Yes, the TV series Say Nothing by Josh Zetumer is based on a true story. FX has given the go-ahead for a nine-part drama series called Say Nothing, based on Patrick Radden Keefe's book Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland. The book covers a fascinating story about a shocking murder in Northern Ireland and the far-reaching consequences that followed.
The show is a collaboration between Color Force, the team behind American Crime Story, Pose, and The Hunger Games, and FX Productions. It's about a famous abduction and murder that happened during the turbulent time in Northern Ireland known as The Troubles.
Say Nothing is a unique take on the post-1967 'Troubles' in Northern Ireland, written from a fresh perspective. The book, which inspired the TV series, focuses on the tragic story of Jean McConville, a widow and mother of ten, who was accused of being an informer by Republican paramilitaries. She was brutally taken away from her children, subjected to interrogation, and never returned.
How does the TV series of Say Nothing remain true to the books?
The TV series which is set to premiere on Hulu on November 14, 2024, with 9 episodes on the same day will focus on a timeline that, spans four decades.
The series kicks off with the shocking vanishing of Jean McConville, a single mom of ten who was snatched from her home in 1972 and never seen again. But McConville wasn't the only one - many others were also taken, earning the collective title The Disappeared.
Say Nothing covers the perspectives of various IRA members, including sisters Dolours and Marian Price - young women who became radical political icons, Brendan Hughes - a strategic thinker torn between loyalty and doubt, and Gerry Adams - a shrewd politician who would later negotiate peace but deny IRA ties.
The story explores the extremes people will go to in the name of a cause, the enigma of The Disappeared, the cost of staying silent, and how - or if - society heals after a long, bloody conflict.
Who will be the cast of Say Nothing?
Lola Petticrew plays Dolours Price, a symbol of radical politics. Hazel Doupe stars as Marian Price, her sister. Anthony Boyle takes on Brendan Hughes, a strategist struggling with inner conflicts. Josh Finan portrays Gerry Adams, a shrewd politician who negotiated peace but has always denied IRA involvement. Maxine Peake stars as an older Dolours Price.
What happens in Patrick Radden Keefe’s book?
Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland is a book about a tragic event that happened in December 1972. Back then, a 38-year-old mother of ten, Jean McConville, was taken from her home in Belfast by masked intruders. This was one of the most brutal episodes of The Troubles, a violent conflict in Northern Ireland. Everyone in the neighborhood knew the I.R.A. did it, but nobody dared to say anything because they were too scared.
In 2003, they found her remains, and her kids identified them by a blue safety pin she always carried with her for diapers or ripped clothes. The book by Patrick Radden Keefe tells the story of a society torn apart by a violent guerrilla war and its aftermath.
The McConville case is just the starting point for a bigger story about a war that left deep scars on people like the McConville children, as well as on I.R.A. members who felt that peace didn't bring them the united Ireland they fought for, and wondered if the killings they did were justified acts of war or just plain murders.
The show premieres on November 14 with all 9 episodes on Hulu in the U.S. and Disney+ in some other countries.
