Caerdydd is a Welsh language television programme set in Cardiff made by Fiction Factory for Welsh public service television station S4C. The series is "a stylish, new drama about modern, urban Welsh-speakers living in a bilingual city" following "a group of modern urban twenty- and thirtysomethings" as part of a drive by S4C to reach a younger audience, and went into production in Spring 2008. It started broadcasting on 14 June 2009.

Awards and nominations

Caerdydd (2nd series) has received three nominations for the 2008 Bafta Cymru awards: Best Screenwriter for Ed Talfan, Best Design for Hayden Pearce and Best Director of Photography (Drama) for Richard Wyn. The second series was also nominated at the Celtic Media Festival 2008 for best drama series.

The third series has been nominated for Best Drama Series at the 2009 Bafta Cymru awards; Roger Wiliams as Best Screenwriter, and Ryland Teifi as Best Actor.

Criticism

Criticism of the series focuses mainly on three topics:

  • the series was originally set in Dublin and only transferred to Cardiff when commissioned by S4C.
  • the large amount of English spoken, not just as some characters are non-Welsh speakers, but also English words in Welsh dialogue.
  • explicit sex scenes of both a heterosexual and homosexual nature. Officials of the National Assembly for Wales Commission who approved the filming for the Neuadd area, the corridors of the building and for one scene in the baby-changing room, were not made aware of the nature of the scene. The scene itself, filmed on 14 March 2008, As a result, S4C announced that it was investigating the matter and had contacted producers. One AM, William Graham (Conservative) called for scripts to be vetted more closely in the future.

S4C's investigation came to this conclusion: "S4C has looked into the circumstances surrounding the filming of drama series Caerdydd at the Senedd and is satisfied that the production company followed the correct procedures. We are confident that Senedd personnel who dealt with this issue were not misled." III/2-8,10

  • Natasha Jenkins (Ffion Williams) III/2-10, IV, V
  • Jamie Roberts (Gareth Milton) IV-V (Dyfan Dwyfor) III/4-10
  • Danny Ford (Huw Rhys) I, II
  • Gareth Pritchard (Matthew Gravelle)
  • Ceri Price (Siwan Morris) I, II, III/5-7,9,10
  • Paul (Richard Shackley)
  • Siân Edwards (Iola Hughes)
  • Lleucu (Tara Bethan) II, III/1-3
  • Damian Charles (Daniel Hope) I, II, III/1-3
  • Mike Thomas (Jâms Thomas) III/2,3,6-9
  • Yr Arglwydd (Lord) Delme Richards (Ian Saynor) III/2-4,7,9,10
  • Ben (Jonathan Floyd) III/2-5
  • Mared (Rhian Jones) III/3,4,6,7,9
  • Rhys Johnstone (Rhodri Meilir) I, II
  • Philip (Glyn Morgan) III/4,8,9
  • Jane (Sharon Roberts) III/8,9
  • Kylie Byrne (Jennie Crum) III/6,10
  • Rhodri (Cellan Wyn Evans) III/9,10
  • Sara Harris [Lauren Phillips] IV-V

Further cast: Catherine Ayers (Nia, I), Nathan Sussex, Sousila Pilay (II), Lillie Downie (Baby Ela Ford, III/4,6-10), Amelia Wyatt (Baby Ela Ford, III/3,4), Nick Ross (Gwilym, III/3), Lisa Zamira (III/3), Lee Bane (III/3), John Schumacher (III/3), Tomos James (III/3), Tyron Lopez (III/4), Gemma Prosser (III/4), Hazel Condon (III/4), Bethan Cecil (III/7), Charlote Grey (III/8), Poonah Najimohammadi (III/9), Rob Kendrick (actor) (III/9), Martin Glyn Murray (III/9), Elen Florence (I), Charmaine Hibberd (III/10), Kathryn Dimery (III/10), Megan Browne (Ela Ford), Ross O'Hennessy John Davies The Immigration Officer

Production

  • The series is produced for S4C by Fiction Factory, a division of Tinopolis. Ian Staples (var. II, III/2,9), Anwen Huws (III/3,7), Roger Williams (III/4,6,8,10), Catrin Clarke (III/5,6)
  • Producers: Fizzy Oppè, Catrin Rees, Ed Thomas (III)
  • Line producer: Maurice Hunter (III)
  • Series 1 was filmed in the main from January to April 2005. Directors: Ed Thomas, Ed Talfan
  • Series 2 was filmed in the main from February to July 2006. Directors: Ed Thomas, Ed Talfan, Dave Evans.
  • Series 3 was filmed in the main from January to June 2007. Directors: Ed Thomas, Dave Evans
  • Series 2 and 3 were produced in HD format.
  • Series 4 has been commissioned
  • All episodes are fully subtitled, in Welsh and English. The Welsh subtitles are available for download.
  • All episodes in series 3 feature audio description.

Broadcasts

Series 1

{| class="wikitable"

|+ Broadcasts of Series 1 on S4C

|-

! Episode

! First

! Repeated

! Viewers

|-

| 1

| 11 January 2006

| 13 January 2006

|

|-

| 2

| 18 January 2006

| 20 January 2006

|

|-

| 3

| 25 January 2006

| 27 January 2006

|

|-

| 4

| 3 February 2006

| 5 February 2006

|

|-

| 5

| 10 February 2006

| 12 February 2006

|

|-

| 6

| 17 February 2006

| 19 February 2006

|

|-

| 7

| 24 February 2006

| 26 February 2006

|

|}

Series 2

{| class="wikitable"

|+ Broadcasts of Series 2 on S4C

|-

! Episode

! First

! Repeated

! Viewers

|-

| 2

| 17 January 2007

| 19 January 2007

| 45,000

|-

| 3

| 24 January 2007

| 26 January 2007

| 40,000

|-

| 4

| 31 January 2007

| 2 February 2007

| <30,000

|-

| 5

| 7 February 2007

| 9 February 2007

| <33,000

|-

| 6

| 14 February 2007

| 16 February 2007, 18 February 2007

| 43,000

|-

| 7

| 21 February 2007

| 23 February 2007, 25 February 2007

| <35,000

|-

| 8

| 28 February 2007

| 2 March 2007, 4 March 2007

| 43,000

|-

| 9

| 7 March 2007

| 9 March 2007, 11 March 2007

| <40,000

|-

| 10

| 14 March 2007

| 16 March 2007

| <36,000

|}

The second series was repeated in February and March 2008.

Series 3

{| class="wikitable"

|+ Broadcasts of Series 3 on S4C

|-

! Episode

! First

! Repeated

! Viewers

|-

| 2

| 6 April 2008

| 10 April 2008

| 61,000

|-

| 3

| 13 April 2008

| 17 April 2008

| 45,000

|-

| 4

| 20 April 2008

| 24 April 2008

| 46,000

|-

| 5

| 27 April 2008

| 1 May 2008

| 46,000

|-

| 6

| 4 May 2008

| 8 May 2008

| 40,000

|-

| 7

| 11 May 2008

| 15 May 2008

| 43,000

|-

| 8

| 18 May 2008

| 22 May 2008

| 49,000

|-

| 9

| 25 May 2008

| 29 May 2008

| 59,000

|-

| 10

| 1 June 2008

| 5 June 2008

| 49,000

|}

Series 4

{| class="wikitable"

|+ Broadcasts of Series 4 on S4C

|-

! Episode

! First

! Repeated

! Viewers

|-

| 2

| 21 June 2009

|

| 32,000

|-

| 3

| 28 June 2009

|

| 38,000

|-

| 4

| 5 July 2009

|

| <30,000

|-

| 5

| 12 July 2009

|

| <35,000

|-

| 6

| 19 July 2009

|

| <38,000

|-

| 7

| 26 July 2009

|

| <38,000

|-

| 8

| 2 August 2009

|

| 38,000

|-

| 9

| 9 August 2009

|

| 36,000

|-

| 10

| 16 August 2009

|

| <36,000

|}

See also

  • List of Welsh television series

References

  • [ Official Website (English)]
  • Official Website (1st series)
  • Caerdydd on IMDB
  • Ruth McElroy: The Local, the Global and the Bi-Cultural: Welsh-Language Television Drama In: Critical Studies in Television, Vol. 2, ed. 2, pp.&nbsp;77–95 (Autumn 2007). .