2 review: The critics will say it's childish – but I laughed the whole way through". Irish Independent. 1 February 2016. Retrieved 1 February 2016.
  4. ^ "IFTA Academy | Irish Film & Television Academy | Irish Film & Television Awards". www.ifta.ie. Retrieved 23 December 2016.
  5. ^ "Gold buys Irish sitcom hit Bridget & Eamon". Chortle.co.uk.
  6. ^ "Bridget & Eamon – Best Comedy Show Irish Film & Television Awards 2016". bridgetandeamon.com. Retrieved 23 December 2016.