Ryan Reynolds announces launch of ‘Welsh Wednesdays’ on his new US TV channel
Ryan Reynolds has announced the launch of ‘Welsh Wednesdays’ on his new TV channel.
Six hours of Welsh language programmes will be broadcast to audiences across the US each week from this Wednesday.
The first shows include popular series The Red Wall (Y Wal Goch), Wrexham Our Club (Wrecsam Clwb Ni) and the short film Gareth Bale: Living the Dream (Gareth Bale: Byw’r Freuddwyd).
Other programmes range from the bilingual crime drama Bang to Petrol Head (Pen Petrol), about young people and their cars, to Vets (Y fets), which follows Ystwyth Vets in Aberystwyth.
It comes after the Hollywood actor’s production company Maximum Effort – behind the Deadpool films and Disney Plus documentary Welcome To Wrexham – struck a deal with streaming service Fubo to launch Maximum Effort Channel earlier this month.
The @MaximumEffort Channel is now arbitraging the explosive demand for Welsh TV shows. Introducing Welsh Wednesdays. pic.twitter.com/NIPdwH9YLI
— Ryan Reynolds (@VancityReynolds) June 26, 2023
Reynolds and the co-owner of Wrexham football club, Always Sunny In Philadelphia creator Rob McElhenney, have promoted the Welsh language and culture globally since buying the team in 2020, leading some to label them as unofficial ambassadors to Wales.
Reynolds told the PA news agency: “As many have noted, there is an alarming lack of Welsh content available for American viewing pleasure. That stops today. Well, actually Wednesdays.
“We’re so grateful to S4C for helping bring Welsh programming to a broader audience.
“And to that broader audience: Don’t worry, I am told there will be subtitles.”
S4C
All programmes have been bought from Welsh language television channel S4C, which will supply Maximum Effort Channel with weekly programming including dramas, documentaries and entertainment shows as part of a long-term partnership.
S4C said the deal will create income for the channel and production companies behind the shows and enable further investment in the creative sector in Wales.
Established in 1982, S4C puts out around 115 hours of programmes a week, all through the medium of Welsh.
It can be viewed across the UK, with some programmes also available globally on S4C’s streaming and social media platforms.
Llinos Griffin-Williams, S4C’s chief content officer, said the Wednesday takeover will be an opportunity to showcase “Welsh culture, language and talent on the international stage”.
“Together with Ryan and the Maximum Effort team we have curated a slate of exciting shows for a global audience,” Ms Griffin-Williams said.
“This commercial deal will take Welsh language content to Hollywood and the world.
“It will benefit the entire creative sector and talent pool here in Wales as we showcase everything from S4C dramas to entertainment formats, documentaries and sport.’
She added: “We’re a small nation that punches well above our weight.
“Forty years ago, people campaigned to establish S4C as Wales’s national Welsh language channel – now we will be able to stream Welsh language programming to millions of people on the other side of the globe.”
Adopted Welshman
Ms Griffin-Williams called Reynolds “our adopted Welshman” and said he understands the importance of Welsh culture and language, saying his respect and commitment to Wrexham and Wales is “unquestionable”.
The Welsh Government’s deputy arts, sport and tourism minister, Dawn Bowden, said: “This deal is fantastic news for Wales. It shows the strength of the Welsh creative sector and the international interest that exists for the content we create here.
“The creative industries play a huge role within the Welsh economy and the Welsh Government will work with S4C through Creative Wales to ensure we take advantage of the opportunities that exist globally.”
Welsh Wednesdays will begin on the Maximum Effort Channel on Wednesday June 28.
At other times, the Maximum Effort Channel’s content – curated by Reynolds – will feature mostly comedy shows like Alf, Absolutely Fabulous, The Kids In The Hall and his own Two Guys, A Girl And A Pizza Place.
Support our Nation today
For the price of a cup of coffee a month you can help us create an independent, not-for-profit, national news service for the people of Wales, by the people of Wales.
Well, what can one say except, “diolch Ryan”?
Not going to lie I was sceptical (despite having no stake at all in football, only my town) at first, two Hollywood walliews rolling in and wandering around buying stuff and acting flash…. but the new owners of the club have really stepped up for Wrecsam and Cymru.
There are literally ZERO amount of hours of Cymraeg programmes on the Saesneg telly….yet people in our country still believe what those scuzzbags say and still have faith that the Sasneg really give a damn about us.
Agree with your sentiments, but the pendant in me has been jarred by your use of ‘Saesneg’ in the sense of talking about English people – the term you are looking for is ‘Sais’ or if it’s the definite article, as in the final line of your comment, ‘y Sais’. I’m not sure about why the Sais should actually give a damn about us, even though (to me) a surprisingly large number of them actually do. I would have thought it hugely more important that us Cymry gave more of a damn really. Traditionally and still, to a lesser, but… Read more »
It seems honorary Welshmen Ryan Reynolds & Rob McElhenney promote Wrexham & Wales to the world more than Westminster ever has in its sorry history. Credit to both. May it continue! 👋🙂 🏴
Honestly agree with you. It’s a shame that I was 11 when they was teaching welsh, that should been taught in 1st grade school.
The man really is a god send to Wales and it’s culture. Doing more for the country than any person in this unions history. Outside of maybe Nye Bevan. Everyone of our politicians and billionaire businessmen should look at this and feel some shame in the knowledge that someone from Canada who has no actual Historical Connection to the place is doing more for Wales than all of them combined.
Spot on Riki, my thoughts of just the other day exactly…
“Ryan and Ronnie go to Hollywood” it has to be…
Ryan Davies, the funniest man ever to come from Cymru works in any language or no language…
Do grow up. All that has happened is that S4C would have offered it at a discount price and it fills the hours. You idiots are really quite funny!
Can you validate this comment?
More Welsh than you get on S4C dyddiau ma. Da iawn nhw.
Wednesday afternoon, half-day closing, town dead, raining, milk-bar windows steamed up, the sound of the milkshake machine rattling the aluminium jug and the roar of the steam pipe heating up the milk for milky coffee…ring a bell?
Show Cymry before Sold4Cash
Done more than anyone for,wales diolch yn fawr am galon
Wow, fantastic!