Nob Nation

{{Infobox Radio show |show_name = Nob Nation |image = RTÉ Nob Nation.jpg |imagesize = |caption = ''RTÉ Supporting the Nobs'' |other_names = |format = [[Satire|Satirical]] [[Radio comedy|comedy]] {{Citation needed|date=July 2009}} |runtime = 3-5mins |country = Ireland |language = English |home_station = [[RTÉ 2fm]] |syndicates = |television = |presenter = |starring = [[Oliver Callan]] |announcer = [[Gerry Ryan]] |creator = |writer = |director = |senior_editor = |editor = |producer = |exec_producer = |narrated = |rec_location = |first_aired = November 2006 |last_aired = ''present'' |num_series = |num_episodes = |audio_format = |opentheme = |othertheme = |endtheme = |website = [http://www.rte.ie/2fm/nobnation/ rte.ie/2fm/nobnation/]<br>{{URL|http://www.nobnation.com/}} |podcast = [http://www.rte.ie/radio1/podcast/podcast_nobnation.xml rte.ie/radio1/podcast/podcast_nobnation.xml] }}

'''''Nob Nation''''' is the title of a series of topical comedy pieces broadcast since November 2006 on two national radio stations in Ireland, [[RTÉ 2fm]] and [[RTÉ Radio 1]]. The programmes are broadcast Monday through Saturday each week. ''Nob Nation'' is written and produced by [[Oliver Callan]].

The series features almost 100 characters, including [[Brian Cowen|BIFFO]], [[Enda Kenny|Dame Enda]], [[Garret FitzGerald]], and others based on people from Irish and international public life involved in politics, sport and entertainment. All voice acting is performed by Callan. Two CDs of ''Nob Nation'' sketches have been released, in 2007 and a follow-up in 2008.

In 2011, RTÉ paid defamation damages to an 84-year-old gentleman after ''Nob Nation'' inaccurately claimed he was running a brothel.

==Background== Originally broadcast on ''The Derek Mooney Show'' on [[RTÉ Radio 1]]{{citation needed|date=December 2011}} and subsequently on the ''2fm Breakfast Show'',{{citation needed|date=December 2011}} the sketches were moved to just after the 10:00 news on ''[[The Gerry Ryan Show]]'' on RTÉ 2fm in January 2007. ''Nob Nation'' was then repeated at night on Damien Farrelly's ''The Frequency'' on 2FM. One comedy sketch was selected and was featured on ''Playback on Radio One'' on Saturday mornings and on ''The Saturday Show'' on 2fm on Saturday afternoons.{{Citation needed|date=September 2008}} It has also featured on Ireland's most popular<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.independent.ie/national-news/tubridy-rides-crest-of-airwaves-1538956.html|title=Tubridy rides crest of airwaves|date=14 November 2008|accessdate=17 November 2008|newspaper=[[Irish Independent]]|archive-date=2 August 2012|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120802045912/http://www.independent.ie/national-news/tubridy-rides-crest-of-airwaves-1538956.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="The matriarchs of Montrose">{{cite news|url=http://www.independent.ie/lifestyle/the-matriarchs-of-montrose-1510015.html|title=The matriarchs of Montrose|date=25 October 2008|accessdate=10 June 2009|newspaper=[[Irish Independent]]|archive-date=1 August 2012|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120801222417/http://www.independent.ie/lifestyle/the-matriarchs-of-montrose-1510015.html|url-status=live}}</ref> radio show, ''[[Morning Ireland]]'', on RTÉ Radio 1.

''Nob Nation'' was reported in the ''[[Sunday Independent (Ireland)|Sunday Independent]]'' on 20 January 2008 as being Ireland's most popular [[podcast]] of the previous year, with figures showing a total of 736,711 downloads on [[RTÉ.ie]] between April and December 2007. ''Nob Nation'' also features prominently on the [[iTunes]] free podcast chart.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.independent.ie/opinion/analysis/rte-may-cash-in-on-podcast-success-1269609.html|title=RTÉ may cash in on podcast success|date=20 January 2008|accessdate=31 October 2008|newspaper=[[Irish Independent]]|archive-date=20 May 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110520083016/http://www.independent.ie/opinion/analysis/rte-may-cash-in-on-podcast-success-1269609.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Following a number of complaints about Callan's portrayal of [[Taoiseach]] [[Brian Cowen]] "swaying and snorting in booze-filled sing-songs about his difficulties in office", the popularity of the slot has "simply exploded" according to RTÉ, with over 250,000 hits each month and making up almost a third of all downloads from RTÉ.ie.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.independent.ie/national-news/rtes-biting--satire-ruffles-feathers-of-cowen-circle-1605908.html|title=RTÉ's biting satire ruffles feathers of Cowen circle|date=18 January 2009|accessdate=18 January 2009|newspaper=[[Irish Independent]]|archive-date=18 January 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090118230533/http://www.independent.ie/national-news/rtes-biting--satire-ruffles-feathers-of-cowen-circle-1605908.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

In January 2009, ''Nob Nation'' satirised the RTÉ staff pay cut controversy by suggesting Gerry Ryan would try to get out of taking a pay cut by broadcasting for longer but without charging extra for it and that Pat Kenny would contribute to the economy by doing a nixer for free in the RTÉ canteen – to the dismay of all who preferred their full Irish breakfast to the delicacies favoured by the Kenny palate.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.herald.ie/opinion/how-the-bad-lad-dunphy-turned-hero-with-pay-cut-1622157.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120802124112/http://www.herald.ie/opinion/how-the-bad-lad-dunphy-turned-hero-with-pay-cut-1622157.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=2 August 2012|title=How the bad lad Dunphy turned hero with pay cut|last=O Morain|first=Padraig|work=Evening Herald|date=31 January 2009|accessdate=31 January 2009}}</ref>

==CD releases== The first ''Nob Nation'' CD, containing twenty sketches,<ref>[http://www.cdworld.ie/product-detail/269011/NOB+NATION+-+As+heard+on+RT+Radios+Gerry+Ryan+Show "NOB NATION – As heard on RTÉ Radio's Gerry Ryan Show"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110721123220/http://www.cdworld.ie/product-detail/269011/NOB+NATION+-+As+heard+on+RT+Radios+Gerry+Ryan+Show |date=21 July 2011 }}. CD World.ie. Retrieved 31 October 2008.</ref> was released in Ireland on 2 November 2007.<ref>[http://www.rte.ie/2fm/story/1169591.html "NOB NATION ON SALE TOMORROW!"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081228133851/http://www.rte.ie/2fm/story/1169591.html |date=28 December 2008 }}. RTÉ. Retrieved 19 November 2008.</ref> Those parodied on the compilation include politicians [[Bertie Ahern]] and [[Enda Kenny]], former [[Republic of Ireland national football team]] manager [[Steve Staunton]], broadcaster [[Gay Byrne]] and newsreaders [[Bryan Dobson]] and [[Colm Murray]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rte.ie/arts/2007/1108/callano.html|title=Nob Nation – Oliver Callan|date=8 November 2007|accessdate=31 October 2008|publisher=[[RTÉ]]|archive-date=11 May 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080511195507/http://www.rte.ie/arts/2007/1108/callano.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The album reached number 5 on the [[Irish Albums Chart]] on 9 November 2007, according to [[Irish Recorded Music Association|IRMA]], the official chart tracking body in Ireland.<ref>[http://www.irma.ie/charts_archive/week45_07.asp "Irish Charts Week 45 – 2007 Top 50 Albums"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080621215316/http://irma.ie/charts_archive/week45_07.asp |date=21 June 2008 }}. IRMA. Retrieved 31 October 2008.</ref>

A second compilation, ''Nob Nation 2: The Recession Album'', was released on 7 November 2008. And a third album "Nob Nation Uncensored" was released in the Irish Daily Mail in November 2009, containing tracks not previously broadcast and a series of sketches that had not been played on RTÉ.

==Live performances== ''Nob Nation'' has featured on [[RTÉ Television]]'s prime time chat shows ''[[Tubridy Tonight]]''<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rte.ie/arts/2008/0926/tubridytonight.html|title=Tubridy Tonight returns with packed line-up|date=26 September 2008|accessdate=26 September 2008|publisher=[[RTÉ]]|archive-date=27 September 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080927083752/http://www.rte.ie/arts/2008/0926/tubridytonight.html|url-status=live}}</ref> and ''[[The Late Late Show (Ireland)|The Late Late Show]]''. In December 2007 Callan was introduced by then Taoiseach Bertie Ahern to perform at Fianna Fáil's Cairde Fáil dinner. Callan performed a number of acts at the dinner, including mimicking Ahern himself. In February 2008 Callan also performed a live show at Ógra Fianna Fáil's National Youth Conference. In 2008 a debut Irish live show was commissioned as part of the [[Bulmers International Comedy Festival]]. Callan performed his pieces in [[Dublin]]'s [[Olympia Theatre, Dublin|Olympia Theatre]] on 6 September 2008.<ref>[http://www.bulmerscomedy.ie/nob-nation/ "Nob Nation"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080916212831/http://www.bulmerscomedy.ie/nob-nation/ |date=16 September 2008 }}. Bulmers Comedy. Retrieved 31 October 2008.</ref>

==Defamation case== An 84-year-old guesthouse owner of the Maryland in the city sued RTÉ over a ''Nob Nation'' sketch claiming it claimed he was running a [[brothel]] in [[County Waterford]]. His Senior Counsel warned the jury before the sketch was played to them that they might wince as, he said, it was the "most vulgar type of broadcast imaginable".<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.rte.ie/news/2011/0712/otoolev.html|title=RTÉ sued over 'Nob Nation' brothel claim|publisher=RTÉ News|date=12 July 2011|accessdate=12 July 2011|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150302013053/http://www.rte.ie/news/2011/0712/303587-otoolev/|archivedate=2 March 2015}}</ref> The court awarded €70,000 damages.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.rte.ie/news/2011/0715/defamation.html|title=€70,000 awarded over 2FM sketch defamation|publisher=RTÉ News|date=15 July 2011|accessdate=15 July 2011|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150302013222/http://www.rte.ie/news/2011/0715/303766-defamation/|archivedate=2 March 2015}}</ref>

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== * [https://web.archive.org/web/20100729170831/http://nobnation.com/ Official website] * [http://www.rte.ie/radio1/podcast/podcast_nobnation.xml ''Nob Nation'' Podcast]

[[Category:Cultural depictions of Taoisigh]] [[Category:Irish comedy radio shows]] [[Category:LGBTQ-related mass media in Ireland]] [[Category:RTÉ controversies]] [[Category:RTÉ 2fm programmes]] [[Category:RTÉ Radio 1 programmes]] [[Category:The Gerry Ryan Show]]