Before the world was ready, some revolutionary minds at RTE said lets get a popular TV program like The Hills and just make an Irish version of it, otherwise known as Fade Street. And it was this cutting-edge brilliance that vaulted the Golden Age of Irish television, paving the way for other classics such as Tallafornia and the Irish version of Young Dumb and Living Off Mum.
Fade Street focuses on 4 20-something Dublin divas: Louise, Danni, Cici, and Vogue. The girls are all closely aligned with Stellar magazine, and like wearing different shoes, and like getting their hair done, and like using the word like in general. All of these interwoven subplots centre on the show's protagonist Vogue Williams, the classic anti-hero, who the audience empathises with despite being a 'total bitch loike'.
Cynics have suggested that because of how well developed and nuanced its stars are, the series simply must be scripted. In reality, Fade Street is a show a scriptwriter couldn't write. Aaron Sorkin himself would be at a loss of trying to find a more compelling storyline than Dani's boyfriend not being able to get into Oxegen while all of her mates are busy having 'an amazeballs time watching The Coronas '.
The only disappointment I have is that it's so short lived, which I suppose is the cross it has to bear for being so ahead of its time. With only three seasons, it seems that RTE-the state's national broadcaster- has once again vehemently betrayed the Irish public by not commissioning more episodes. Instead, the government have probably squandered the 10s of thousands needed to make a TV series on dialysis machines and hospital equipment, rather than giving the public what it really wants. For shame Enda Kenny. For shame.
'Fade Street may have (pardon the pun) faded away but it's influence on popular culture still remains.' The conclusion to my review, but also a potential Leaving Cert question for future years.
