With so many great Irish TV shows over the decades, it was quite the task to whittle down our choices to just five memorable picks.
Let's call a spade a spade - Irish TV just ain't what it used to be. In fact, TV shows in general just ain't what they used to be. Maybe it's a nostalgia thing, where we're desperate to return back to the days of our youth, to a time when we'd rush back home from school with a Roy of the Rovers bar in hand to turn on 'The Den'.
With the children's TV show managing to get its own revival show last year after one of the most memorable years of our lives, it's about time other shows began to follow suit. Here are our picks should more Irish TV series get the revival treatment.
'Glenroe'
Nothing, nothing, put the fear of God into you more than hearing that theme song and seeing the sweeping ariel shots of the Wicklow Mountains pop up on your TV set on a Sunday evening; which is exactly why we reckon it's about time a new generation of kids experienced the panic we went through all those years ago.
Launching in 1983, the series based around the inhabitants of a town in County Wicklow quickly became the country's biggest drama series (ever?), which was down to its dramatic and comical take on the day-to-day lives of the working class folk of the town, and the relatability of its main characters (Biddy and Miley, we tip our hats). Looking back, they really were an accurate depiction of life in rural Ireland at the time.
But how would a 'Glenroe' revival series work? For one, we're going to have no car accidents and killing off of fan-favourite characters, please (we still get flashbacks). The next obvious point would be to make the series more diverse ("well holy God"), to reflect how much our country has changed since the series ended twenty years ago. Retaining the familial farming aspect would be important, but giving it a modern twist, or potentially even adding in a business tycoon whose arrival shakes up the atmosphere in the town. There's plenty of scope there for a series waiting to be revisited - we nearly forgot to mention the drum and bass theme tune.
'Blackboard Jungle'
Awkward teens competing against each other in the hopes of winning ghetto blasters, PlayStations, 14-inch televisions and a fecking minibus? This needs to make a comeback.
'Blackboard Jungle' was hosted by our television father, Ray D'Arcy, and originally ran for seven series through the early '90s and still remains one of our favourite memories from way back when.
With not so many quiz shows out there at the moment, the series could make a brilliant return if it was brought back to life from the RTÉ krypt. With Ray unlikely to return, there are plenty of other emerging talented presenters or comedians just waiting for a shot at hosting the series. Plus, it doesn't have to be limited to just secondary school teenagers who could take part - why not have a different theme each week, such as service industry workers, a local society, or school teachers.
'Treasure Island'
We sorely miss competition series like this. Quite possibly one of RTÉ's most ambitious TV series ever, 'Treasure Island' dumped a number of unknown castaways onto a deserted island, with each episode dedicated to them inching ever closer to discovering where the island's treasure is buried.
Tasked with solving clues, completing arduous physical challenges to survive and then voting off one campmate each episode, we were positively gripped from beginning to end; could you trust anyone on the island and would anyone notice that it's a rip-off of 'Survivor'? The level of bitchiness was exceptionally high, making for some of the best drama we've seen on a reality series for quite some time. Being stuck on a remote island with strangers as you try fending for food isn't all it's cracked up to be.
Should this Irish TV series ever get a revival, we're not suggesting that 16 contestants be shipped off to one of the islands of Tonga; why not take them to the coast of Ireland and have them sweat it out on one of the islands. They might not get a holiday tan, but they'll definitely learn how to start a fire. 'Survivor: Ireland'.
'No Frontiers'
We don't know what it is, but there's just something about an Irish person heading abroad and giving us the lowdown on a holiday destination that instantly makes us want to tune in every week. And since we're all probably a little bit desperate for a quick getaway right about now, 'No Frontiers' making a return is a no-brainer.
One of Kathryn Thomas' first presenting gigs was this travel series where she would jet off to distant lands chatting with the locals, taking part in adventurous activities and sampling some of the greatest food each locale had to offer. We'd love nothing more than to sit down on a Sunday evening and watch a new season of this (and they better bring back that Spiller Sophie Ellis Bextor banger of a theme song 'Groovejet' too).
'Don't Feed The Gondolas'
Imagine if nowadays, a TV show set up a poll on their website asking people to vote for "The Stupidest Person in Ireland"? Said TV show would probably get taken off the air fairly rapidly. However, this is exactly the type of humour that 'Don't Feed The Gondolas' was famous for (the winner was Ronan Keating in case you were wondering).
Presented by Sean Moncrieff (and Brendan O'Connor for its final year), the panel show featured some of the best up and coming Irish comedians and presenters at the time who went on to become household names such as Dara Ó Briain, Des Bishop, Dave Fanning, Patrick McDonnell and even Michael D. Higgins popped up for an appearance.
As you can see from the clip below, the series went all-out on ripping the piss out of Irish TV presenters and any unsuspecting people that crossed their path for various voxpops and skits created for our TV viewing pleasure.
Come on, RTÉ, bring it back.
Which other Irish TV series do you think deserves a revival?
