Bill Murray heads to Ireland for a new six-part BBC series alongside family, friends and celebrity guests including Chris O’Dowd, Joanne McNally and Jason Kelce.
The BBC has unveiled the first-look images from A Course Called Ireland, a new six-part series following Hollywood star Bill Murray on an unpredictable journey across the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.
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The new series combines Murray’s love of golf with a road trip that takes him far beyond the fairways, as he travels around the island with his extended family, celebrity friends and long-time golfing companion Tom Coyne.
Murray is joined during the journey by family members Joel Murray and John Murray, as well as actors and personalities including Chris O’Dowd, Joanne McNally and Jason Kelce.
The six-part documentary has been produced by Skydance Sports and Stellify Media.
What is A Course Called Ireland about?
Although golf provides the starting point for the series, A Course Called Ireland is designed as much as a road trip and celebration of Irish culture as it is a programme about the sport.
Murray and Coyne travel between some of the island’s best-known golf courses, meeting the people and hearing the stories that make each location distinctive.
Along the way, the trip regularly heads in unexpected directions, with the series exploring Murray’s Irish heritage and his connection to Ireland.
Each episode features a different golf course and guest, with the journey taking Murray and his companions across some of Ireland’s most spectacular landscapes.
The result is described by the BBC as an intimate portrait of the island, its people and its sense of humour, with golf acting as the excuse for the adventure.
Bill Murray’s new BBC series features Chris O’Dowd and Joanne McNally
One of the newly released images shows Murray laughing alongside Chris O’Dowd during filming.
Another features Murray with Joanne McNally, with the pair pictured in a golf cart on a sunny course.
The series promises plenty of unscripted moments as Murray’s group travels from course to course, with the unpredictable nature of the trip becoming an important part of the programme.
BBC Commissioning Editor Cal Turner comments, “A Course Called Ireland is a hilarious and unpredictable love letter to the game of golf. The series captures candid, unscripted moments woven with the wit, warmth, and wonder of Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. Audiences will get a unique insight into Bill Murray, his family, his friends and his love of the emerald isle.”
Eddie Doyle, Head of Commissioning, BBC NI says: “This series is about much more than golf. It’s a journey packed with friendship, humour, unforgettable characters and the kind of magic moments you simply can’t script. Bill Murray is one of a kind, and every stop on this adventure is a joy to watch, for golf fans and anyone who loves a great road trip.”
When is A Course Called Ireland on BBC?
A Course Called Ireland begins on BBC One Northern Ireland and BBC iPlayer on Friday 23 October.
The series then comes to BBC Two on Sunday 25 October at 9.30pm.
The programme has been made with funding from Northern Ireland Screen.
Kieran Doherty, CEO & Co-Founder of Stellify Media, says: “There was never much chance of a trip around Ireland with Bill Murray and his friends going entirely to plan — and that’s part of what made it so special. It was a genuine privilege for Stellify to be along for the ride, and we’re enormously proud of the series we all made together.”
Greg Groggel, SVP of Unscripted, Skydance Sports, added: “Bill Murray became our creative North Star as we embraced the unexpected and let the people, places and moments we encountered shape the series. The result is something truly original. But at its core, A Course Called Ireland is a simple story: two friends on a trip of a lifetime, inviting us along for the ride.”
With Murray, his family and a group of familiar faces travelling between golf courses, A Course Called Ireland promises a very different kind of celebrity travel series — with Ireland providing the backdrop for an adventure that doesn’t always go according to plan.
A Course Called Ireland release date
- BBC One Northern Ireland: Friday 23 October
- BBC iPlayer: Friday 23 October
- BBC Two: Sunday 25 October at 9.30pm
- Episodes: Six-part series
- Featuring: Bill Murray, Tom Coyne, Joel Murray, John Murray, Chris O’Dowd, Joanne McNally and Jason Kelce
- Production: Skydance Sports and Stellify Media
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