Review: Fantasy Ireland “The Shamz”; “Pummillin in Dublin”; “King of Crisps”

 

 

Overview:

“The Shamz”

Three flatmates uncover a magical book and visit the president in hopes of returning it. 

However, the president updates the friends on an evil plot involving Father Murphy attempting to return Ireland to its god-fearing church-loving days. With the assistance of an evil gold-hungry leprechaun, the Father has a magical book himself.

The president assigns the three roommates to become ‘The Shamz’, protectors of Ireland. With the help of their book, the three manage to stop Father Murphy and the giant dog he has set loose in Dublin.

“Pummillin in Dublin”

Attending a local wrestling match, the Shamz witness Flatly the Leprechaun win the championship and uncover a plot by Father Murphy to fix bets on his sidekick.

When Flatly is put in the match of the century against England’s champion, the Shamz try to even the odds with a magical broach. However, that was part of Father Murphy’s plans all along.

Now it is up to the Shamz to enter the ring and beat England’s champion and save Ireland from embarrassment.

“King of Crisps”

After Father Murphy uses black magic on Ireland’s crops the country runs out of potato crisps. As part of his nefarious plan to return Ireland to the church, he makes a new kind of crisp made from communion wafers and guilt.

When the Shamz catch onto his plan they seek help from Ireland’s first potato plant. After Jay inadvertently turns the plant into a potato monster. 

It is up to the Shamz to find a way to stop the beast and save Ireland’s potato crops or no one will have crisps again.

 

Our Take:

Fantasy Ireland has been in development for a decade. The series was intended to break Irish animation beyond the children’s programming that has dominated and offer some adult content. Show creator Trevor Courtney says the series is a blend between Seinfeld and Clash of the Titans, but with a heavy Irish theme, of course. After many setbacks and a global pandemic, Fantasy Ireland premiered earlier this month on Ireland’s own RTE 2.

The series centres around three mild-mannered Irish citizens uncovering a magical book or Irish lore. As the finders, the three are tasked with being the protectors of Ireland. Unfortunately, another magical book has been found by the nefarious Father Murphy, who intends to use his newfound power to return the citizens of Ireland to Catholicism by any means necessary.

The premise of good vs evil is a tad childish. The show does feel like a 90s superhero cartoon with villains of the week and tired animation. The adult content is meant to appear in the in-between moments where the flatmates argue over rent and potato chip addiction. Unfortunately, it is not quite enough to separate the show from children’s programming. The themes and dialogue do not push any boundaries and are never inappropriate.

As far as adult animation on RTE, Fantasy Ireland has been beaten to the punch by Your One Nikita, which debuted its second season earlier this year. The former was a simple cartoon that showcased the life of modern young adults in urban Ireland. It took a much more mature approach and educated international viewers on current Irish culture. While Fantasy Ireland fails to acknowledge modern life in Ireland and focuses more on the stereotypes of the nation.

The big draw of Fantasy Ireland is intended to be the monsters. These first three episodes introduced us to a giant dog, a wrestling leprechaun, and a sentient potato. All of which are fun takes on Irish culture. Though, if I were to write a show about Canada, giant beavers and maple syrup monsters would be a little on the nose. Hopefully, the series offers some more original ideas as the season continues forward.

The series has some fun aspects. However, it does not seem to land the adult content that is intended. Had the show accepted fate as children’s programming, it would have been an entertaining way to teach about Irish folklore. Mature audiences do not need an Irish version of Scooby-Doo.

Unfortunately, the format causes each episode to be predictable. There is a lack of original ideas, and the humour is minimal if it can even land. It may be early to write this show off yet though. The remainder of the season can still help the series find its feet and its audience.