Small Town, Big Story
| Small Town, Big Story | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Black comedy |
| Created by | Chris O'Dowd |
| Screenplay by | Chris O'Dowd |
| Directed by |
|
| Starring | |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language | English |
| No. of series | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 6 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
|
| Producer | Liz Gill |
| Production companies |
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| Original release | |
| Network | |
Small Town, Big Story is a television series created by Chris O'Dowd in association with Sky Studios and filmed in the Republic of Ireland. The series stars Christina Hendricks and Paddy Considine in main roles while O'Dowd and Hendricks also serve as executive producers. The series premiered on 27 February 2025.
Premise
The series is set in the fictional rural Northern Irish town of Drumbán, where Hollywood producer Wendy Patterson returns with a major film production, only to shine a spotlight on a hidden secret: the town has a long history of attracting interstellar visitors, a phenomenon she has witnessed and kept quiet about for a quarter of a century.[1][2]
Cast
- Christina Hendricks as Wendy Patterson
- Paddy Considine as Séamus Proctor
- David Rawle as Sonny Proctor
- Eileen Walsh as Catherine Proctor
- Clarke Peters as Chet Donald
- Tim Heidecker as Brad
- Leia Murphy as Joanne Proctor
- Patrick Martins as Jules O’Brien
- Evanne Kilgallon as Shelly McGoldrick
- Andrew Bennett as Barry Battles
- Ruth McCabe as Betty Battles
- David Wilmot as Keith McCurdle
- Susan Lynch as Jemima Rowland
- Sam C Wilson as Big Jim
- Michėle Forbes as Barbara
- Peter McGann as Matt Magee
- Chris O'Dowd as Jack E McCarthy
- Jamie Michie as Pubba McGoldrick
- Ian McElhinney as Reverend Patterson
- Maeve Higgins
Production
Development
The series is created and written by Chris O'Dowd. He wrote the show during the Covid-19 pandemic whilst in lockdown on a production in Canada. He has described it as a "cultural cousin" to his 2010s series Moone Boy, with both productions sharing a lot of the same crew.[1]
O'Dowd is also a director on the series alongside Catherine Morshead, Mike Ahern and Enda Loughman. Playground Entertainment and FilmNation Entertainment also produce in association with Sky Studios. Colin Callender and Scott Huff are executive producers for Playground, Stefanie Berk and Milan Popelka are executive producers for FilmNation Entertainment and Alex Moody is executive producer for Sky Studios. Christina Hendricks and O’Dowd are also executive producers with Liz Gill the series producer.[3]
Casting
The cast is led by Hendricks alongside Paddy Considine, and also includes Clarke Peters, Tim Heidecker, David Rawle, Eileen Walsh, Leia Murphy, Patrick Martins, Evanne Kilgallon, Andrew Bennett, Ruth McCabe and David Wilmot as well as Michėle Forbes and Peter McGann and a cameo appearance from O'Dowd.[1][4][5] There are also roles for Susan Lynch, Sam C Wilson and Maeve Higgins.[6]
Filming
The six-part series was filmed on location around County Wicklow and Boyle, County Roscommon, with production starting by September 2023 and wrapping in February 2024.[5][4]
Broadcast
The series premiered on Sky Atlantic and Sky Max in the United Kingdom on 27 February 2025.[7][8][9]
References
- ^ a b c Ritman, Alex (21 October 2024). "Chris O'Dowd Talks Bringing Hollywood to Ireland in Meta Comedy Small Town Big Story and His Cameo in the Series (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 12 December 2024.
- ^ "Christina Hendricks and Chris O'Dowd on Small Town, Big Story: 'There has to be extra-terrestrial life out there'". The Independent. 27 February 2025.
- ^ Yossman, K.J. (7 September 2023). "Christina Hendricks, Paddy Considine to Star in Chris O'Dowd's Sky Drama 'Small Town, Big Story'". Variety. Retrieved 12 December 2024.
- ^ a b Goldbart, Max (7 September 2023). "Chris O'Dowd Penning Sky TV Series About Hollywood Production In Ireland Starring Christina Hendricks & Paddy Considine". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 12 December 2024.
- ^ a b Craig, David (22 February 2024). "Paddy Considine and Christina Hendricks in teaser pics for Small Town, Big Story". Radio Times. Retrieved 12 December 2024.
- ^ Hourihane, Anne Marie (26 February 2025). "Chris O'Dowd's Small Town, Big Story is all shorts and no Mescal". Independent.ie. Retrieved 28 February 2025.
- ^ "SKY UNVEILS 2025 SCRIPTED PROGRAMMING HIGHLIGHTS WITH NEW AND RETURNING TITLES". TV Zone UK. 11 December 2024. Retrieved 12 December 2024.
- ^ "Sky & NOW what to watch 2025". Sky Group. 9 December 2024. Retrieved 12 December 2024.
- ^ "Official trailer revealed for Chris O'Dowd's Small Town, Big Story, a very dramatic comedy starring Christina Hendricks and Paddy Considine". Sky Group. 23 January 2025. Retrieved 23 January 2025.