Episode 1 available for viewers outside Ireland.......enjoy

http://www.vid.gg/video/cd04267c266bf

(Click on 'Proceed to Video')

Cheers for the link, Eurostar! I have to say that I've been extremely impressed with what I've seen so far. The production values are undoubtedly head and shoulders above what everyone was initially expecting, which is essential in this competitive day and age. The established soaps can sail by on their traditional look (I.e. dodgy looking sets- take a bow Fair City and Corrie) but it's promising to see that Red Rock has deftly avoided that pitfall. The casting is spot on- particularly the actresses playing the Hennessy matriarch and the daughter really do look alike. What is with the awful theme music, though?!

Yes. the theme tune is rather naff but they can always change it if they like

The filming is very stylish and slick.....almost verging towards film noir at times, which is not what you would expect from a soap at all

I like the fact that it's subverting the traditional feel of what a conventional soap is deemed to be. Its filmic look is unique and will hopefully help it stand out.

I'm based in the UK so have never seen Fair City, but my boyfriend is from Dublin and tells me that the show is utterly dire, so I was intrigued to see what Red Rock would bring to the table. I'm actually really impressed, I watched the 2 eps back to back and look forward to next weeks. The theme is slightly jarring, and some of the actors need to loosen up slightly, but other than that, I'm a fan!

A good start for the show as it was watched by an average of 323,000 viewers on it's first night. To give you something to compare it to, the ratings for the other soaps on the night are as below:

http://www.irishtimes.com/business/m...wers-1.2058996

Fair City: 569,000
Coronation Street: 364,000
EastEnders: 361,000
Emmerdale: 325,000

I'd say TV3 will be very happy with those figures. If they can maintain it at that level for the next few weeks / months, they will be delighted.

I'm also happy with the quality of this show. I've seen dire startups before and this is not dire. From a promising start it can only improve and grow into something very decent.

For anyone that missed it, the first 2 eps are being repeated on TV3 on Sunday evening at 6pm. But thanks to Eurostar, a lot of people are getting to see it in the UK!

They're being realistic with their expectations anyway as the producer said in an interview that they're expecting the usual "J curve" that happens with a new soaps ratings where they start high before dropping and then slowly building back up again. Of course I doubt that'll stop some of the papers reporting on Red Rock's "ratings collapse" once the numbers do start to dip a bit.

And here is episode 2 for viewers in the UK

http://www.vid.gg/video/452f5293a3903

(Click on 'Proceed to video')

I think it's pretty solid. The acting is fine enough, most of the characters are interesting, the setting is a little different and there's enough stories to keep things going for the time being.

The theme tune is awful and needs to be changed. Too jarring at times.

Aside from that, watchable enough though.

I can see the Irish Daily Mail headlines now when they report that the show has been a flop. It is bound to lose some viewers after its first night, that's only natural. No show exceeds its debut figures straight away.

2nd night average viewing figures at 302,000 compared to first at 325. I'd be happy if I was Tv3.

They've managed to retain a fair chunk of their audience into Episode 2- let's hope they keep it up!

Hmmm not very impressed by the first Ep...

I thought the second one was much better myself (but maybe that's because I was starting to recognise the characters).

That's a pretty good second night. It did well on both nights considering it's up against long running RTE hit Operation Transformation.

Was the actor playing Niamh Reid's father also in 'Fair City' as Marty Halpin? It's bugging me where I've seen him before.

Liam Reid is played by Anthony Brophy whose been in loads of stuff but wasn't the actor who played Marty in Fair City

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0112390/?ref_=ttfc_fc_cl_t18

Just watched the first two episodes back to back and it's definitely a solid start to the show. I like the fact that it isn't filmed or presented as a conventional soap and despite the few shaky starts, the acting has been solid across the board which I found surprising considering that much of the cast does not have a lot of experience.

My only complaint would be the theme music, it was awfully jarring especially at the start of the ad breaks and it just does not fit the show at all. But other than that, I am very excited to watch the next episode and I am glad that the ratings are pretty darn good for a debut, TV3 should be proud.

Also Richard Flood (James) and Boyko Krastanov (Adrijen) are so fit! I need to see more of them in forthcoming episodes

Yeah the general consensus of everyone online and in most of the press reviews have been that the theme music is awful. I'm sure they'll update it over the course of the show's run.

Yes, from what I can see, all of the scenes are filmed inside and outside real houses, shops, pubs etc and the Garda station is filmed in a real large building......there doesn't seem to be any TV or film studio stuff at all.

Bearing in mind many of the actors are newcomers, it's been a fine and solid start and it looks great on screen.

Most of the filming is done at Players Square which is the old John Player factory on the South Circular Road. The exterior of the Garda station and the cafe are actually the back or the side of the factory. If you pass by, I'm sure you could spot them filming as I used to see filming if other productions there all of the time when I used to live nearby. The station and house sets are all inside the factory building. I think it used to be mostly used for large CGI stuff as Primeval used to be filmed there. The Hennessey's pub scenes were initially filmed in a real pub in Kimmage but they've built a replica of that inside the factory now. Of the exteriors, Claire Hennessys apartment building looks like either the Herberton in Rialto which is just around the corner from Players Square or a generic shot of one of the complexes in the IFSC. The petrol station that featured in the first episodes is on Parnell Road across the canal from Players Square and the exteriors of the houses seen when they were calling to the Kielys and when Paudge was calling to collect rent look like they could also be shot nearby in either Crumlin or Kimmage. I love playing spot the location when I'm watching a Dublin based TV drama or film even if the geography usually makes no sense when they're edited together (Love Hate chase scenes for example).

Thanks so much Eurostar! Really enjoying this.

No problem Mark! Hopefully the new episodes keep becoming available online