Bill Murray and friends hit the road for a genre-bending golf adventure in A Course Called Ireland

BBC Two, BBC Northern Ireland and iPlayer have released exclusive first-look images of Bill Murray as he joined by his extended family, including Joel and John Murray, celebrity friends Chris O’Dowd, Joanne McNally, and Jason Kelce, and long-time golfing companion Tom Coyne.

The BBC has released first-look images of Bill Murray and friends in new six-part series A Course Called Ireland, a wildly original and unpredictable road trip around the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. The six-part documentary series is produced by Skydance Sports and Stellify Media.

This isn’t just a show about golf — it’s a celebration of life going gloriously off course. In this six-part series, Bill Murray and good friend and author, Tom Coyne play their way across some of the island’s most legendary golf courses. But somewhere between the first tee and the final pint, the journey veers off course to meet the people who give it its soul, and why Bill loves his Irish heritage so much.

Each episode follows Murray and friends across some of the island’s most breathtaking fairways, with every episode featuring a different golf course and guest.

The series offers an intimate portrait of an island whose stories, people and craic prove just as unforgettable as Bill Murray himself.

Golf is just the excuse.

BBC Commissioning Editor Cal Turner comments, “A Course Called Ireland is a hilarious and unpredictable love letter to the game of golf. The series captures candid, unscripted moments woven with the wit, warmth, and wonder of Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. Audiences will get a unique insight into Bill Murray, his family, his friends and his love of the emerald isle.”

Eddie Doyle, Head of Commissioning, BBC NI says: "This series is about much more than golf. It’s a journey packed with friendship, humour, unforgettable characters and the kind of magic moments you simply can’t script. Bill Murray is one of a kind, and every stop on this adventure is a joy to watch, for golf fans and anyone who loves a great road trip."

Kieran Doherty, CEO & Co-Founder, Stellify Media, says: “There was never much chance of a trip around Ireland with Bill Murray and his friends going entirely to plan — and that’s part of what made it so special. It was a genuine privilege for Stellify to be along for the ride, and we’re enormously proud of the series we all made together.”

Greg Groggel, SVP of Unscripted, Skydance Sports, added: “Bill Murray became our creative North Star as we embraced the unexpected and let the people, places and moments we encountered shape the series. The result is something truly original. But at its core, A Course Called Ireland is a simple story: two friends on a trip of a lifetime, inviting us along for the ride.”

The series begins on BBC One Northern Ireland and BBC iPlayer from Friday 23 October, before launching on BBC Two on Sunday 25 October at 9.30pm.

The series is being made with funding from Northern Ireland Screen.

A Course Called Ireland is co-produced by independent production company Stellify Media and Skydance Sports. The series was commissioned for the BBC by Catherine Catton, in her capacity as Head of Factual Entertainment and Events Commissioning, and Eddie Doyle, Head of Content Commissioning, BBC Northern Ireland. The BBC Factual Entertainment Commissioning Editor is Cal Turner and BBC Northern Ireland’s Commissioning Editor is Jason Butler. The showrunners and Executive Producers are Casey Scharf and Morgan Roberts and the Series Director is Chris Cottam. The Executive Producers for Stellify Media are Kieran Doherty and Matthew Worthy. The Skydance Sports Executive Producers are Jesse Sisgold, Jason T. Reed, Jon Weinbach and Greg Groggel.

TB

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