Published in SIN News, 21 January 2013

Deception, a new original TV3 drama based in a small, exclusive housing estate outside Galway city, hit our screens for the first time on Monday night, January 7.

Filmed on location in Spiddal last summer, the show revolves around six families living in the fictional housing estate of Benton Wood, whose lives have experienced many changes since their hey-day during the boom years. Throughout the series, Deception will uncover the characters’ secrets of murder, jealousy, betrayal and revenge.

Situated just minutes away from the set of Ros na Rún, Tyrone Productions and EO Teilifis crews filmed in the area for four weeks, with episodes recorded in real houses rather than on studio sets. The show features an Irish cast led by Jim Norton, who is known for his role as Bishop Brennan in Father Ted, Leigh Arnold (The Clinic), Nora-Jane Noone (Jack Taylor), Conor Mullen (Rough Diamond), Vincent Walsh (A Kiss For Jed) and Helen Roche (Roy). Nora-Jane Noone, also famous for starring in ‘The Magdalene Sisters’, is a native of Galway and graduated with a degree in Science from NUIG in 2004.

Deception will be made up of six hour-long episodes, each told from a different character’s perspective, with six writers including Christian O’Reilly and Ailbhe Nic Giolla Bhríghde set to write an episode apiece. Elizabeth Gill (Hardy Bucks) and Anne McCabe (Ros na Rún) are directing the series, with Hugh Farley, Patricia Carroll and Maire Ni Thuathail producing.

The show, which cost €1.2 million to make, was funded in half by the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland’s (BAI) Sound and Vision Fund. According to the Irish Times, TV3’s director of programming Ben Frow said he prefers spending the station’s money on homegrown content rather than on big US deals.

The drama continues on Monday nights at 10pm on TV3.