Second series of ITV and RTÈ The Dry begins production in Dublin with new cast confirmed

OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE

NEWS PROVIDED BY
ITV Press Centre

Award-winning production company Element Pictures (Normal People, Conversations with Friends, The Gallows Pole), a Fremantle company, have today announced filming has commenced on the highly anticipated second series of comedy-drama The Dry for ITVX and RTÉ, produced by Element Pictures, in association with Fís Eireann/Screen Ireland and ITV Studios. The eight-part comedy drama written by BAFTA-nominated screenwriter Nancy Harris (Dates) and directed by Paddy Breathnach (Viva, Rosie) will see the return of Roisin Gallagher (The Fall) as recovering alcoholic Shiv Sheridan, accompanied by an exciting array of new cast arrivals. Michael McElhatton (Game of Thrones) joins the series as Finbar, Bernie’s new close companion, whilst Thommas Kane Byrne (Derry Girls) plays Billy, Ant’s new nemesis. Could real love also finally be in the air for Shiv, with the arrival of charming barista Alex, played by Sam Keeley (Kin)?

Additional newcomers include Seán Doyle (Normal People), Helen Norton (Cracks) and Ruth Codd (The Midnight Club). Familiar faces also reprising their roles include Ciarán Hinds (Belfast) as Tom, Pom Boyd (Vanity Fair) as Bernie, Siobhán Cullen (Origin) as Caroline, Moe Dunford (Vikings) as Jack, Adam Richardson (Intruder) as Ant and Emmanuel Okoye (Conversations with Friends) as Max. The second series willstream exclusively on ITVX and RTÉ next year whilst the first series is available to watch on ITVX and RTÉ Player (which has over 700,000 streams to date) now.

The storyline picks up seven months on from the events of the first series, and we now meet the Sheridans in their new normal. To all outward appearances, it seems like the family is relatively content: Shiv’s been sober, celibate, and solvent for six months, Ant has hung onto his job at the estate agents and his relationship with Max, and Caroline’s making up for a lost time by shagging everyone she meets on Tinder. So far, so normal... Or is it? After all, how normal is it for three grown adults to still be living at home with their parents? And are the Sheridans really happy with this new status quo, or have they just rearranged their dysfunction and found another groove of denial to fit into? Shiv is determined to get sobriety right this time, to cut the toxic influences out of her life for good. But what if the biggest threat to Shiv’s stability turns out to be closer to home? Giving up alcohol is one thing...but what about giving up your family?

Roisin Gallagher said: “I am thrilled to be jumping back into Shiv’s shoes once more. It has been a joy to work with the returning cast from series one – and this time we’ve welcomed some new faces to share the chaotic shenanigans of the Sheridan’s life. I cannot wait to see where this next chapter takes us, there are so many more hilarious twists and turns on her continuous battle to stay sober.”
Executive Producer, Emma Norton at Element Pictures added: “We all fell in love with the Sheridan family in season one and so it’s a huge treat to get to spend more time in their company. Nancy has a hilarious and heartbreaking arc for this season and Paddy is leading our wonderful Irish cast and crew, to bring this fantastic new chapter to life.”

Nana Hughes, Head of Scripted Comedy said: “We have all loved joining Shiv on her journey and getting to know her bonkers family the Sheridans; our viewers are looking forward to reuniting with this amazing cast of characters next year”

Dermot Horan, Director of Acquisitions & Co-Productions for RTÉ commented: “RTÉ is delighted to be able to invite our viewers back into the manic, hilarious, but at times very recognisable Sheridan household. The first series really resonated with both our viewers on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player and it forms an important pillar in our strategy to work with the best Irish writing, acting and directing talent.”
Following the first series’ recent success at the 2023 IFTAs, winning awards for Actor in a Supporting Role - Drama and Best Original Score, this second instalment is an exciting chapter in the show’s ongoing development.

Emma Norton, Ed Guiney and Andrew Lowe are serving as executive producers for Element Pictures, alongside Nancy Harris and Paddy Breathnach. Ingrid Goodwin will be producing. ITV Studios handles global distribution for The Dry. Filming is taking place in and around Dublin.
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About

About Element Pictures

Element Pictures is an award-winning film and television production company run by Ed Guiney and Andrew Lowe, with offices in Dublin, London and Belfast.

Current film productions and upcoming releases include Yorgos Lanthimos’ POOR THINGS, starring Emma Stone, Mark Ruffalo and Willem Dafoe (Film4/Searchlight Pictures); along with AND (Film4/ Searchlight Pictures); Stephen Williams’ historical biopic CHEVALIER, starring Kelvin Harrison Jr.
(Searchlight Pictures); and Rungano Nyoni’s second feature film, ON BECOMING A GUINEA FOWL (BBC Film/A24).

Recent television productions include Nancy Harris’ THE DRY (Britbox/ RTÉ /ITV Studios); Shane Meadows’ period drama THE GALLOWS POLE (BBC/A24) which recently aired on BBC 2 and is available on BBC iPlayer. Previous credits include the adaptations of Sally Rooney’s novels,
CONVERSATIONS WITH FRIENDS, and NORMAL PEOPLE, both directed by Lenny Abrahamson (BBC/HULU).

Previous film productions include Sebastián Lelio’s THE WONDER, starring Florence Pugh (Netflix); Joanna Hogg’s THE ETERNAL DAUGHTER (BBC Films/ A24) and THE SOUVENIR PART II (BBC Films and A24); Phyllida Lloyd’s HERSELF; Sean Durkin’s THE NEST; all of Lenny Abrahamson’s films including the Academy Award, Golden Globe and BAFTA winning ROOM, and THE LITTLE STRANGER; Yorgos Lanthimos’ English language films THE LOBSTER (Jury Prize, Cannes), THE KILLING OF A SACRED DEER and Academy Award, Golden Globe and BAFTA winning THE
FAVOURITE.

In May 2022, Fremantle acquired a majority stake in Element Pictures to expand their capacity and continue producing television and film for international audiences.

About ITVX

Launched in late 2022, ITVX is UK’s freshest streaming service, letting viewers stream new programme exclusives, with adverts, for free; ranging from premium dramas, documentaries, US series, comedy and reality shows to blockbuster films and much, much more. ITVX is the first streaming service in the UK to offer viewers the flexibility to access free content with ads and ad-free paid subscription, all in one place. Paying subscribers also have access to BritBox UK. ITVX live streams must-watch events, from live sport to Love Island, as they are broadcast on ITV’s channels. ITVX also offers an ever-changing host of exclusive themed channels in line with viewer preferences and popularity; these constantly evolving pop-up channels provide a scheduled experience through a streaming service.

For more information about ITVX please contact itvxpublicity@itv.com

About RTÉ

RTÉ (Raidió Teilifís Éireann) is Ireland’s national public-service media organisation. RTÉ commissions a broad range of high-quality programming and content to meet the needs of multiple audiences. Further information can be found here: https://about.rte.ie/

About Screen Ireland

As the national agency for the Irish film, television drama, animation and documentary industry, Fis Eireann/Screen Ireland is the creative partner to the sector, investing in talent, creativity and enterprise. We are inspired by original storytelling that will emotionally move audiences at home and abroad. Through a wide range of practical funding supports across development, production, distribution, promotion and skills development, Screen Ireland supports the sector at every stage. We support filmmakers in their creative pursuit to share valuable artistic, cultural and commercial stories on screen. Recent TV drama projects supported by Fis Eireann/Screen Ireland include the multi award winning series Normal People produced by Element Pictures for BBC and Hulu, Holding, based on the Graham Norton novel for ITV produced by Port Pictures and Smother produced by Treasure Entertainment for RTÉ.

About Fremantle

Fremantle is one of the world’s largest and most successful creators, producers and distributors of Entertainment, Drama & Film and Documentaries. Operating in 27 territories we are a proudly independent group of content creators. We produce and deliver high-quality multi-genre IP including some of the biggest entertainment formats, most watched international dramas, award winning films and hard-hitting documentaries, amplifying local stories on a global scale. From Idols to The Mosquito Coast, The Price is Right to The Hand of God, The Farmer Wants A Wife to Arctic Drift, Family Feud to My Brilliant Friend and Bones & All to Planet Sex our focus is simple – we create and deliver irresistible entertainment. We are also a world leader in digital and branded entertainment with more than 470 million fans across 2,000 social channels and over 34 billion views per year across all platforms.

Fremantle is part of RTL Group, a global leader across broadcast, content and digital, itself a division of the international media giant Bertelsmann.

For more information, please visit www.fremantle.com, follow us on Twitter @FremantleHQ and
Instagram @fremantle or visit our LinkedIn page.

Source ITV Press Centre