Rebellion (miniseries) - Wikipedia
Rebellion (miniseries)
| Rebellion | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre | Historical fiction |
| Created by | Colin Teevan |
| Written by | Colin Teevan |
| Directed by | Aku Louhimies |
| Starring |
|
| Composer | Stephen Rennicks |
| Country of origin | Ireland |
| Original language | English |
| No. of episodes | 5 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
|
| Producer | Catherine Magee |
| Production location | Dublin |
| Cinematography | Tim Fleming |
| Editor | Ben Mercer |
| Camera setup | Multi-camera |
| Running time | 52 minutes |
| Production companies |
|
| Budget | €6 million |
| Original release | |
| Network | RTÉ One |
| Release | 3 January – 31 January 2016 |
| Related | |
| Resistance | |
Rebellion is a 2016 historical drama television serial written and created by Colin Teevan for RTÉ. The series is a dramatisation of the events surrounding the 1916 Easter Rising. The story is told through the perspective of a group of fictional characters who live through the political events. The series was produced to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Easter Rising. The ensemble cast includes Charlie Murphy, Ruth Bradley, Sarah Greene, Brian Gleeson, Niamh Cusack, Michelle Fairley and Ian McElhinney.
In May 2015, RTÉ announced it would produce a drama series to commemorate the centennial anniversary of the 1916 Rising. Filming took place in Dublin in mid-2015. With a budget of €6 million, it became the most expensive drama ever to be produced by RTÉ. It was co-produced by Broadcasting Authority of Ireland and SundanceTV, in association with Zodiak Media Ireland, Element Pictures and Touchpaper Television.
The series was first broadcast on 3 January 2016 on RTÉ One and concluded on 31 January 2016. The series has received mixed reviews from television critics, who praised the cast and production values, however the plot, script and direction drew criticism. It was singled out by many for its historical inaccuracies. The first episode drew a strong audience share of 619,000 viewers. However, the viewership consistently dropped, with the finale gathering an average of 463,300 viewers.
The series was followed by a five-part sequel miniseries, Resistance which dramatised the events surrounding the Irish War of Independence. In Netflix's 2025 presentation of this series, Resistance is shown as season two of Rebellion.
Plot
Rebellion depicts fictional characters in Dublin during the 1916 Rising.[1] The commemorative drama begins with the outbreak of World War I. As expectations of a short and glorious campaign are dashed, social stability is eroded, and Irish nationalism comes to the fore. The tumultuous events that follow are seen through the eyes of a group of friends from Dublin, Belfast, and London as they play vital and conflicting roles in the narrative of Ireland's independence.
Cast
- Brian Gleeson as Jimmy Mahon, soldier for the Irish rebellion.
- Charlie Murphy as Elizabeth Butler, medic for the Irish rebellion; fiancee of Stephen Duffy Lyons.
- Ruth Bradley as Frances O'Flaherty, high-ranking soldier in the Irish rebellion.
- Sarah Greene as May Lacy, secretary and mistress of Charles Hammond.
- Michelle Fairley as Dolly Butler
- Ian McElhinney as Edward Butler, Elizabeth's father.
- Michael Ford-FitzGerald as Harry Butler, Elisabeth's cynical and apolitical brother.
- Paul Reid as Stephen Duffy Lyons, fiance of Elizabeth.
- Barry Ward as Arthur Mahon, soldier loyal to the British forces; older brother to Jimmy.
- Lydia McGuinness as Peggy Mahon, Arthur's wife
- Jordanne Jones as Minnie Mahon, briefly a servant for the Butler household.
- Jason Cullen as Peter Mahon, a young boy who gets wrapped up in the rebellion; son of Arthur, nephew of Jimmy.
- Jaeylynne Wallace Ruane as Sadie Mahon
- Millie Donnelly as Gracie Mahon, a baby.
- Tom Turner as Charles Hammond, an Englishman "Assistant under secretary"; husband of Vanessa and lover of May.
- Laurence O'Fuarain as Desmond Byrne
- Perdita Weeks as Vanessa Hammond, wife of Charles.
- Andrew Simpson as George Wilson, an Englishman and fiance of Ingrid; later, a prosecutor on behalf of the British against Irish PoWs.
- Sophie Robinson as Ingrid Webster, fiancee of George and nurse for the Irish rebellion.
- Barry Keoghan as Cormac McDevitt, young soldier for the Irish rebellion.
- Brian McCardie as James Connolly
- Marcus Lamb as Patrick Pearse
- Sebastian Thommen as Michael Collins
- Lalor Roddy as Thomas Clarke
- Sean Fox as Sean McDermott
- Jack Shepherd as William Lowe
- Michael Feast as Sir Matthew Nathan
- Camille O'Sullivan as Constance Markievicz
Episode list
| No. | Title | Original release date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Young Guns" | 3 January 2016 | |
As Irish nationalists plot to overthrow British rule, friends May, Frances and Elizabeth follow separate paths in order to do their bit. | |||
| 2 | "To Arms" | 10 January 2016 | |
On Easter Monday a few hundred rebels launch their attack taking the authorities and holidaying Dubliners by surprise. Lover is pitted against lover, friend against friend and brother against brother as the rebellion takes hold. | |||
| 3 | "Under Siege" | 17 January 2016 | |
Three days into a siege the rebels seek international recognition for Irish independence but the British forces are closing in. Elizabeth, Frances and Jimmy are caught up in the action at the GPO. Meanwhile, tragedy strikes the Mahon family as their young son Peter is shot and killed. | |||
| 4 | "Surrender" | 24 January 2016 | |
In the face of overwhelming British reinforcements, the rebels surrender. Swift military courts martial and executions follow. | |||
| 5 | "The Reckoning" | 31 January 2016 | |
As the dust settles from the rebellion, May, Elizabeth and Frances deal with the consequences of their actions. | |||
Background
The series was directed by Finnish director Aku Louhimies[2] and written by series creator Colin Teevan.
RTÉ secured €400,000 in funding from the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland in 2014.[3] In May 2015, RTÉ confirmed it would produce a drama series commemorating the 100th Anniversary of the 1916 Rising; the show was filmed during summer 2015 in Dublin.[4] In December 2015, RTÉ Television confirmed the series would premiere in early January on Irish television.[5][6] The series, which cost €6 million, is the most expensive drama series produced by the public broadcaster.[7] RTÉ and Zodiac Media, the production company that made Rebellion, announced in 2016 they would produce a sequel series, initially titled Rebellion: Two States, set during the War of Independence.[8] The sequel, starring Brian Gleeson and Gavin Drea, was released in 2019 with the title Resistance. The sequel opens as British police are closing in on Irish leader Michael Collins and his men.[9]
International broadcast
The series premiered on SundanceTV in the United States, on 24 April 2016 and on YLE in Finland, on 1 June 2016. SundanceTV has combined episodes into pairs and titled "To Arms", "Under Siege" and "The Reckoning" S1E5. The series is available on RTÉ Player in Ireland and on Netflix worldwide, except in Finland.[10]
Reception
Following its first broadcast, episode 1 held a strong audience of 619,000. Forty-one percent of the available audience tuned in to RTÉ One to watch the opening episode of the five-part series, with an additional 45,000 people catching it on RTÉ One +1 and more than 9,000 people viewing it on the RTÉ Player.[11]
The Irish Times gave the first episode a favourable review.[7] After the series had aired, the review in The Irish Times was less favourable: "Now, though, as we learn more about the events of Easter 1916 – largely through the centenary coverage in print and on television – we know its history is filled with real drama, extraordinary events and fascinating characters (some of them women). This dramatic device of creating fictitious ones now looks like a wasted opportunity."[12]
The Irish Mirror claimed that the series was "destined to court controversy".[2] Dr. Shane Kenna, a historian and lecturer at Trinity College Dublin, criticised the series for its "poor ahistorical script with no educational benefit".[13] The series was slated on social media, with many viewers criticising its historical inaccuracies.[14]
Among the ahistorical elements of the series complained of by critics were scenes in which rebels shot looting civilians, the depiction of Dublin's slums as somewhat comfortable and the portrayal of Sean Connolly executing an unarmed constable who offered only token resistance at the gates of Dublin Castle.[15] While Constable James O'Brien was the first fatality of the Rising, he was described as rushing to lock the gates and then grabbing for a rebel's gun[15] or, according to Helena Molony, as physically attempting to stop Connolly from advancing toward the gate before Connolly shot him.[16] Critics also took issue with the show's misrepresentation of the roles and ideologies of other real-life historical figures. Gerry Adams tweeted that "whoever wrote Rebellion [should've] read Pearse's writings."[17] Rónán Duffy wrote in TheJournal.ie that a scene showing Éamon de Valera losing his nerve while awaiting execution before a firing squad only to be spared at the last moment was probably the show's "most unnecessary" use of poetic license.[18]
Pat Stacey, writing in the Irish Independent, wrote negatively about the dialogue, stating: "the characters didn’t so much converse as chuck out egregiously stilted slabs of text which hung in the air for a moment, before crashing to the floor", concluding: "It’s not historical accuracy the Rebellion has to worry about; it's plain, old-fashioned bad writing, allied with dismally flat direction."[15] In TheJournal.ie, Duffy complained that too many of the subplots and characters were extraneous and often did not have satisfying or, in some cases, clear conclusions.[18]
References
- "RTÉ Player". RTÉ.ie. Archived from the original on 2 April 2019. Retrieved 9 April 2018.
- Ward, James (3 January 2016). "RTE 1916 drama Rebellion makes debut and is perhaps destined to court controversy". irishmirror. Archived from the original on 20 September 2016. Retrieved 5 January 2016.
- "Rebellion - The Irish Film & Television Network". iftn.ie. Archived from the original on 26 January 2016. Retrieved 5 January 2016.
- Brosnan, Seán (21 May 2015). "RTÉ announces new Irish drama series 'Rebellion'". iftn.ie. Archived from the original on 26 January 2016. Retrieved 5 January 2016.
- Brosnan, Seán (21 December 2015). "RTÉ launch new five part series 'Rebellion'". iftn.ie. Archived from the original on 26 January 2016. Retrieved 5 January 2016.
- "RTÉ Unveils First Episode of Rebellion as Part of RTÉ 1916". rte.ie. 21 December 2015. Archived from the original on 9 January 2016. Retrieved 5 January 2016.
- "Rebellion review: RTÉ fires first salvo in 1916 centenary schedule". The Irish Times. 3 January 2016. Archived from the original on 25 January 2016. Retrieved 5 January 2016.
- "RTÉ to make follow-up to 1916 Rising drama Rebellion (Sound and Vision Fund backs Rebellion: Two States, to be set during War of Independence)". The Irish Times. 12 July 2016. Archived from the original on 16 August 2016. Retrieved 10 August 2016.
- McEvoy, Dermott. New Irish War of Independence drama "Resistance" opens with a bang. Archived 2019-04-23 at the Wayback Machine Irish Central, Jan 07, 2019.
- "Rebellion". Netflix. Archived from the original on 1 July 2016. Retrieved 9 April 2016.
- "Rebellion draws impressive viewing figures". rte.ie. 4 January 2016. Archived from the original on 17 January 2016. Retrieved 5 January 2016.
- "Rebellion review: Truth more dramatic than this fiction". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 6 September 2021. Retrieved 6 September 2021.
- "Dr Shane Kenna". Twitter. Archived from the original on 29 November 2017. Retrieved 7 February 2016.
- "RTE's Rebellion SLATED on social media for historical inaccuracies". Breaking News. 1 November 2016. Archived from the original on 7 February 2016. Retrieved 7 February 2016.
- "Pat Stacey: Historical howlers are the least of the things wrong with RTE's Rebellion drama". Independent.ie. 15 January 2016. Archived from the original on 7 February 2016. Retrieved 7 February 2016.
- Duffy, Rónán (11 January 2016). "Was an unarmed policeman really shot dead at Dublin Castle during the Easter Rising?". TheJournal.ie. Retrieved 5 February 2022.
- Duffy, Rónán (11 January 2016). "The rebellion kicked off in Rebellion last night but some (even Gerry Adams) weren't happy". TheJournal.ie. Retrieved 5 February 2022.
- Duffy, Rónán (1 February 2016). "Rebellion came out fighting but in the end it went down in flames". TheJournal.ie. Retrieved 5 February 2022.
Resistance (miniseries)
| Resistance | |
|---|---|
_TV_title_card.png) Title card | |
| Also known as | Rebellion Season 2 |
| Genre | Historical fiction Spy fiction |
| Created by | Colin Teevan |
| Written by | Colin Teevan |
| Directed by | Catherine Morshead |
| Starring | Brian Gleeson Aoife Duffin Simone Kirby Natasha O'Keeffe Gavin Drea |
| Composer | Vince Pope |
| Country of origin | Ireland |
| Original language | English |
| No. of episodes | 5 |
| Production | |
| Producers | Catherine Magee Catherine Dunne |
| Cinematography | David Marsh |
| Editor | Justin Krish |
| Camera setup | Multi-camera |
| Running time | 52 minutes per episode |
| Production companies | Zodiak Media Ireland Touchpaper TV RTÉ |
| Original release | |
| Network | RTÉ One |
| Release | 6 January – 3 February 2019 |
| Related | |
| Rebellion | |
Resistance (released as Rebellion Season 2 on Netflix) is a 2019 television miniseries written by Colin Teevan for Irish broadcaster RTÉ, dramatising the events surrounding the Irish War of Independence.[1][2]
Set during the time of Bloody Sunday in 1920, it is a sequel to the 2016 mini-series, Rebellion, which was set during the 1916 Easter Rising.[3] In Netflix's 2025 presentation of this series, Resistance is shown as season two of Rebellion.
Production
Filming began in October 2016.[4]
Cast
Characters returning from Rebellion
- Brian Gleeson – Jimmy Mahon, a 1916 veteran now serving with the IRA.
- Jordanne Jones – Minnie Mahon
- Jaeylynne Wallace Ruane – Sadie Mahon
- Millie Donnelly – Gracie Mahon
- Michael Ford-FitzGerald – Harry Butler, wealthy banker from whom the rebel government seek funds.
- Gavin Drea – Michael Collins, IRA Director of Intelligence, a charismatic and headstrong leader. (Collins was played by Sebastian Thommen in Rebellion)
New characters
- David Wilmot – Patrick (Paddy) Mahon, Jimmy's brother, a member of the Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC).
- Stanley Townsend – Daniel Shea, an Irish-American US Senator, sympathetic to the independence movement.
- Simone Kirby – Ursula Sweeney, Dublin Castle codebreaker
- Conall Keating – Joey Bradley, IRA gunman.
- Aoife Duffin – Éithne Drury, republican journalist
- Natasha O'Keeffe – Agnes Moore, Ursula's sister, a lawyer working in the Dáil Courts
- Catherine Walker – Constance Butler, republican sympathiser; wife of Harry
- Fergal McElherron – Maurice Jacobs, solicitor and agent for the rebel government.
- Ben Smith – Robbie Lennox, English journalist and socialist. Based on the historical F. Digby Hardy.
- Andrew Bennet – Arthur Griffith, Minister for Home Affairs and vice-president of Sinn Féin
- Craig Parkinson – Captain David McLeod, British soldier.
- Conor MacNeill – Diarmuid McWilliams, republican journalist.
- Aoibhínn McGinnity – Josephine Carmichael, cabaret singer and Harry Butler's mistress.
- Matthew Hopkinson – Albert Finlay, a hot-headed Black and Tan
- Paul Ritter – General Ormonde Winter, Chief of Intelligence in Dublin Castle
- Tom Bennett – Mark Sturgis, Winter's opposite number in the British civil service.
- Hugh O'Conor – Dr. Lawrence Moore, doctor with republican sympathies. Husband to Agnes.
- Imogen Doel – Lily Lawlor, typist in Dublin Castle
- Barbara Bergin – Mrs. Lyons, landlady
- Brian Doherty – Frank Brogan, IRA leader
Episode list
| No. | Title | Original release date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Episode 1" | 6 January 2019 |
| 2 | "Episode 2" | 13 January 2019 |
| 3 | "Episode 3" | 20 January 2019 |
| 4 | "Episode 4" | 27 January 2019 |
| 5 | "Episode 5" | 3 February 2019 |
Reception
The first episode was criticised for departure from historical fact; Teevan had already resigned himself to such, he admitted in an interview with The Irish Times.[5][6]
The Irish Catholic criticised what they called the "nasty nuns" subplot; in the historical event that the adoption storyline was based on, Josephine Marchment Brown, a widow working in Victoria Barracks in Cork, lost custody of her son to her in-laws who took the boy to Wales. The IRA kidnapped the boy back for her in return, according to the plot, for her passing information to them.[7][8] Foreign adoptions from mother-and-baby homes, of the kind depicted in Resistance, did not begin until the 1940s.[9][10]
Chris Wasser of the Irish Independent awarded the first episode three stars, saying "What we have here is a reasonably capable and competent drama that, though rough around the edges, suggests we may be in for a stronger and tighter run than last time. […] It isn’t nearly as vital or as thrilling as it needs to be, and Catherine Morshead’s flat direction doesn’t help. But there is something here."[11]
Website IrishCentral was more positive, saying "The first episode of Resistance is deliciously plotted with loyalty, betrayal, irony, but most of all, the bravery of ordinary Dubliners taking on the greatest intelligence service in the world and, as history tells us, eventually winning. Resistance is not to be missed."[12]
References
- Stacey, Sarah (4 January 2019). "RTE Drama 'Resistance' Looks At Ireland During The War Of Independence". TodayFM.com. Archived from the original on 12 January 2019. Retrieved 11 January 2019.
- "Resistance". RTÉ.ie. 17 December 2018 – via www.RTÉ.ie.
- Barry, Aoife (6 January 2019). "'Sometimes being true to history you get as much flack': Historical drama Resistance's creator on annoying Twitter". TheJournal.ie.
- "Resistance sequel to Rebellion from RT to begin filming next week – The Irish Film & Television Network". www.iftn.ie.
- Clarke, Donald. "'Resistance': Let the arguments about historical truths begin". The Irish Times.
- "There was a mixed reaction to RTÉ's new War of Independence drama, Resistance". JOE.ie. 7 January 2019.
- Duffy, Rónán (7 January 2019). "What is the truth behind Resistance's forced adoption storyline that really got people talking?". TheJournal.ie.
- Borgonovo, John (20 April 2022). "The story of Josephine McCoy, the IRA spy in the British barracks". Retrieved 15 February 2025 – via rte.ie.
Unlike the Resistance series, there is no suggestion that the IRA tried to control Josephine's access to her son
- Bracken, Amy (29 June 2014). "Opinion: Adoption, illegitimate children and 'the bogey of proselytism' in Catholic Ireland". TheJournal.ie.
- "The Irish babies adopted to the US, now adults in a legal limbo". irishtimes.com. Retrieved 11 January 2019.
- "Resistance review: 'It isn't nearly as vital or as thrilling as it needs to be – but there is something here'". Independent.ie. 6 January 2019.
- "Irish War of Independence drama "Resistance" opens with a bang". IrishCentral.com. 7 January 2019.
External links
- Resistance at IMDb
- 2019 Irish television series debuts
- 2019 Irish television series endings
- RTÉ original programming
- Irish television miniseries
- Television shows set in Dublin (city)
- Television shows set in Ireland
- Television series based on actual events
- Television series set in the 1920s
- Cultural depictions of Michael Collins (Irish leader)
- Works about the Irish War of Independence
- Television series by Banijay
- Films directed by Catherine Morshead
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