The PDs: From Boom to Bust is a two-part documentary series which charts the rise and fall of the Progressive Democrats, the party with a political lifespan which mirrors the boom and bust of the Celtic Tiger era.

The programmes feature candid interviews with reporter Sam Smyth from the major players including Michael McDowell, Mary Harney, Liz O’Donnell, Bertie Ahern and Charlie McCreevy with rarely seen archive film from the early beginnings of the party and its public collapse in the RDS on the night of the 2007 General Election count.

The series takes us behind the scenes of the formation of the party, the internal leadership battles, and the PDs’ relationship with their coalition partners Fianna Fáil under Charles Haughey, Albert Reynolds and Bertie Ahern. It examines the election successes and failures which led to a party constantly teetering on the brink of extinction which still managed to stay in power for thirteen of its 23 years of existence.

The series also looks at the economic legacy of the party and reunites the influential economists nicknamed the Doheny & Nesbitt School of Economics, Colm McCarthy, Sean Barrett and Moore McDowell who were closely identified with the early policies of the Progressive Democrats.

“You see O’Malley has at least about 5 different sides to him. He’s actually great, great fun, he can be absolutely great fun. On the other hand he’d cause a row in an empty house.”
Charlie McCreevy

“Mary Harney did bring a certain novel approach to the identification of celebrity candidates – she was the Simon Cowell of the political firmament and nobody was safe you know – she went from celebrities on television and the theatre to football stars to farming stalwarts.”
Pat Rabbite

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