RTÉ: What We Made in 2020
Entertainment and Music
A Nation Together
The year got off to a strong start with another successful series of Dancing with the Stars (ShinAwiL); presenter Lottie Ryan won the 2020 series just as lockdown started. Meanwhile, throughout the various lockdowns, The Late Late Show continued to tell Irish stories, albeit without a live studio audience, and provided safe spaces to inform, educate and entertain in a very different Ireland. The programme brought the work of the charity sector into sharp focus, and its campaigns raised over €7.5 million for causes including suicide prevention, cancer research and homelessness. The Toy Show Appeal, part of another massively successful Late Late Toy Show, raised another €6.7 million for vulnerable children across Ireland.
RTÉ Does Comic Relief gave Ireland a huge laugh while raising millions for charities – in-house and independent producers worked together to create newly iconic moments such as the sensational Normal People sketch, and Hozier wowing in an empty Croke Park. In Deirdre O’Kane Talks Funny the acclaimed comedian delved into the lives of some of our best-known performers. The nation came together later in the year to share in a uniquely current piece of nostalgia, as Zig, Zag and Dustin joined Ray D’Arcy on a revamp of much-loved children’s series The Den.
Celebrating Existing and Emerging Talent
RTÉ Does Comic Relief gave important television exposure to many established and upcoming names, including Pat Shortt, The 2 Johnnies, Foil Arms and Hog, and Aisling Bea. The 2 Johnnies (Straywave Media) also laughed and sang their way through a popular Christmas special.
United in MusicThe early part of 2020 saw the return of Other Voices (South Wind Blows), which brought 10 hours of the best music from Dingle and beyond. In March RTÉ celebrated the RTÉ Choice Music Prize from Dublin’s Vicar Street, where the Irish Song of the Year was ‘Hello My Love’ by Westlife and Album of the Year was ‘The Livelong Day’ by Lankum. In response to the pandemic, Other Voices: Courage presented two series of live-streamed concerts and two subsequent TV series, with a range of brilliant artists shot in a number of suddenly empty yet iconic locations, including the National Gallery of Ireland and the National Library. With many people’s income suffering in 2020, Songs from an Empty Room (ShinAwiL) raised much-needed funds for Minding Creative Minds and the Association of Irish Stage Technicians’ Hardship Fund (AIST). |
RTÉ 2fm2fm sadly lost a national treasure when Larry Gogan died early in January 2020. In December 2020 his grandchildren marked his passing by playing the station’s first Christmas song of the season, which was a tradition of Larry’s every year. 2fm Rising introduced listeners to the new sounds of up-and-coming Irish acts, including Nealo, Moncrieff, Denise Chaila and Aimee. With festivals cancelled, 2fm provided its very own Epic Summer campaign across a series of themed festival weekends, culminating in its own Electric Picnic featuring live recordings of previous Picnic performers, including Arctic Monkeys and Sam Smith. Throughout the year 2fm kept its young audience updated on Covid-19 news with information campaigns. In December, 2fm’s breakfast show raised more than €120,000 with a sleepout in aid of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul (SVP). |
