Father & Son (TV serial)
Four-part Irish crime thriller about a father's return and his son's imprisonment.
Father & Son is a four-part Irish television crime thriller from Left Bank Pictures and Octagon Films. It aired in Ireland on RTÉ One and in the UK on ITV. Frank Deasy wrote the series, which follows Michael O’Connor (Dougray Scott) as he returns to Ireland after a long prison sentence in the UK. A second storyline runs parallel, focusing on his son and sister-in-law in Manchester. The show was filmed primarily in Dublin and Wicklow from October to December 2008, with additional principal photography also taking place in Manchester. It first aired on RTÉ One in June 2009 and received positive reviews from the Irish press. ITV broadcast it in the UK in June 2010.
The plot centers on crime in inner-city communities in both the UK and Ireland. Ex-criminal Michael O’Connor returns to Ireland to start fresh with his pregnant partner Anna, leaving his criminal past behind. He had been arrested and imprisoned for years, leaving his wife Lynne and son Séan (Reece Noi) alone. On the same day as his arrest, Lynne was murdered, devastating Michael and pushing him away from crime. He goes back to Ireland, leaving Séan in the care of Lynne’s sister Connie. Connie and Séan live in a gang-ridden Manchester suburb, where Séan tries to avoid the violence. But gang leader Jacob King (Dwayne Scantlebury) disrupts the peace. When unexpected events lead to Séan being convicted and imprisoned for a murder he did commit (killing Jacob King in self-defense), Michael returns to Manchester to free his son. There, he confronts painful memories of his wife’s murder and realizes his past criminal life caused her death.
The cast includes Dougray Scott as Michael O’Connor, Sophie Okonedo as Connie Turner, Ian Hart as D.I. Tony Conroy, Stephen Rea as Augustine Flynn, Reece Noi as Sean O’Connor, Wunmi Mosaku as Stacey Cox, Simon Delaney as George Harper, John Kavanagh as John O’Connor, Terence Maynard as Barrington, Imani McLaren as Imani Turner, Flora Montgomery as Anna Caplan, Darren Morfitt as Blanchflower, Philip Arditti as Suliman, Michael McElhatton as D.S. Norman McGinty, David Wilmot as D.S. Declan Henderson, and Dwayne Scantlebury as Jacob King.
Frank Deasy was inspired to write *Father & Son* (working title *The Return*) after thinking about how his own youthful decisions shaped his three children. From that, he created Michael O’Connor.
- Genre
- Crime thriller
- Country of origin
- Ireland / United Kingdom
- Number of episodes
- 4
- Original network (ireland)
- RTÉ One
- Original network (uk)
- ITV
- First broadcast (ireland)
- June 2009
- First broadcast (uk)
- June 2010
Lore & Background
The series focuses on inner city crime life in both the United Kingdom and Ireland. Ex-criminal Michael O'Connor returns to Ireland to live with his new pregnant partner Anna, free from his past life of crime. Michael was arrested and spent years in prison, leaving his wife Lynne and son Séan on their own. On the same day as his arrest, his wife Lynne was murdered, leaving Michael devastated, and he quickly turns his back on crime. He returns to Ireland, leaving his son Séan behind in the care of Lynne's sister Connie. Connie and Séan live in a gang-ridden Manchester suburb. Séan distances himself from the gangs, but gang leader Jacob King disturbs the peace. With the unfolding of unexpected events, Séan is convicted and imprisoned for a murder he did commit (killing Jacob King in self-defense), leading his father Michael back to Manchester.
Reader's Guide
Father & Son is significant as a transnational crime thriller that brought together Irish and British broadcasters and funding sources. Written by Frank Deasy, the serial explores themes of guilt, redemption, and the cyclical nature of crime across two countries. Its production in Ireland, using Dublin and Wicklow locations to stand in for Manchester, drew some criticism from reviewers who felt it undermined the realism of the Manchester-set scenes. Nonetheless, the series received positive reaction from the Irish press and earned Deasy posthumous awards: the ZeBBie Award for Best Television Script for Episode 1 from the Irish Playwrights and Screenwriters Guild, and the Best Television Script award at the 7th Irish Film and Television Awards. Stephen Rea also won Best Actor in a Supporting Role at those same awards. The serial was nominated in the Best Single Drama/Drama Serial category but lost to Five Minutes of Heaven. Its legacy lies in its ambitious cross-border storytelling and its recognition of Deasy's writing talent shortly after his death.
Did You Know?
- The serial was filmed entirely on location in Dublin and Wicklow from October to December 2008, with only minimal second-unit filming in Manchester.
- Frank Deasy was inspired to write Father & Son after considering how decisions he made when he was young shaped the lives of his three children.
- The production generated €5 million for the local economy in Dublin and Wicklow.
- ITV broadcast the serial in the UK from 7 to 10 June 2010.
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