Hulu Has The 'Obituary' Trailer Ready For Spooky Season
Siobhán Cullen as Elvira Clancy in 'Obituary'
RTE/Hulu
Halloween was never big in the U.K. until recently, overshadowed by Guy Fawkes Night a few days later, which was far more fun, with drinking and bonfires and fireworks. In comparison, silly costumes and bobbing for apples just never held the same appeal. But the internet has homogenized Western culture to a point that Halloween is now a thing on both sides of the pond. (Even if some of its delights are not exactly translating, as The Great British Baking Show revealed last year.) In Ireland, "Spooky Season" works pretty well for RTE's dark comedy stylings, as seen in the new series co-produced with Hulu, Obituary.
Hulu and RTE have been doing well with their collaborations ever since Normal People accidentally became a smash hit on both sides of the pond in 2017. Obituary is a bit of a new frontier for the two studios, moving from romantic weepers to laugh-out-loud comedy with a cringey horror twist. As The Irish Times noted in its review of the series (which premiered on RTE on Tuesday, September 26, 2023), most of the network's solo successes are either gangster-focused or romances, so Obituary being a decent series is a welcome change.
Hulu has not yet released the show over here, but it is planned for the back half of 2023. As such, there is now a trailer, just in time for the Halloween season.
Here’s the synopsis for the series:
Filmed and set in Ireland, the show follows Elvira Clancy, who is feeling a little unfulfilled, although she adores her new job writing obituaries. But when her newspaper falls on hard times and her boss cuts her salary, she finds herself being paid per obituary overnight. When she “accidentally” kills a nasty piece of work in the town, she discovers she might have a previously untapped bloodlust.
Obituary is led by Siobhán Cullen (The Dry), who co-stars alongside Michael Smiley (Luther), Ronan Raftery (Gangs of London), Danielle Galligan (The Great), David Ganly (Ridley Road), Michael Hough (Murdoch Mysteries), Noni Stapleton (Harry Wild), Conan Sweeny (Smother), Lalor Roddy (The Devil’s Doorway), Dagmar Döring (Finding Joy), and newcomer Éabha Moore.
The six-part series is written by Irish scriptwriter Ray Lawlor and directed by John Hayes and Oonagh Kearney. Obituary is produced by Wolf Indie APC with Ireland’s Magamedia.
Obituary is airing on RTE in Ireland and will debut on Hulu later this year.
