The Hulu dark comedy series Obituary has its finger on the pulse of the newspaper industry, presenting the story of Elvira Clancy, an obituarist for the local newspaper, who realizes that the industry is in decline and her position within the paper is now untenable. Forced to work on a per-obituary basis, Elvira “accidentally” kills a local villain, and has an epiphany — she could make a bit of money while ridding the neighborhood of some nasty pieces of work. Dark and bleakly comedic, this Irish show is a topical and insightful sideways look at human nature, and the production had the mandate of evoking the tone and feel through authentic location shooting. We’ve rounded up the picturesque locales where Obituary was filmed — hopefully, the murderous obituarists are just for TV.
Where was Obituary filmed?
Ireland, U.K.
Of course, the show, which is an Irish production, set in an Irish town, would be filmed on location in Ireland. Thankfully, the production could film in authentic locations, using an Irish cast, giving the show an air of legitimacy. Shows such as Father Ted, Derry Girls, and The Fall all utilized Irish locations, giving them huge appeal.
Ballyshannon County, Donegal
Ballyshannon County, used for filming Obituary | Image via discoverireland.com
The series was primarily filmed in the town of Ballyshannon. It is located at the southern end of the county and is one of the oldest towns in Ireland. A report in Donegal Live confirmed the filming, with shots of the crew setting up scenes on location in the town.
In an article on Yahoo News, the show’s Executive Producer Paddy Hayes said:
“We scouted up and down the West coast of Ireland looking for a suitable location and we settled on the Bundoran, Ballyshannon region.” As far as finding the right locations he continued, “We needed a seaside vibe, but also a place that was big enough for a serial killing obituarist to hide – so the combination of the two towns really worked for us. I am really proud to be showcasing this corner of Donegal on RTÉ One, but also screening it worldwide on platforms such as Hulu in the USA.”
Bundoran
Bundoran, Donegal, used for filming Obituary | Image via Ireland.com
Some work was also carried out in Bundoran, a picturesque and popular tourist destination near Ballyshannon in County Donegal. It is the most southerly town in Donegal and was listed in National Geographic magazine back in 2012 as one of the world’s top twenty surf towns.
Who produced the series Obituary?
The six-part series was produced by Galway-based production company Magamedia in association with U.K. company About Premium Content. Magamedia was behind the Irish-language feature film Foscadh which was Ireland’s entry to the Oscars race in 2022. They also produced the hit TG4 drama Corp & Anam.
APC Studios may be familiar to viewers of Minor Offence, Wolf, Broken Ties, and A Good Family.
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