In this new documentary, The Heart Of Saturday Night, people young and old, male and female, single and married, from town and country areas across Northern Ireland share a Saturday night with BBC cameras in a revealing snapshot of what shapes our leisure time at different times in our lives.
The Heart Of Saturday Night on Tuesday, January 15 on BBC One Northern Ireland at 10.35pm features Jemma, Mel and Sharon, three carefree north Belfast teenagers who hit the Beach nightclub at the Odyssey complex on a regular basis on a Saturday night. Unburdened by the responsibilities of children, houses or husbands their night out is carefree and colourful.
By contrast there's Malachi, 71 who runs a traditional pub in Killough in County Down. Malachi's stewardship of the Ann Boal Inn is as much about companionship and a fondness for a slower way of life which is fast dying out as village pubs lose out to the town trade.
Clare at 31 is a single parent living in south Belfast. Her tight budget and sole responsibility for eight year old son Robert mean she hasn't been out for six months on a Saturday night.
65 year old Frances from Limavady was a factory girl for over 40 years and took care of her parents while they were alive. Frances never spends an evening in. She plays bingo seven nights a week and on Saturdays travels into a major prize hall in Derry to try her luck. Frances says: "If I didn't get out to the bingo I don't know what I'd do. I couldn't sit and look at four walls."
Like most of their friends Julie-Ann and Donal Black's children are in their twenties and Saturday nights are theirs again to enjoy after rearing their families. The forty-somethings host their long-standing pals for a night round the farmhouse table in their Portstewart home for supper, laughter and chat.
And then there’s Michael whose Saturday night for many years has revolved around the live music he plays as a vocalist and guitarist. His wild days may be behind him but what does the kind of music he plays say about his lifestyle nowadays?
The Heart of Saturday Night is an easy watch and a candid portrait of the big weekend night. It’s a fair bet that most viewers will recognise their own Saturday nights past or present somewhere in the mix.
Producer, Marie Irvine says: "It was fascinating to get on the inside of so many different Saturday nights - out and in - with a truly lovely bunch who shared their weekend with us. In the end it gave me an insight into how important the social side of life is to people.
"Whether we're playing the mating game, maintaining friendships,
or staying home with other family members we all like a bit
of company and what people do on Saturday nights at different stage
in their lives is somehow symbolic of this. We were glad to
get our own Saturday nights back at the end of filming mind you!“
The Heart Of Saturday Night is on Tuesday, January 15 on BBC One Northern
Ireland at 10.35pm