Caerdydd
Encyclopedia
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 "a stylish, new drama about modern, urban Welsh- speakers living in a bilingual city" following "a group of modern urban twenty- and thirtysomethings" with "their complex friendships and relationships [set] against a backdrop of relentless socialising". First commissioned by S4C
's drama editor Angharad Jones in 2005, as part of a drive by S4C
to reach a younger audience, the third series of Caerdydd started its run on S4C
on 30 March 2008. The fourth series has been commissioned
and went into production in Spring 2008. It started broadcasting on 14 June 2009.
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.
, the Welsh National Assembly
building, and not in a television studio.
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, involves Lea Kennedy (played by Alys Thomas) who is working for an unnamed party group and her much older boyfriend Stephen James (Dewi Rhys Williams) having sexual intercourse.
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 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.
The National Assembly's investigation came to this conclusion: The National Assembly has carried out a full internal review of the circumstances of the filming of Caerdydd. We can confirm that at no stage of the negotiations about the use of the building for filming, or during the filming itself, was the content of the scene disclosed by the programme makers. Despite this setback, the Assembly is committed to being open and accessible to all, including programme makers, and we sincerely hope that this does not prevent us from working with responsible companies in future.
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 (III/9), Martin Glyn Murray
(III/9), Elen Florence (I), Charmaine Hibberd (III/10), Kathryn Dimery (III/10), Megan Browne (Ela Ford)
The second series was repeated in February and March 2008.
Welsh language
Welsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
television programme set in Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
made by Fiction Factory
Tinopolis
Tinopolis plc is a Welsh independent television production company, owned by its senior management and private equity company Vitruvian Partners.Tinopolis produces over 2,500 hours of television annually for more than 200 UK and foreign broadcasters....
for Welsh public service television station S4C
S4C
S4C , currently branded as S4/C, is a Welsh television channel broadcast from the capital, Cardiff. The first television channel to be aimed specifically at a Welsh-speaking audience, it is the fifth oldest British television channel .The channel - initially broadcast on...
. The series is a "a stylish, new drama about modern, urban Welsh- speakers living in a bilingual city" following "a group of modern urban twenty- and thirtysomethings" with "their complex friendships and relationships [set] against a backdrop of relentless socialising". First commissioned by S4C
S4C
S4C , currently branded as S4/C, is a Welsh television channel broadcast from the capital, Cardiff. The first television channel to be aimed specifically at a Welsh-speaking audience, it is the fifth oldest British television channel .The channel - initially broadcast on...
's drama editor Angharad Jones in 2005, as part of a drive by S4C
S4C
S4C , currently branded as S4/C, is a Welsh television channel broadcast from the capital, Cardiff. The first television channel to be aimed specifically at a Welsh-speaking audience, it is the fifth oldest British television channel .The channel - initially broadcast on...
to reach a younger audience, the third series of Caerdydd started its run on S4C
S4C
S4C , currently branded as S4/C, is a Welsh television channel broadcast from the capital, Cardiff. The first television channel to be aimed specifically at a Welsh-speaking audience, it is the fifth oldest British television channel .The channel - initially broadcast on...
on 30 March 2008. The fourth series has been commissioned
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 CymruBAFTA Cymru
BAFTA Cymru is the Welsh branch of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts.Formed in 1991, they hold an annual awards ceremony to recognise achievement by performers and production staff in Welsh-made films and television programmes...
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
BAFTA Cymru
BAFTA Cymru is the Welsh branch of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts.Formed in 1991, they hold an annual awards ceremony to recognise achievement by performers and production staff in Welsh-made films and television programmes...
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 S4CS4CS4C , currently branded as S4/C, is a Welsh television channel broadcast from the capital, Cardiff. The first television channel to be aimed specifically at a Welsh-speaking audience, it is the fifth oldest British television channel .The channel - initially broadcast on...
. - the large amount of English spoken, not just as some of the characters are non-Welsh speakers, but also English words in Welsh dialogue.
- explicit sex scenes of both a heterosexual and homosexual nature.
"Sex In The Assembly" controversy
A row started after the broadcast of episode three in series III as it emerged that a sex scene was actually filmed on location in a toilet room of the SeneddSenedd
The Senedd , also known as the National Assembly building, houses the debating chamber and three committee rooms for the National Assembly for Wales in Cardiff. The Senedd building was opened by Queen Elizabeth II on 1 March 2006 and the total cost was £69.6 million, which included £49.7M in...
, the Welsh National Assembly
National Assembly for Wales
The National Assembly for Wales is a devolved assembly with power to make legislation in Wales. The Assembly comprises 60 members, who are known as Assembly Members, or AMs...
building, and not in a television studio.
Officials of the National Assembly for Wales Commission
Assembly Commission
The National Assembly for Wales Commission is the corporate body for the National Assembly for Wales. The Commission is responsible for ensuring the property, staff and services are provided for the Assembly...
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, involves Lea Kennedy (played by Alys Thomas) who is working for an unnamed party group and her much older boyfriend Stephen James (Dewi Rhys Williams) having sexual intercourse.
As a result, S4C
S4C
S4C , currently branded as S4/C, is a Welsh television channel broadcast from the capital, Cardiff. The first television channel to be aimed specifically at a Welsh-speaking audience, it is the fifth oldest British television channel .The channel - initially broadcast on...
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 future.
S4C
S4C
S4C , currently branded as S4/C, is a Welsh television channel broadcast from the capital, Cardiff. The first television channel to be aimed specifically at a Welsh-speaking audience, it is the fifth oldest British television channel .The channel - initially broadcast on...
'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.
The National Assembly's investigation came to this conclusion: The National Assembly has carried out a full internal review of the circumstances of the filming of Caerdydd. We can confirm that at no stage of the negotiations about the use of the building for filming, or during the filming itself, was the content of the scene disclosed by the programme makers. Despite this setback, the Assembly is committed to being open and accessible to all, including programme makers, and we sincerely hope that this does not prevent us from working with responsible companies in future.
Characters and cast
- Peter Marshall (Ryland Teifi)
- Emyr Tomos (Lee Haven-Jones)
- Osian James (Gareth PierceGareth PierceGareth Pierce is a Welsh actor, best known for his role as Osian James in the S4C TV-series Caerdydd . He also played roles in other S4C series, such as Teledu Eddie, Cowbois ac Injans, and soap Pobol y Cwm. He is due to appear in the second series of Y Pris in 2008...
) - Lea Kennedy (Alys Thomas)
- Stephen James (Dewi Rhys Williams)
- Elen Aaron (Rhian Green)
- Mike Powell (Julian Lewis Jones)
- Kate Marshall Ford (Mali HarriesMali HarriesMali Harries is a Welsh actress and has been in the television industry since 1999 and is still ongoing in her work. She is renowned for her roles in several TV series, such as Holby City, The Bill and Doctors....
) - Non Ellis Jones (Sue Roderick) III/2-8,10
- Natasha Jenkins (Ffion Williams) III/2-10, IV, V
- Jamie Roberts (Gareth MiltonGareth MiltonGareth Milton is a Welsh actor and television personality. He graduated from Rose Bruford College in 2006 with a first-class BA in Acting. His credits include numerous, regular roles on the Welsh television channel S4C, such as Ian Blake in the award winning Welsh gangster drama, Y Pris; Jamie...
) IV-V (Dyfan Dwyfor) III/4-10 - Danny Ford (Huw Rhys) I, II
- Gareth Pritchard (Matthew Gravelle)
- Ceri Price (Siwan MorrisSiwan MorrisSiwan Morris is a Welsh actress.After an education in South Wales, she graduated from Manchester Metropolitan University....
) I, II, III/5-7,9,10 - Paul (Richard Shackley)
- Siân Edwards (Iola Hughes)
- Lleucu (Tara Bethan) II, III/1-3
- Damian Charles (Daniel HopeDaniel HopeDaniel Hope is an English television and film actor. He graduated from Mountview Theatre School in 1999 and has been in numerous plays and television dramas, the most notable of which include Only Fools and Horses, EastEnders and Casualty...
) 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 Lucey) 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 (III/9), Martin Glyn Murray
Martin Glyn Murray
Martin Glyn Murray is a Welsh actor who has played Mark Thompson in Families and he has also been in The Bill, Sharpe, Aristocrats, Engima, Enemy at the Gates, Captain Corelli's Mandolin, Made in Estonia, and Heartbeat...
(III/9), Elen Florence (I), Charmaine Hibberd (III/10), Kathryn Dimery (III/10), Megan Browne (Ela Ford)
Production
- The series is produced for S4CS4CS4C , currently branded as S4/C, is a Welsh television channel broadcast from the capital, Cardiff. The first television channel to be aimed specifically at a Welsh-speaking audience, it is the fifth oldest British television channel .The channel - initially broadcast on...
by Fiction Factory, a division of TinopolisTinopolisTinopolis plc is a Welsh independent television production company, owned by its senior management and private equity company Vitruvian Partners.Tinopolis produces over 2,500 hours of television annually for more than 200 UK and foreign broadcasters....
. - Directors: Ed Thomas (I, II, III/1-5), Dave "D.J." Evans (II, III/6-10), Ed Talfan (I, II)
- Writers: Tim Price, 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 and is currently in production.
- Episodes are available (with on-screen English subtitles) on S4C's website for streaming for 35 days after initial broadcast. The first series went online each Saturday following the initial TV broadcast, without any restrictions to availability.
- All episodes are fully subtitled, in Welsh and English. The Welsh subtitles are available for download.
- All episodes in series 3 feature audio descriptionAudio descriptionAudio description refers to an additional narration track for blind and visually impaired consumers of visual media...
.
Series 1
| Ep. | Broadcasts on S4C | Watch | Viewers | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First | Repeats | |||
| 1 | 11 January 2006 | 13 January 2006 | yes | |
| 2 | 18 January 2006 | 20 January 2006 | yes | |
| 3 | 25 January 2006 | 27 January 2006 | yes | |
| 4 | 3 February 2006 | 5 February 2006 | yes | |
| 5 | 10 February 2006 | 12 February 2006 | yes | |
| 6 | 17 February 2006 | 19 February 2006 | yes | |
| 7 | 24 February 2006 | 26 February 2006 | yes |
Series 2
| Ep. | Broadcasts on S4C | Watch | Viewers | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First | Repeats | |||
| 1 | 10 January 2007 | 12 January 2007 | 70,000 | |
| 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
| Ep. | Broadcasts on S4C | Watch | Viewers | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First | Repeats | |||
| 1 | 30 March 2008 | 3 April 2008 | yes | 44,000 |
| 2 | 6 April 2008 | 10 April 2008 | yes | 61,000 |
| 3 | 13 April 2008 | 17 April 2008 | yes | 45,000 |
| 4 | 20 April 2008 | 24 April 2008 | yes | 46,000 |
| 5 | 27 April 2008 | 1 May 2008 | yes | 46,000 |
| 6 | 4 May 2008 | 8 May 2008 | yes | 40,000 |
| 7 | 11 May 2008 | 15 May 2008 | yes | 43,000 |
| 8 | 18 May 2008 | 22 May 2008 | yes | 49,000 |
| 9 | 25 May 2008 | 29 May 2008 | yes | 59,000 |
| 10 | 1 June 2008 | 5 June 2008 | yes | 49,000 |
Series 4
| Ep. | Broadcasts on S4C | Watch | Viewers | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First | Repeats | |||
| 1 | 14 June 2009 |
External links
- 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. 77–95 (Autumn 2007). ISSN 17496020.