It was a big night for RTÉ on Sunday, as we were at long last treated to the debut the 2010 episode of Reeling in the Years and the beginning of a new season. The show was voted the country’s favourite home produced show in an RTÉ Guide poll in 2008, so expectations were naturally high.
The first episode could hardly have gotten off to a stronger start. In the leadup to the premiere, one of the clips people were looking forward to seeing most was the iconic “man slips on ice” shot – and the legendary Reeling in the Years editors only went and opened the entire episode with that very shot.
The nation reaction to the man slipping on the ice being the opening to 2010 #ReelingInTheYears pic.twitter.com/V8aq0fR1uz
— Daniel Buckley (@DanielBuble) April 11, 2021
The episode went from strength to strength from there, with so many storylines that we had either forgotten about or exiled from our memories. We'd completely forgotten how big of an event Amy Huberman and Brian O'Driscoll's wedding was - but Huberman was a touch taken aback by her feature in the episode.
Nothing makes you feel old quite like being in bed at 8.30 pm on a Sunday evening. Except being in bed at 8.30 pm on a Sunday evening and your mother texting you to say you were on Reeling in The Years.
— Amy Huberman (@amyhuberman) April 11, 2021
There were sporting memories aplenty, as Irish football fans were reminded of the guilty joy of England being cheated out of a goal against Germany at the World Cup. (Producers also hilariously made the final scoreline harsher on England)
England v Germany on the new Reeling in the years 2010 episode and they’ve given Germany an extra goal 😂. It finished 4-1 to Germany but they’ve got it on there as 5-1 😂 @RTEOne @rte @RTEsport
— Conor Martin (@Conorjmartin96) April 11, 2021
Ah lads. It was 4-1. Get it right. #ReelingInTheYears pic.twitter.com/DROvsWbsCL
— Cormac O'Malley (@cormacpro) April 11, 2021
There was also a reminder of one of the great solo hurling performances in recent memory.
“They fire hurleys at him but no one is able to stop Lar Corbett”#ReelingInTheYears #Reet2021 pic.twitter.com/F3KZt5ZwXg
— Hurler on the ditch (@HurlerD) April 11, 2021
There was so much packed into the half-hour episode – with the Chilean miners’ rescue and the opening of the Aviva Stadium completely slipping our minds in the buildup to the episode. We were also treated to several clips from the iconic first season of Love/Hate.
Wanna go and watch Love/Hate now again for probably the 10th time nice one 😂 #ReelingInTheYears
— Mick Larkin (@michaellarkin9) April 11, 2021
The soundtrack didn't fail to deliver either - though it definitely leant into the cheesy side of 2010, there was something beautiful about the man slipping on ice, soundtracked by 'Misery' by Maroon 5. A truly groundbreaking moment of television.
The most abiding reaction on Twitter, though, was one of shock and disgust at how badly the country suffered in the fallout from the financial crash. Many were given unwanted reminders of the relentlessly grim year that 2010 was, with a financial crisis marked by mass unemployment, a deepening housing crisis, and ultimately the arrival of the IMF into Ireland to effectively take over the financial running of the country.
You'd miss the days when a Taoiseach could be drunk on the radio. What a time. #ReelingInTheYears
— Ronzo Teilifís Eireann (@ronronzo) April 11, 2021
A healthy reminder of what Fianna Fáil in government leads to mind.
— Luke O’Riordan (@luke_oriordan) April 11, 2021
Lads I have PTSD watching #reelingintheyears... I will never, ever forget watching the news about the IMF. The bizarre secondhand shame of it.
— Deirdre O'Shaughnessy (@deshocks) April 11, 2021
Fianna Fáil and the Greens out of their depth in power in a national crisis. Corporate sleazoids getting away with daylight robbery. Thank Heavens we’re such a different country 11 years on 😂 #ReelingInTheYears #2010
— Oliver Callan (@olivercallan) April 11, 2021
Basically #ReelingInTheYears pic.twitter.com/xCYb5X6QxN
— Serzo 💕 (@serzomurphy) April 11, 2021
It was a bittersweet look back on what was, all in all, a fairly shite year for the country – but we’re looking forward to the weeks ahead, even if the fortunes of the Irish soccer team are only destined to dramatically deteriorate over the course of the 10 episodes. Surely the next few episodes of Reeling in the Years can't be as grim as 2010, right?
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