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''Kat & Alfie: Redwater'' (also called ''Redwater'' in Ireland), is a British–Irish co-production television series broadcast on
RTÉ One RTÉ One ( ga, RTÉ a hAon) is an Irish free-to-air flagship television channel owned and operated by Raidió Teilifís Éireann (RTÉ). It is the most-popular and most-watched television channel in the country and was launched as ''Telefís ...
and
BBC One BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's flagship network and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News television bulletins, ...
. It was created by
Dominic Treadwell-Collins Dominic Treadwell-Collins (born 26 August 1977) is a British television producer, known for his work on the soap operas ''Family Affairs'' and ''EastEnders'', creating the ''EastEnders'' spin-off series '' Kat & Alfie: Redwater'' and Executive P ...
as a six-part series based on the characters
Kat Moon Kathleen "Kat" Slater (also Moon) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Jessie Wallace. She is also played by Kate Peck in a flashback in 2001 and Sumar-Elise Sandford in a flashback in 2018. Kat is the sec ...
, played by
Jessie Wallace Karen Jane Wallace (born 25 September 1971), known professionally as Jessie Wallace, is an English actress. She is known for portraying the role of Kat Slater on the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'' since 2000. Her role as Kat won her the Natio ...
, and
Alfie Moon Alfie Moon is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Shane Richie. He made his first appearance on 21 November 2002, and left on 25 December 2005. He returned to ''EastEnders'' on 21 September 2010, following th ...
, played by
Shane Richie Shane Patrick Paul Roche (born 11 March 1964), known as Shane Richie, is a British actor, comedian, television presenter and singer. Following initial success as a stage and screen performer, he became best known for his portrayal of the charac ...
, from the soap opera '' EastEnders''. The series is set in the fictional Irish village of Redwater, where the residents are hiding a dark secret, and features an ensemble cast. ''Redwater'' is a co-production between the
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
and
Element Pictures Element Pictures is an Irish film studio, cinema and television production company
, with Victoria Wharton serving as producer. It was filmed on location in
Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of the Wicklow Mountains range. At the 2016 c ...
, County Waterford and County Wicklow between 11 April and 26 July 2016. It started airing in Ireland on 14 May 2017 and the United Kingdom on 18 May 2017. It has also been shown in the United States and Canada. A second series was mooted during filming of the first but in September 2017, it was confirmed that no more episodes would be produced, leaving the fates of the characters unknown. However, Kat's return to ''EastEnders'' was confirmed on 20 December 2017, meaning that she had survived the events of ''Redwater'', and ''EastEnders'' storylines following her return confirmed that Alfie had also survived and he returned later in the year.


Premise

''Kat & Alfie: Redwater'' follows two characters from '' EastEnders'',
Kat Moon Kathleen "Kat" Slater (also Moon) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Jessie Wallace. She is also played by Kate Peck in a flashback in 2001 and Sumar-Elise Sandford in a flashback in 2018. Kat is the sec ...
(
Jessie Wallace Karen Jane Wallace (born 25 September 1971), known professionally as Jessie Wallace, is an English actress. She is known for portraying the role of Kat Slater on the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'' since 2000. Her role as Kat won her the Natio ...
) and her husband
Alfie Moon Alfie Moon is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Shane Richie. He made his first appearance on 21 November 2002, and left on 25 December 2005. He returned to ''EastEnders'' on 21 September 2010, following th ...
(
Shane Richie Shane Patrick Paul Roche (born 11 March 1964), known as Shane Richie, is a British actor, comedian, television presenter and singer. Following initial success as a stage and screen performer, he became best known for his portrayal of the charac ...
), as they arrive in the fictional Irish village of Redwater to "search for answers to some very big questions" and put their past behind them. Redwater is described as a "very little romantic seaside town", and "a tiny, picturesque Irish harbour village, a quiet rural idyll by the sea where the Kelly and Dolan families have lived for generations." The then executive producer of ''EastEnders'', also executive producer of ''Redwater'',
Dominic Treadwell-Collins Dominic Treadwell-Collins (born 26 August 1977) is a British television producer, known for his work on the soap operas ''Family Affairs'' and ''EastEnders'', creating the ''EastEnders'' spin-off series '' Kat & Alfie: Redwater'' and Executive P ...
, said that two events in ''EastEnders'' serve as a catalyst for the series. In ''EastEnders'' episodes broadcast in April, May and December 2015 and January 2016, Kat and Alfie win the lottery, Alfie discovers he has a mass in his brain and Kat discovers she gave birth to a son, Luke, after she passed out during the birth of her daughter
Zoe Slater Zoe Slater is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Michelle Ryan. She made her first appearance on 18 September 2000. Zoe arrives in Walford along with her father, Charlie (Derek Martin), sisters Kat (Jessi ...
(
Michelle Ryan Michelle Claire Ryan (born 22 April 1984) is an English actress. She played Zoe Slater on the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'' (2000–2005). In 2007, she starred in the short-lived American television series ''Bionic Woman''. She appeared as th ...
); Luke was adopted by a family in Ireland without Kat knowing he existed. Kat's sister
Belinda Peacock The following is a list of characters that first appeared in the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'' in 2001, by order of appearance. All characters were introduced by the show's executive producer, John Yorke. The first character to be introduced ...
(
Carli Norris Carli Jo Norris (born 23 June 1974) is an English actress, known for her roles as Anoushka Flynn in '' Doctors'', Martha Kane in ''Hollyoaks'' and taking over the role of Belinda Peacock in ''EastEnders''. Career In June 1997, just before off ...
) recalls a time the family (minus Kat) went to Redwater and they conclude that Luke must be there. Treadwell-Collins confirmed that "the discovery that Kat has a secret son will ..ultimately lead to the Moons realising that the answers to so many questions lie across the sea in Ireland." Director Jesper W. Nielsen said the series is "About how one woman's search for a lost child opens Pandora's box; revealing the terrible lies and secrets in the little village of Redwater" and "about how the strong bonds of love in a family can hold everything together, and yet at the same time—destroy everything. It has echoes of a Shakespearean drama, told in a rich cinematic style, loaded with humour and suspense." Editor Celia Haining said that Kat and Alfie "end up becoming entangled with four generations of an Irish family who all have their own mysterious secrets about the past". Richie confirmed that Kat and Alfie's storylines are "part of a large tapestry of other stories that are happening in Redwater."
Ian McElhinney Ian McElhinney (born 19 August 1948) is a Northern Irish actor and director. He has appeared in many television series in a career spanning more than forty years; notable appearances include ''Taggart'', '' Hornblower'', ''Cold Feet'', and ''T ...
, who plays Lance Byrne in the series, described the village of Redwater as a "small community" that is dominated by the Byrne family, who are connected to everyone else. The series also revolves around a family tragedy that happened 21 years previously.
Fionnula Flanagan Fionnghuala Manon "Fionnula" Flanagan (born 10 December 1941) is an Irish stage, television, and film actress. For her contributions to the entertainment industry, she was given the IFTA Lifetime Achievement Award in 2012. Flanagan is known f ...
, who plays Agnes Byrne in the series, confirmed that it is about "the suppressed whisperings and shoulder nudges that were for decades a feature of Irish rural life". Richie said the series was a standalone drama that is "nothing to do with ''EastEnders'' except for that it's Kat and Alfie" and "a whole new universe for
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" He called it a "dark story" that is "quite religious" but with a "charm about it". He compared it to "''
Broadchurch ''Broadchurch'' is a British crime drama television series broadcast on ITV (TV network), ITV for List of Broadchurch episodes, three series between 2013 and 2017. It was created by Chris Chibnall, who acted as an executive producer and wrote a ...
'' meets ''
The Wicker Man ''The Wicker Man'' is a 1973 British folk horror film directed by Robin Hardy and starring Edward Woodward, Britt Ekland, Diane Cilento, Ingrid Pitt, and Christopher Lee. The screenplay by Anthony Shaffer, inspired by David Pinner's 1967 ...
''", while ''
Deadline Hollywood ''Deadline Hollywood'', commonly known as ''Deadline'' and also referred to as ''Deadline.com'', is an online news site founded as the news blog ''Deadline Hollywood Daily'' by Nikki Finke in 2006. The site is updated several times a day, wit ...
'' called it a "lighter ''Broadchurch''", as it was expected to "mix the Moons' knack for comedy and turmoil with dark drama". Wallace also compared the series to ''
Under Milk Wood ''Under Milk Wood'' is a 1954 radio drama by Welsh poet Dylan Thomas, commissioned by the BBC and later adapted for the stage. A film version, ''Under Milk Wood'' directed by Andrew Sinclair, was released in 1972, and another adaptation of ...
'' and ''
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''. Episode 1 writer Matthew Graham said the series is family-based and character-based, "emotionally real and raw" with "a heightened realism at times". Duncan Lindsay from the ''
Metro Metro, short for metropolitan, may refer to: Geography * Metro (city), a city in Indonesia * A metropolitan area, the populated region including and surrounding an urban center Public transport * Rapid transit, a passenger railway in an urb ...
'' confirmed that the series was "no slow burner" as viewers would discover the identity of Kat's son in the first episode, which "contains twists that set the scene for some dark episodes ahead." The series was described as a "rural gothic murder mystery" by the '' Irish Examiner'', who also said that Nielsen's direction "conjures the spirit of Scandi noir". Flanagan described it as Irish noir, or ''dubh''.


Development


Conception

In 2015, Alex Lamb, story producer for ''EastEnders'', pitched a storyline that Kat would discover a son she did not know about, and it was hoped that Kat's search for her son would bring the character "new purpose", but it was felt that Kat's search could not be confined to the setting of
Albert Square Walford is a fictional borough of east London in the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders''. It is the primary setting for the soap. ''EastEnders'' is filmed at Borehamwood in Hertfordshire, towards the north-west of London. Much of the location ...
, and a week of ''EastEnders'' episodes set in Spain was considered. Treadwell-Collins pitched the week of episodes to then-Controller of Drama,
Ben Stephenson Benjamin Stephenson is a television executive, formerly controller of drama at the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) and currently Head of Television at Bad Robot Productions in the United States. Personal life Stephenson attended The ...
, but they realised that the story would be big enough for its own series and Treadwell-Collins thought that Kat and Alfie "could work in a whole new universe" and that "other characters and their stories could be created around them." Originally the series was to be set in Spain, but Treadwell-Collins thought it was "too obvious" as the series needed to be "fresh, different and to have soul." Treadwell-Collins came up with the idea of setting the series in Ireland when he was on holiday in
New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans
on St Patrick's Day, and he saw people having fun but also claiming to be Irish. Treadwell-Collins realised that Ireland had not been portrayed in mainstream British television since the series ''
Ballykissangel ''Ballykissangel'' is a BBC television drama created by Kieran Prendiville and set in Ireland, produced in-house by BBC Northern Ireland. The original story revolved around a young English Roman Catholic priest as he became part of a rural com ...
'', and the Slater family's (of which Kat is a member) biography in ''EastEnders'' states that their origins are in Ireland, and with Wallace, Richie and Treadwell-Collins all having Irish backgrounds, Treadwell-Collins said that "Ireland felt right". The new series for actors Wallace and Richie was confirmed on 4 April 2015 by Treadwell-Collins. It was announced that the characters of Kat and Alfie would leave ''EastEnders'' together, and the series would be set in Ireland. Treadwell-Collins' intention was to create "a new contemporary ensemble drama set in Ireland". Treadwell-Collins called it the "perfect time" for the characters to be taken "out of their comfort zone" and added that his team were "creating a whole new drama that stands apart from ''EastEnders'' while taking our style of storytelling to a place of stories, myth, secrets and immeasurable beauty." Charlotte Moore, Controller of BBC One, said: "Life is anything but dull for favourite ''EastEnders'' couple Kat and Alfie as they embark on a new life in Ireland in this exciting drama series. Rest assured, their rollercoaster isn't set to end any time soon." ''Redwater'' is the first major network drama to derive from ''EastEnders''. Speaking in reference to the show, Wallace commented, "I have always loved working on ''EastEnders'' so when I heard of this new drama to take Kat and Alfie outside of Walford, I couldn't believe our luck. To be exploring the next chapter for Kat as well as working alongside my best mate, Shane, is a dream come true and a huge compliment." Richie said, "Both Jessie and I are absolutely thrilled to be given this amazing opportunity. To have a whole drama focused around Kat and Alfie is a huge honour for us both and we just can't wait to start filming." Treadwell-Collins later spoke again about the new series: "We want to create something big around at and Alfie ''EastEnders'' as a brand can afford to do it and I've always wanted to do something like that. I'm from Ireland originally, so it's a place I know well. Shane's Irish, Jessie’s half Irish—so, there’s an Irish connection between all of us. The other important thing about the spin-off show is it's not just about Kat and Alfie—we've created a whole new world and a new lot of characters. The writers have created a really lovely, interesting world, but also with our style of storytelling." ''EastEnders'' previously had a storyline set in Ireland in 1997, which was heavily criticised for its unflattering depiction of Irish life, but Richie stated the series would not parody Irish life or "play the dopey card". The village of Redwater was first namechecked in ''EastEnders'' on 21 January 2016. ''Redwater'' was announced as the official title on 1 August 2016. 13 April 2017, the title of the series was revealed as ''Kat & Alfie: Redwater'', though it continued to be referred to as ''Redwater''. Treadwell-Collins said that he would not be working on a second series as he had left the BBC but had spoken to producer Victoria Wharton about it and had " tartedputting plans in place about what would happen next. Throughout the series, we have very carefully laid down secrets and hinted at other characters. The end of this series will feel like a midpoint—not an ending. We leave it on the mother of all cliffhangers at the end of episode six." On 14 June 2017, the BBC stated that no decision had yet been made for the series to return. On 20 September 2017, it was officially confirmed that ''Kat & Alfie: Redwater'' would not return for a second series, with a BBC spokesperson saying, "In order to increase the range of new original drama on BBC One, ''Kat & Alfie: Redwater'' won't be returning."


Production

''Kat & Alfie: Redwater'' is a co-production between the BBC and RTÉ. Filming was originally due to start in autumn 2015, with the series being broadcast in 2016. Wallace and Richie were to be given time off from ''EastEnders'' to film the series, with Treadwell-Collins saying they would be out of ''EastEnders'' "for a while". The characters departed from screens on 22 May 2015. However, the series was delayed for unspecified reasons and on 17 October 2015, it was announced that the pair would return to ''EastEnders'', appearing over the Christmas period to set up the storyline that sees Kat discover she has a son and Alfie reveal his tumour. Richie and Wallace first saw the scripts for ''Redwater'' on 13 January 2016, and it was confirmed that filming would start after they finished touring with the stage show ''The Perfect Murder'', which was scheduled to run from 2 February until 2 April 2016. Filming was scheduled to take place in Ireland over a period of three to four months. On 5 April 2016, Treadwell-Collins tweeted the front page of the script from the first episode, confirming that the first
read-through The read-through, table-read, or table work is a stage of film, television, radio, and theatre production when an organized reading around a table of the screenplay or script by the actors with speaking parts is conducted. In addition to the ca ...
was that day, and the episode was written by Matthew Graham. The other writers for the series are Lauren Klee, Matthew Barry (two episodes) and Julie Dixon (two episodes), though Graham oversaw the storylines for the other five episodes. Jesper W. Nielsen (four episodes) and Karl Neilson (two episodes) are the directors and Victoria Wharton is the producer. Graham said he was attracted to the series because he used to be a writer for ''EastEnders'' and found Kat and Alfie to be "two of the most dynamic characters to write for", and wanted to "
reate Rieti (; lat, Reate, Sabino: ) is a town and ''comune'' in Lazio, central Italy, with a population of 47,700. It is the administrative seat of the province of Rieti and see of the diocese of Rieti, as well as the modern capital of the Sabina re ...
the debris from at'sexplosive arrival n Redwater. Filming started near
Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of the Wicklow Mountains range. At the 2016 c ...
on 11 April 2016, while the last two scripts were still being produced. Scenes in the setting of St Brendan's Catholic Church were filmed at St Matthias' Church,
Killiney Killiney () is an affluent seaside resort and suburb in Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown, Ireland. It lies south of neighbouring Dalkey, east of Ballybrack and Sallynoggin and north of Shankill. The place grew around the 11th century Killiney Churc ...
, on the first two days. On-location filming also took place in
Dalkey Dalkey ( ; ) is an affluent suburb of Dublin, and a seaside resort southeast of the city, and the town of Dún Laoghaire, in the county of Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown in the historic County Dublin, Ireland. It was founded as a Viking settlement ...
's Coliemore Harbour between 5 and 11 May. Six weeks of on-location filming took place in the village of Dunmore East in County Waterford, starting on 25 May 2016. The scripts called for a seaside town or village and out of the options found by the location management team, Dunmore East was chosen. Dunmore East was essentially renamed to Redwater during filming, with the local council and businesses getting involved. Various locations in the village were used, including the beach, church, The Strand Inn and The Spinnaker Bar, with filming at The Strand Inn starting immediately, and interior filming at The Spinnaker Bar lasting three days from 31 May to 2 June 2016. The Strand Inn was used for five separate fictional locations in the series: a tourism office, restaurant, surf shop, sushi bar, and the exterior of the pub, called Peter Dolan's in the series, for which the facade of The Strand Inn was transformed. A country fair, called The Winking Fish, was set up outside The Strand Inn for the purpose of filming. The nearby village of Passage East was also used for filming. Filming ended on 26 July 2016. Wallace filmed some of her own stunts, including jumping from a boat into the sea and an underwater sequence, which were filmed in Dublin. Some filming was also done at Magheramore beach, County Wicklow, including a scene filmed at midnight where mist was created over the sea. The series was filmed with a single camera.


Continuity

Richie said that as ''Redwater'' is a stand-alone series, there is no reference to the ''EastEnders'' locations of
Walford Walford is a fictional borough of east London in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. It is the primary setting for the soap. ''EastEnders'' is filmed at Borehamwood in Hertfordshire, towards the north-west of London. Much of the location work ...
,
Albert Square Walford is a fictional borough of east London in the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders''. It is the primary setting for the soap. ''EastEnders'' is filmed at Borehamwood in Hertfordshire, towards the north-west of London. Much of the location ...
or
The Queen Victoria The Queen Victoria (more often referred to as The Queen Vic or The Vic) is the Victorian public house in the BBC soap opera, ''EastEnders''. It has the fictional address of 46 Albert Square, Walford, London E20. Appearance and developmen ...
pub, though Alfie does mention that he once worked in a pub, being the only reference to their time in ''EastEnders''. Kat and Alfie's twin sons, Bert and Ernie Moon, do not appear in ''Redwater'', because Treadwell-Collins knew that having two small children in the series would have "limited Kat and Alfie and they wouldn't have been able to do as much", though revealed that they were originally due to appear, but "suddenly you ended up having storylines about who is looking after the twins and on a show like this we needed to tell other stories" and confirmed that Kat and Alfie have only left them for a few weeks and check on them during the series. It was announced on 30 April 2017 that ''EastEnders'' would make a "subtle reference" to ''Redwater'' in May, "in a bid to keep the two shows in the same universe", revealing that Kat and Alfie have arrived in Ireland. The reference was made in the episode shown on 16 May 2017, two days before ''Redwater'' UK premiere, in which Kat's relative,
Stacey Fowler Stacey Slater (also Branning and Fowler) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', portrayed by Lacey Turner. She first appears in episode 2826, originally broadcast on 1 November 2004. The character is introduced as a fe ...
(
Lacey Turner Lacey Amelia Turner (born 28 March 1988) is an English actress. She is known for portraying the role of Stacey Slater on the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' (2004–2010, 2014–present), for which she has won over thirty awards, including four ...
), receives a postcard from the pair. ''Redwater'' viewers noticed a continuity error in relation to this, as the flashback scene at the start of episode 1 is set in 1994, and then the story continues from "21 years later", meaning it takes place in 2015, though Kat and Alfie left ''EastEnders'' in 2016 which is when Kat discovered that her son existed, and Stacey received the postcard from Kat in ''EastEnders'' in 2017. In ''Redwater'', Kat refers to a postcard concerning her son dated from December 1983, though the ''EastEnders'' timeline gives her son's birth as being in February 1984. Additionally, Adam Postans from the ''
Daily Mirror The ''Daily Mirror'' is a British national daily tabloid. Founded in 1903, it is owned by parent company Reach plc. From 1985 to 1987, and from 1997 to 2002, the title on its masthead was simply ''The Mirror''. It had an average daily print c ...
'' said that the details in ''EastEnders'' of how Kat discovers her son is in Redwater were either "forgotten or abandoned" as they are different in ''Redwater''.


Music

The music for ''Redwater'' was scored by
Natalie Holt Natalie Ann Holt is a British composer who has worked on numerous film and television projects. She is primarily recognised for her work on several notable productions, including ''Paddington'' (2014) and '' Loki'' (2021). She trained at the R ...
for synthesizers, guitar and a 12-piece string section, and was performed by the London Metropolitan Orchestra, led by Thomas Gould and conducted by Andy Brown. It was then engineered by Toby Hulbert at Air-Edel Studios in London. The theme tune was sung by Úna Palliser. Music from Irish bands, including Pursued by Dogs,
Little Green Cars Little Green Cars were an Irish indie rock band formed in Dublin in 2008. The band announced on 21 March 2019 that they were disbanding. In the wake of the band's breakup, several past members formed Soda Blonde. History Little Green Cars were ...
,
Kíla Kíla is a 1987 Irish folk music/ world music group from the Irish language secondary school, Coláiste Eóin in County Dublin. Band History Kíla began in 1987 in the secondary in Coláiste Eoin, in the first year they busked nearly every wee ...
and
Ham Sandwich The ham sandwich is a common type of sandwich. The bread may be fresh or toasted, and it can be made with a variety of toppings including cheese and vegetables like lettuce, tomato, onion or pickle slices. Various kinds of mustard and mayonnai ...
, also features in the series.


Cast and characters

Richie and Wallace were confirmed as actors is in the series upon its announcement, playing their ''EastEnders'' characters, Kat and Alfie. though in the series, Wallace's character is credited as "Kathleen" and called as such by the majority of characters.
Fionnula Flanagan Fionnghuala Manon "Fionnula" Flanagan (born 10 December 1941) is an Irish stage, television, and film actress. For her contributions to the entertainment industry, she was given the IFTA Lifetime Achievement Award in 2012. Flanagan is known f ...
was confirmed to be having a main role in the series on 11 April 2016, when she said her character, named Agnes Byrne, was "full of secrets, deceit and manipulation." The full cast was revealed on 12 April 2016, with their character names officially confirmed by 5 May 2017. The rest of the cast are
Maria Doyle Kennedy Maria Josephine Doyle Kennedy (born 25 September 1964) is an Irish singer and actress. With a singing and acting career that has spanned more than 30 years, she has established herself as one of Ireland's most prolific artists and entertainers. ...
as Roisín Kelly,
Ian McElhinney Ian McElhinney (born 19 August 1948) is a Northern Irish actor and director. He has appeared in many television series in a career spanning more than forty years; notable appearances include ''Taggart'', '' Hornblower'', ''Cold Feet'', and ''T ...
as Lance Byrne,
Angeline Ball Angeline Ball (born 28 June 1969) is an Irish actress and singer who resides in London, England. She is known for her roles as Imelda Quirke in Alan Parker's '' The Commitments'' (1991) and as Tina in John Boorman's '' The General'' (1998). Sh ...
as Eileen Harrington,
Peter Campion Peter Campion (born 1976) is an American poet. He graduated from Dartmouth College with a BA, and from Boston University with an MA. He taught at Washington College, Ashland University, and Auburn University. He currently teaches at Universi ...
as Andrew Kelly,
Stanley Townsend Stanley Townsend (born August 1961) is an Irish actor. Personal life Townsend was born and brought up in Dublin. After attending Wesley College, Dublin, he studied mathematics and civil engineering at Trinity College. While there he joined the ...
as Peter Dolan, Ebony O'Toole-Acheampong as Adeen Kelly,
Oisín Stack Oisín Stack is an Irish actor. He played Kat Moon's long-lost son, Dermott Dolan, in the ''EastEnders'' spin-off series '' Kat and Alfie: Redwater'' and Elliot in Absentia. Early life Stack was born to an Irish father and French mother, and ...
as Father Dermott Dolan, Stephen Hogan as Padraig Kelly, Susan Ateh as Bernie Kelly and Ian Toner as Kieran Harrington. Kathleen is described as "a very colourful person" with "a lot of layers to her". Alfie is "a charmer" with "a big heart" who cares about his family. Roisín is described as "quite complicated", different on the outside to how she is inside, "very practical, very stoic" and "quite dutiful". Eileen, Roisín's sister, is described as having a "dual personality", "a fighter and a survivor", yet "quite fragile" with an "underlying sadness". Lance is a family patriarch, but described as "quite weak", while his wife, Agnes, "rules the roost". Additionally, Kat's son Tommy Moon appears in the series, played by Henry Proctor. Ryan Burke, Anton Giltrap and Eoin Daly appear in the series as young Andrew, Kieran and Dermott respectively, and Orla Hannon plays Iris Dolan. Ronan Connett plays Jonjo Kelly. Extras for the series were cast from open auditions held at Waterford Harbour Sailing Club in Dunmore East on 1 April 2016 and The Central Arts on The Quay in
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on 2 April 2016.


Episodes

Six hour-long episodes were produced. They started broadcasting from 14 May 2017 on
RTÉ One RTÉ One ( ga, RTÉ a hAon) is an Irish free-to-air flagship television channel owned and operated by Raidió Teilifís Éireann (RTÉ). It is the most-popular and most-watched television channel in the country and was launched as ''Telefís ...
in Ireland, and on 18 May 2017 on
BBC One BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's flagship network and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News television bulletins, ...
in the United Kingdom. The series was available in the United States on
BritBox BritBox is an online digital video subscription service, founded by BBC Studios and ITV plc, operating in nine countries across North America, Europe, Australia and South Africa.
at the same time as its UK broadcast. The series was broadcast in Canada on
VisionTV VisionTV is a Canadian English language Category A specialty channel that broadcasts multi-faith, multicultural, and general entertainment programming aimed at the 45 and over demographic. VisionTV is currently owned by ZoomerMedia, a compan ...
from 28 June 2017. A 30-second trailer was released by RTÉ One on 28 April 2017 and another by BBC One on 5 May 2017.


Reception


Critical reception

Before the broadcast of the first episode, David Brown from '' Radio Times'' said, "Atmospheric, intriguing and with a primetime sheen that seems a world away from soapland, it'll have you hooked from episode one." A writer for ''
What's on TV ''What's on TV'' is a weekly television listings magazine published by Future PLC. Overview ''What's on TV'' is a weekly UK television magazine. It publishes features, TV listings, news and gossip from soap operas, as well as puzzles and compet ...
'' said, "It’s gripping and surprising, has a thoroughbred cast of Irish actors and is more filmic than soap. Worth delving into even if you’ve never heard of Kat and Alfie." Tom Eames from '' Digital Spy'' called the series a "bold move from the BBC" that "looks like a show that is a must-watch whether you're an ''EastEnders'' fan or not." Steven Murphy, editor for '' Inside Soap'', urged the magazine's readers to watch ''Redwater'', despite previous soap spin-offs, such as '' Ricky & Bianca'' or ''Coronation Street: Open All Hours'', being unmemorable, because "It's mysterious, moody and dramatic—and looks stunning by making the best of its gorgeous Irish location." Fiona Sturges from ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'' said, "There is—improbable as it sounds—a degree of suspense here, not to say proper acting. The problem is that whenever Kat and Alfie appear—he the well-meaning idiot, she the wounded fishwife—the spell is broken. The BBC is trying to sell this as ''Broadchurch'' meets ''The Wicker Man'', but the reality is more ''NCSI: Ballykissangel''. I love Kat and Alfie, but the quicker they get back to Albert Square, the better." Sean O'Grady from ''
The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publish ...
'' said, "it's an un-soapy, unclaustrophobic sort of production, and a storyline about a long-lost son adds the necessary emotional stress." After the first episode was shown in Ireland, Peter Crawley from ''
The Irish Times ''The Irish Times'' is an Irish daily broadsheet newspaper and online digital publication. It launched on 29 March 1859. The editor is Ruadhán Mac Cormaic. It is published every day except Sundays. ''The Irish Times'' is considered a newspaper ...
'' said that ''Redwater'' "looks like a very British idea of Ireland" that is full of "Irish clichés". He opined that Dermott was "the show’s most unlikely character", calling him "a 33-year-old bearded hipster priest ..who accessorises his collar with a hoodie and a donkey jacket ndflies into a rage at the sight of orange juice". He concluded, "it is hard to decide whether ''Redwater'' is a silly show redeemed by its seriousness, or a serious show alleviated by its silliness. It is a peculiar crossover, somewhere between Britain and Ireland, soap and drama; but, so far, it is neither here nor there." Keeley Ryan from ''Belfast Live'' reported that the episode received a mixed reaction in Ireland, based on tweets from viewers. Harry Guerin, writing for
RTÉ.ie RTÉ.ie is the brand name and home of Irish broadcaster Raidió Teilifís Éireann (RTÉ)'s online activities, located at the URL https://www.rte.ie/. The site began publishing on 26 May 1996. According to RTÉ, it operates on an entirely com ...
, said, "the first episode suggested that the clichés won't pile up" and "when ''Redwater'' focused on being a thriller (both whoisit and
whodunit A ''whodunit'' or ''whodunnit'' (a colloquial elision of "Who asdone it?") is a complex plot-driven variety of detective fiction in which the puzzle regarding who committed the crime is the main focus. The reader or viewer is provided with the c ...
) there was much to savour—excellent performances, a swirling mist of grief and guilt, an eerily relevant story about forced adoptions, and the growing sense that the just-arrived wideboy and girl from
Walford Walford is a fictional borough of east London in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. It is the primary setting for the soap. ''EastEnders'' is filmed at Borehamwood in Hertfordshire, towards the north-west of London. Much of the location work ...
are ''waaay'' out of their depth." He said that the episode's ending was "more season finale than 'until next week' and the only major 'ah here' from the writers—the same outcome could have been delivered far more convincingly with a bit of narrative restraint." The episode was criticised by Irish viewers for depicting Irish stereotypes such as drinking Guinness and whisky chasers in pubs, and the Irish cast were accused of putting on "over-the-top" Irish accents. Oisin Stack defended the show, saying, "It's a psychological thriller that's meant to have a sense of suspense. Everything is meant to be heightened. I think if people are giving out about the realism, they're missing the point of the genre. It's meant to be stylised and filled with dramatic suspense." Daniel Kilkelly (''Digital Spy'') called the first episode "atmospheric" and "gripping". He said, "While Kat shines in ''Redwater'', it's fair to say that Alfie seems a little bit lost and directionless in the first episode, with even scenes of him experiencing weird visions and nearly dying (twice!) seeming like time-fillers." He said the characters of Agnes and Dermott had "immediately caught our attention" but wondered if the show would appeal to viewers who are not ''EastEnders'' fans, saying "surely you have to be an ''EastEnders'' watcher to really care about Kat's quest for her son?" but said "for us it's a thumbs up if ''Redwater'' can keep up the suspense, surprises, gothic tone and sense of foreboding that sets it apart from ''EastEnders''." The series was reviewed on BBC Radio 5 Live's ''Afternoon Edition'', where TV critic Emma Bullimore from ''
TV Times ''TV Times'' is a British television listings magazine published by Future plc. It was originally published by Independent Television Publications, owned by the participating ITV companies. The magazine was acquired by IPC Media in 1989, which ...
'' said that it was "enjoyable" but more "soapy" and less "complex" than ''Broadchurch'', and said that viewers should not expect it to be like ''EastEnders'' or ''Broadchurch'' but should "accept it as a new thing", adding that it had good production values and deemed it a "worthy experiment". Sinéad Garvan from ''
Newsbeat ''Newsbeat'' is the BBC's radio news programme broadcast on Radio 1, 1Xtra and Asian Network. ''Newsbeat'' is produced by BBC News but differs from the BBC's other news programmes in its remit to provide news tailored for a specifically yo ...
'', speaking at the same time, said that she found it "weird" seeing Kat and Alfie in a different setting and was more intrigued by the new characters but said that Kat and Alfie still had the same chemistry that they have in ''EastEnders''. Following episode 6, which ended on multiple cliffhangers, Sophie Dainty from ''Digital Spy'' said that it was "undoubtedly everything the show had originally promised it would be—dark, gripping, enchanting and excellently written" but it "offered very few answers for the fans who had committed six hours of their lives to this". Dainty and Duncan Lindsay from the ''
Metro Metro, short for metropolitan, may refer to: Geography * Metro (city), a city in Indonesia * A metropolitan area, the populated region including and surrounding an urban center Public transport * Rapid transit, a passenger railway in an urb ...
'' both hoped for a second series.


Ratings

In the United Kingdom, the second episode was scheduled against ITV's ''
Emmerdale ''Emmerdale'' (known as ''Emmerdale Farm'' until 1989) is a British soap opera that is broadcast on ITV1. The show is set in Emmerdale (known as Beckindale until 1994), a fictional village in the Yorkshire Dales. Created by Kevin Laffan, ...
'' for 30 minutes, and was watched during its BBC One broadcast on the night by 2.7million viewers. This was a reduction from the previous week (4.19million). Sophie Dainty (''Digital Spy'') said this could have been because of its clash with ''Emmerdale'', as they were not scheduled against each other the previous week. However, while episode 1 received similar viewership to that of the preceding episode of ''EastEnders'', the episode of ''EastEnders'' that preceded episode 2 of ''Redwater'' was watched by 5.1million viewers on the night of broadcast, meaning that many ''EastEnders'' viewers did not stay tuned to BBC One to watch its spin-off. Dainty said, "This is bound to raise questions of whether ''Redwater'' is in the wrong slot going up against ''Emmerdale'', given that the clash is bound to leave soap fans with divided loyalties over which one to watch live". In Ireland, the first episode was watched overnight by 495,000 viewers. Episode two saw a drop in viewers to 447,000 viewers, while episode three saw a significant drop to 389,200 viewers. Between episodes one and three, ''Redwater'' lost 7% of the Irish audience share. Aoife Kelly of the '' Irish Independent'' noted that the return of ''
The Sunday Game ''The Sunday Game'' is RTÉ's main Gaelic games television programme. It is shown on RTÉ2 every Sunday during the Football Championship and Hurling Championship seasons. It is one of RTÉ2's longest-running shows, having been on air since 1 ...
'' on RTÉ2, airing in the same slot as ''Redwater'', may have impacted its ratings. At the conclusion of the series, critic Peter Crawley observed that ratings had decreased since the beginning of the series in both Britain and Ireland.


Awards and nominations

In May 2017, ''Kat & Alfie: Redwater'' was longlisted in the Best New Drama category of the
TV Choice Awards ''TV Choice'' is a British weekly TV listings magazine published by H. Bauer Publishing, the UK subsidiary of family-run German company Bauer Media Group.2entertain 2 Entertain (stylized as 2 , entertain) is a British video and music publisher founded in September 2004 by the merger of BBC Video and Video Collection International in 2004. Under CEO Richard Green, the company operated as a joint venture b ...
in the United Kingdom on 26 June 2017. As of March 2021 is available in the United States on the
BritBox BritBox is an online digital video subscription service, founded by BBC Studios and ITV plc, operating in nine countries across North America, Europe, Australia and South Africa.
streaming service.


See also

* List of ''EastEnders'' television spin-offs * List of television programmes broadcast by the BBC *
List of television spin-offs A spin-off in television is a new series containing characters or settings that originated in a previous series, but with a different focus, tone, or theme. For example, the series '' Frasier'' was a spin-off of the earlier series ''Cheers'': th ...


References


External links

*
''Redwater''
at
RTÉ Television RTÉ Television is a department of Raidió Teilifís Éireann (RTÉ), the Republic of Ireland's state controlled national broadcaster. Its first channel was Teilifís Éireann, which began broadcasting on 31 December 1961. Since the 1960s, RT ...
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Kat and Alfie: Redwater 2017 British television series debuts 2017 British television series endings 2010s British drama television series BBC high definition shows BBC television dramas EastEnders spin-offs English-language television shows Television shows set in the Republic of Ireland Murder in television Adultery in television Television series about families Alcohol abuse in television Religious drama television series Television shows scored by Natalie Holt