Produced by award-winning production company Dyehouse Films, four part series The Unreal is set against the lush and unmistakably Irish backdrop of Lough Dan in County Wicklow, where the Kellys decamp to for a reluctant family staycation. But the dilapidated holiday park isn’t as dull as it initially seems to 12-year-old Kevin, his screen-obsessed sister Katie and their distracted parents Mary and Tom. In fact, before long, things get really weird.
Starring Senan Jennings (Vivarium, Faithless), Kate Brady, Ally Ní Chiaráin (Calm With Horses, Black 47), Kathryn McKiernan (Love’s Portrait, The Den) and Joseph McGuckan (Darren and Joe’s Free Gaff).
Series Synopsis
Kevin is stuck in a boring holiday park with his family, when he discovers a video-tape from an obscure 1980s TV show. When he plays the video he accidentally unleashes a strange creature known as the Pooka into the world. The Pooka causes chaos and Kevin gets the blame. His family don’t believe him when he tells them it’s the creature’s fault. Now it’s up to Kevin and the eccentric caretaker of the park to find the Pooka and send it back where it belongs. But little does Kevin know; this is only the start of a bizarre supernatural mystery that will change Kevin and his family’s life forever.
Episode 1
Short billing:
When Kevin plays a video-tape from an old 1980s TV show, strange and spooky things start to happen… And Kevin gets the blame!
Synopsis:
Kevin is stuck in boring holiday camp with his family. But when he finds a video-tape from an old 1980s TV show, strange and spooky things start to happen… and Kevin gets the blame! Meanwhile, Dad is not himself, but he doesn’t want to talk about it. Kevin’s sister Katie is too obsessed with her social media to notice, leaving Mum to pick up the pieces.
Producer’s Description
The Unreal is a four part supernatural comedy/drama about Kevin, a young boy stuck in a boring holiday park with his family.
But when Kevin plays a video-tape from an obscure 1980s TV show, he accidentally unleashes a strange creature known as the Pooka into the world. The only problem is that Kevin’s family don’t believe him. They have enough on their plate due to Dad suffering from depression but not willing to talk about it.
Now it’s up to Kevin and the eccentric caretaker of the park to find the Pooka and send it back where it belongs.
This is a fun, spooky mystery for a family audience, akin to shows like ‘Stranger Things’ or ‘Doctor Who’. It tackles subjects like having a parent suffering from depression and how that affects a family, while also telling a compelling and spooky mystery about uncanny events occurring at a caravan park in the West of Ireland. The tone is a mixture of comedy, drama and ‘Twilight Zone-esque’ weirdness.
It’s offbeat and strange, but not too scary for younger viewers, and with a healthy dose of comedy. The show also balances the more offbeat supernatural plot with real-world concerns; confronting prejudice, mental health issues and the pressures of social media on teenagers.
Media Contact
Sheena Madden @ Amplify Agency
+ 353 87 245 8046
