Bill Murray's Irish golf documentary defies expectations

Bill Murray stars in a new six-part BBC documentary series exploring Ireland through its golf courses. The 76-year-old actor is the central figure in A Course Called Ireland, which launches on BBC Two on Sunday, October 25 at 9.30pm and will be available on iPlayer and Paramount+.

Based on Tom Coyne's bestselling travel memoir, the series follows Murray and Coyne as they golf across locations including County Kerry, coastal Cork, Donegal, and the Giant’s Causeway. The production emphasizes cultural interactions over sport, featuring activities like road bowling in Cork. Future episodes include appearances by Joanne McNally, Chris O’Dowd-who starred with Murray in the 2014 film St. Vincent-and Jason Kelce. Eddie Doyle is head of commissioning at BBC Northern Ireland.

Murray's Eccentric Resistance

Murray's participation is marked by a refusal to conform to standard documentary conventions. He declined to discuss Irish storytelling history, stating, 'It's not the fucking Bill Murray show.' He also refused to walk up a staircase with a simple 'No.' This resistance, combined with producers allowing his waywardness to dictate the tone, led to what one account describes as a series that imploded like a 'machine-gunned meringue.'

The result is criticized for filling a 'bingo card of musty stereotypes,' portraying Ireland with what is called leprechaun reservation vibes, schmaltz, and donkey-staring-over-a-stone-wall imagery. Murray struggles to connect with people he meets, and the series is punctuated by near-silent car journeys, golf-course longueurs, and strained encounters with local eccentrics. A soundtrack of 'theme-pub fiddles' and faux-trad music adds to what is termed an atmosphere of effortful quirkiness. The most amusing moment noted is when a passerby confuses Murray for Bill Cosby.

Murray is described as a lively presence but never exactly funny, and the series is not considered a thoughtful meditation on the Irish-American experience. He is, however, most engaging when speaking from the heart, such as reflecting on his Irish heritage-his great-grandmother moved from Ireland to Chicago in the 1850s-and Irish marginalization there. At one point, he sits at the harbour in Cobh with tears practically welling in his eyes.

Margaret's Narrative Struggle

A narrator named Margaret, a small Irishwoman hired for 'local colour' and because she was 'cheaper than hiring a professional,' battles to frame the series. She makes increasingly desperate efforts to pretend everything is fine. Margaret stated the series' intended focus: 'This series is not about golf. And it's not really about Bill Murray.' She said it is 'about the Irish.'

Her narration accompanies an unspoken assumption that Irish people are inherently amusing, with the script strategically deploying the word 'feck' and including jokes about their quirky patois. In one segment, a producer interviews a Cork road bowling organizer like an anthropologist interacting with a lost tribe. A Cobh woman was also used to read the script instead of Murray narrating.

The series is compared in tone and flow to Gone Fishing but is described as extraordinarily irritating. It is a celebrity travelogue that, while highlighting golf, aims for cultural depth. The Irish Tourist Board is implied to benefit from the exposure. The series is produced by Stellify Media. It airs on Sundays from October 25 at 9.30pm.