The Dry (TV series)

Shiv Sheridan (Gallagher), a woman recovering from alcoholism, returns home to Dublin to face a family who are not terribly supportive of her sobriety. She is 35, and has spent the last ten years in London trying to make it as an artist, but has nothing to show for it. Having lost her job at a gallery and fallen out with flat mates who were always partying, she returns home for her Granny's funeral and asks her mother if she can stay. It is clear that the family all drink, sometimes to excess, and her brother does coke – so staying won't be easy.

Harris was inspired to develop the series in 2016, given her sense of being estranged from her Irish identity.^[5] The series was in development from Element for RTÉ One in 2020, and it was confirmed that December that the project would receive funding from the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland.^[6] In August 2021, it was announced BritBox had commissioned The Dry from Element in association with Screen Ireland, ITV Studios and RTÉ.^[7] Harris is executive producing the series alongside Emma Norton, Michael Dawson, Ed Guiney and Andrew Lowe.^[8]

Alongside the commission came the casting announcement; Roisin Gallagher would lead the series along with Ciarán Hinds, Siobhán Cullen, Moe Dunford, Adam J. Richardson and Pom Boyd.^[8]

Principal photography for the first series began in August 2021.^[9]