Nob Nation
 RTÉ Supporting the Nobs | |
| Genre | Satiricalcomedy[citation needed] |
|---|---|
| Running time | 3-5mins |
| Country of origin | Ireland |
| Language(s) | English |
| Home station | RTÉ 2fm |
| Starring | Oliver Callan |
| Announcer | Gerry Ryan |
| Original release | November 2006 – present |
| Website | rte.ie/2fm/nobnation/ www |
| Podcast | rte.ie/radio1/podcast/podcast_nobnation.xml |
Nob Nationis the title of a series of topical comedy pieces broadcast since November 2006 on two national radio stations in Ireland,RTÉ 2fmandRTÉ Radio 1.The programmes are broadcast Monday through Saturday each week.Nob Nationis written and produced byOliver Callan.
The series features almost 100 characters, includingBIFFO,Dame Enda,Garret FitzGerald,and others based on people from Irish and international public life involved in politics, sport and entertainment. All voice acting is performed by Callan. Two CDs ofNob Nationsketches have been released, in 2007 and a follow-up in 2008.
In 2011, RTÉ paid defamation damages to an 84-year-old gentleman afterNob Nationinaccurately claimed he was running a brothel.
Background[edit]
Originally broadcast onThe Derek Mooney ShowonRTÉ Radio 1[citation needed]and subsequently on the2fm Breakfast Show,[citation needed]the sketches were moved to just after the 10:00 news onThe Gerry Ryan Showon RTÉ 2fm in January 2007.Nob Nationwas then repeated at night on Damien Farrelly'sThe Frequencyon 2FM. One comedy sketch was selected and was featured onPlayback on Radio Oneon Saturday mornings and onThe Saturday Showon 2fm on Saturday afternoons.[citation needed]It has also featured on Ireland's most popular[1][2]radio show,Morning Ireland,on RTÉ Radio 1.
Nob Nationwas reported in theSunday Independenton 20 January 2008 as being Ireland's most popularpodcastof the previous year, with figures showing a total of 736,711 downloads onRTÉ.iebetween April and December 2007.Nob Nationalso features prominently on theiTunesfree podcast chart.[3]Following a number of complaints about Callan's portrayal ofTaoiseachBrian Cowen"swaying and snorting in booze-filled sing-songs about his difficulties in office", the popularity of the slot has "simply exploded" according to RTÉ, with over 250,000 hits each month and making up almost a third of all downloads from RTÉ.ie.[4]
In January 2009,Nob Nationsatirised the RTÉ staff pay cut controversy by suggesting Gerry Ryan would try to get out of taking a pay cut by broadcasting for longer but without charging extra for it and that Pat Kenny would contribute to the economy by doing a nixer for free in the RTÉ canteen – to the dismay of all who preferred their full Irish breakfast to the delicacies favoured by the Kenny palate.[5]
CD releases[edit]
The firstNob NationCD, containing twenty sketches,[6]was released in Ireland on 2 November 2007.[7]Those parodied on the compilation include politiciansBertie AhernandEnda Kenny,formerRepublic of Ireland national football teammanagerSteve Staunton,broadcasterGay Byrneand newsreadersBryan DobsonandColm Murray.[8]The album reached number 5 on theIrish Albums Charton 9 November 2007, according toIRMA,the official chart tracking body in Ireland.[9]
A second compilation,Nob Nation 2: The Recession Album,was released on 7 November 2008. And a third album "Nob Nation Uncensored" was released in the Irish Daily Mail in November 2009, containing tracks not previously broadcast and a series of sketches that had not been played on RTÉ.
Live performances[edit]
Nob Nationhas featured onRTÉ Television's prime time chat showsTubridy Tonight[10]andThe Late Late Show.In December 2007 Callan was introduced by then Taoiseach Bertie Ahern to perform at Fianna Fáil's Cairde Fáil dinner. Callan performed a number of acts at the dinner, including mimicking Ahern himself. In February 2008 Callan also performed a live show at Ógra Fianna Fáil's National Youth Conference. In 2008 a debut Irish live show was commissioned as part of theBulmers International Comedy Festival.Callan performed his pieces inDublin'sOlympia Theatreon 6 September 2008.[11]
Defamation case[edit]
An 84-year-old guesthouse owner of the Maryland in the city sued RTÉ over aNob Nationsketch claiming it claimed he was running abrothelinCounty Waterford.His Senior Counsel warned the jury before the sketch was played to them that they might wince as, he said, it was the "most vulgar type of broadcast imaginable".[12]The court awarded €70,000 damages.[13]
References[edit]
- ^"Tubridy rides crest of airwaves".Irish Independent.14 November 2008.Archivedfrom the original on 2 August 2012.Retrieved17 November2008.
- ^"The matriarchs of Montrose".Irish Independent.25 October 2008.Archivedfrom the original on 1 August 2012.Retrieved10 June2009.
- ^"RTÉ may cash in on podcast success".Irish Independent.20 January 2008.Archivedfrom the original on 20 May 2011.Retrieved31 October2008.
- ^"RTÉ's biting satire ruffles feathers of Cowen circle".Irish Independent.18 January 2009.Archivedfrom the original on 18 January 2009.Retrieved18 January2009.
- ^O Morain, Padraig (31 January 2009)."How the bad lad Dunphy turned hero with pay cut".Evening Herald.Retrieved31 January2009.
- ^"NOB NATION – As heard on RTÉ Radio's Gerry Ryan Show"Archived21 July 2011 at theWayback Machine.CD World.ie. Retrieved 31 October 2008.
- ^"NOB NATION ON SALE TOMORROW!"Archived28 December 2008 at theWayback Machine.RTÉ. Retrieved 19 November 2008.
- ^"Nob Nation – Oliver Callan".RTÉ.8 November 2007.Archivedfrom the original on 11 May 2008.Retrieved31 October2008.
- ^"Irish Charts Week 45 – 2007 Top 50 Albums"Archived21 June 2008 at theWayback Machine.IRMA. Retrieved 31 October 2008.
- ^"Tubridy Tonight returns with packed line-up".RTÉ.26 September 2008.Archivedfrom the original on 27 September 2008.Retrieved26 September2008.
- ^"Nob Nation"Archived16 September 2008 at theWayback Machine.Bulmers Comedy. Retrieved 31 October 2008.
- ^"RTÉ sued over 'Nob Nation' brothel claim".RTÉ News. 12 July 2011. Archived fromthe originalon 2 March 2015.Retrieved12 July2011.
- ^"€70,000 awarded over 2FM sketch defamation".RTÉ News. 15 July 2011. Archived fromthe originalon 2 March 2015.Retrieved15 July2011.