| Country: | United Kingdom (Northern Ireland) |
| Language: | English |
| Num Seasons: | 1 |
| Num Episodes: | 3 |
| Producer: | Sian Palfrey |
| Runtime: | 24–32 minutes |
My Left Nut is a British comedy-drama television miniseries produced by Rollem Productions for BBC Three.[1] [2] Based on the stage-play of the same name by Michael Patrick & Oisín Kearney,[3] and drawing heavily on Patrick's own teenage years,[4] the series follows 15-year old Mick (Nathan Quinn O'Rawe) as he discovers a swelling on his left testicle. The series was written by Patrick and Kearney and directed by Paul Gay.[5]
The series was released on BBC Three and BBC iPlayer in the United Kingdom on 1 March 2020,[6] followed by weekly airings on BBC One.
The series follows teenager Mick as he attempts to deal with his home and school life after discovering a swelling on his left testicle. His father having died years previously, Mick confides in his mother (Sinead Keenan) as he plucks up the courage to go to the doctor - all whilst trying to keep his swollen testicle from his friends Tommy and Conor, and his prospective girlfriend Rachael.
Micheal Patrick and Oisín Kearney originally wrote My Left Nut as a one man show through the 'Show in a Bag' initiative run by in partnership with Dublin Fringe Festival and The Irish Theatre Institute.[7] The theatre play was a semi-fictionalised version of Patrick's teenage years growing up in Belfast with a swollen testicle,[8] it premiered at the Dublin Fringe 2017 before showing at Summerhall as part of Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2018.[9] [10] At the same time, Patrick and Kearney were part of BBC Writers' Room Belfast Voices, through which they pitched the idea of adapting their play for television to Rollem Productions.[3]
Principal photography began on location in Belfast in August 2019. Specific locations in Belfast included St Mary's Christian Brothers' Grammar School, the Strand Cinema, Belfast Harbour and Ormeau Road.[11]
The show received generally positive critical reviews, getting particular praise for its blend of comedy and drama, being described as "equal parts charmingly funny and strangely sincere" by The Guardian,[12] and being compared favourably to similar series such as Derry Girls and The Inbetweeners. Liam Fay in The Sunday Times said: "There are echoes of everything from The Inbetweeners to Derry Girls, but the show has its own distinctive voice."[13]
My Left Nut won Best Drama at the 2020 Royal Television Society Northern Ireland Awards [14] and won Best Drama, Best Writers (Michael Patrick & Oisín Kearney) and Best Actor (Nathan Quinn O'Rawe) at the 2021 Royal Television Society Yorkshire Awards.[15] It was also nominated for Best Drama at the 2020 Broadcast Digital Awards.[16]