RTE bosses have “no plans” to ever bring back Glenroe to our screens. The hit Sunday night show has been off air for more than 20 years. The RTÉ series first aired in 1983 and was a massive hit with viewers all around the country.
It was the Sunday night drama the whole family curled up to watch after Where in the World? and its theme song marked the official end of the weekend.
But after RTE announced they will be dropping Fair City’s Sunday night episode, we asked if they would consider bringing back Glenroe to attract audiences.
READ MORE: Glenroe star Mary McEvoy says she thinks there should be a spin-off of the hit soap
RTE confirmed to the Irish Mirror that Glenroe is still in their archive.
However, a spokesman for RTE said there are “no plans” to bring back the show. It comes after former Glenroe star Mary McEvoy called for the show to make a comeback.
The actress played Biddy Byrne in the show from 1983-2000, but was killed off when her character was involved in a horrific car crash.
In February 2022, the actress said: “I was saying to a friend of mine who is a writer and an actor, there’s still a degree of people who remember going to bed after Glenroe.
“But I can't understand why somebody wouldn’t revisit it with the people who are still alive.
“Maybe not Glenroe as such but it could be all the actors that have been in Glenroe, still in Wicklow, maybe a different kind of drama series.
“I really think somebody’s missing something there, because there’s still a huge appetite for it and big affection for it and I think it would get viewing figures.”
It comes after RTE saw major viewing figures when they aired reruns of Killinascully.
Actor and comic Pat Shortt said the show has gained a whole new audience because of the reruns, which in turn has given the actors on the series a kickback in TV royalties.
He said: “Do you know the funny thing about it is, there weren't any reruns for years, there were no repeats. We did a show in The Westgrove Hotel and there were loads of young people at it that wanted photos afterwards, because there’s a whole new audience for it.
“It was a programme that was made for a pre-watershed audience, which is a family audience. And it’s getting a whole new lease of life which is fantastic. It’s great. I did the contracts myself so all the actors are getting a bit of a kickback out of it which is even better,” he added.
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