ITV commissions second series of BAFTA-nominated comedy The Dry for ITVX

ITV commissions second series of BAFTA-nominated comedy The Dry for ITVX

ITV has today announced the commission of a second season of the critically acclaimed comedy-drama The Dry for ITVX, which will be produced by Element Pictures, in association with Fís Eireann/Screen Ireland and ITV Studios, in partnership with RTÉ.

Award-winning playwright and BAFTA-nominated screenwriter Nancy Harris (Dates) and acclaimed director Paddy Breathnach (Viva, Rosie) will return to helm the second season, which will stream exclusively on ITVX next year. The first season was made available to view for free on the streamer last month. 

Roisin Gallagher will return as recovering alcoholic Shiv Sheridan, alongside regular cast members from the first series. Further casting details will be confirmed in due course. 

The second series picks up seven months on from the events of the first, 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 6 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 3 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?

Nana Hughes, Head of Scripted Comedy at ITV said “We are thrilled to be collaborating once again with the extra talented and BAFTA nominated Nancy Harris, Element Pictures, Paddy and the team to return to the Sheridan household for the second season of The Dry, coming to ITVX in 2024.”

Executive Producer, Emma Norton at Element Pictures added “We all fell in love with the Sheridan family in season one and it is such a treat to get to spend more time in their chaotic company. Nancy has a fantastic arc for this season and Paddy is returning, with our wonderful Irish cast and crew, to bring this next chapter to life.”

Screenwriter Nancy Harris said “I’m so thrilled about this second season of The Dry and to be getting to bring more of the Sheridans back to the screen. It’s an absolute joy to be back working with this incredible ensemble cast, and director Paddy Breathnach and I’m excited about where the show is going to go this season. The characters are all deepening and developing and they all have challenges - it’s going to be quite the rollercoaster, and not just for those who are trying to stay sober…”

Dermot Horan, Director of Acquisitions & Co-Productions for RTÉ comments "The first season of The Dry really resonated with our audiences. We always felt that there were loads more stories to tell about the various members of the Sheridan family. So, we are delighted that Nancy, Paddy and the Element team are back to bring us another series. We are also really pleased to be working with our local partners, Screen Ireland and the BAI Sound and Vision Scheme, and our international ones, ITVX and ITV Studios, who are bringing this very local Irish story to UK and global audiences."

Emma Norton, Ed Guiney and Andrew Lowe will serve as executive producers for Element Pictures, alongside Nancy Harris and Paddy Breathnach. ITV Studios is handling global distribution for THE DRY.

[end]

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/ RTE /ITV Studios); Shane Meadows’ period drama THE GALLOWS POLE (BBC/A24) which is currently in post-production. 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.