Lyric News
RTÉ Television autumn line-up revealed
Thursday 10 August 2006
With the emphasis on new home productions, Noel Curran, Managing Director of Television, outlined a range of new lifestyle, factual, arts, drama and entertainment programming which will see RTÉ One and RTÉ Two further strengthen their position as Ireland's number one and number two most-watched channels.
"We're introducing new formats and programming as well as bringing key favourites back to the schedule," said Curran at the launch.
"We look forward to bringing viewers more of the best of Irish and international programming this autumn."
'Legend', a new six-part drama featuring Padraic Delaney, star of the recent Palme d'Or winning film, 'The Wind that Shakes the Barley', will air on RTÉ Two in September.
A major new production set in West Dublin, 'Legend' will play alongside returning dramas like 'The Clinic' and 'Fair City', while 'Bachelors Walk' is back for a once-off Christmas special.
RTÉ reconfirmed its commitment to the arts with a range of Arts programming including a new two-part documentary 'Landscape Painting of Ireland' by Emmy-Award winning Sean Ó Mordha and a film dedicated to the "James Joyce of the Irish language", Mairtin Ó Cadhain.
These programmes will be shown alongside a range of new one-hour 'Arts Lives' documentaries featuring Nuala Ní Dhomhnaill, Donal Lunny, Michael Colgan and Eileen Gray.
'The View' will return for another series with John Kelly while the critically-acclaimed 'True Lives' factual series will continue to deliver strong documentaries to television audiences in Ireland.
Details were also released on several new stand-alone factual series, ranging from David McWilliam's three-part series, 'In Search of the Pope's Children', to 'Junior Doctors', a new fly-on-the-wall medical series filmed in St Vincent's Hospital, Dublin.
RTÉ's Lifestyle strand will feature a broad range of new commissions and formats, including 'Dealers', a new antiques programme for RTÉ One.
'The Afternoon Show' is back for a third season and follows Gráinne Seoige's brand new, early evening talk-based show, featuring special reports and a high level of audience involvement.
Building on a record season in 2005/2006, RTÉ's popular chat shows will return with 'The Late Late Show' back on RTÉ One, 'Tubridy Tonight' and 'The Podge and Rodge Show'.
Other key entertainment programmes include the return of 'The Ex-Files', 'Just for Laughs' (this year with comedian Neil Delamere presenting), and 'Killinaskully'.
Younger viewers can expect a full schedule on RTÉ Two of new, innovative and engaging indigenous programming.
'No Experience Required Transition Year' will offer five lucky students the chance to road-test their dream job, while RTÉ has also commissioned a brand new Irish animation series from Oscar-nominated Brown Bag Films.
RTÉ News and Current Affairs will continue to bring over 1,000 hours of home-produced coverage of national and international events to the screen.
Details of the RTÉ autumn schedule are online at: www.rte.ie/tv/autumn2006
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