RTÉ: What We Made in 2020
Young People
2020 began with a packed schedule of live action and animated content for both TRTÉ and RTÉjr. Popular series such as RTÉjr Goes Dancing with the Stars, Body Brothers and Bright Sparks returned to engage, educate and entertain our youngest audiences.
February saw the launching of HERSTORY. The Young People’s Department commissioned bespoke films from the animation sector telling the stories of Ireland’s great female trailblazers. In March, RTÉ was uniquely positioned to help school children and their parents deal with the uncertainty caused by the pandemic by providing a daily routine of high-quality education: Home School Hub was born. From March through to June, Macalla Teoranta produced over 60 hours of extraordinary content, helping both kids and their parents through the crisis.
As we moved into autumn and through various lockdown tiers, RTÉ Young People’s department commissioned a companion series to the original Home School Hub: After School Hub. Playing in the afternoon on RTÉ2 from October through to December, the series kept kids entertained with a host of after-school activities presented by the teachers from Home School Hub.
TRTÉMartin’s Shed (Fusion Films), a series of ‘illegal’ programmes hosted by Martin the pine marten & MC (Mary Claire Fitzpatrick), exploded onto our screens in August. Broadcasting from a hidden location in Laois, it was jam-packed with songs, lunacy and LOL moments. This was closely followed by brand-new comedy drama series Blasts from the Past, created by Firebrand Productions. Featuring Emily Blast, played by Eleanor O’Brien, it followed the adventures of an ordinary teenager who could time-jump through Irish history. Gamer Mode (Roundstone Media) was Ireland’s first gaming TV show, made by gamers for gamers. Squad Goals (Kite Entertainment) was back for a second series with a new venue, new games and a new host, Anna Geary. Ace My Space (Tailored Films) also returned, giving kids the opportunity to score a bedroom makeover. YouTube stars Sean Treacy and MC were back transforming bedrooms across Ireland. Tina Times Two, the latest drama production from Dyehouse Films, was a coming-of-age fable centred on Tina, a lonely young girl whose wish comes true when she discovers a magical friend who is an exact double of herself. The dream turns to a nightmare when the double wants to take on a life of her own. My Story, RTÉ’s children’s documentary strand exploring stories that directly affect a young audience, delivered several films. From Sheriff Street to Delphi (Dyehouse Films) follows a group of kids from Dublin who go on an adventure of a lifetime and learn to catch fish in Co. Mayo; in Tajus the Kickboxer (Ronin Films), 12-year-old social media star Tajus dreams of becoming a professional kickboxer; and in Dillon’s Adventures (Little Road Productions), 12-year-old Dillon Lynch, a coder, hiker and outdoor adventurer extraordinaire, takes on the ultimate challenge. The animated series Dorg Van Dango premiered on RTÉ. Created by Cartoon Saloon and WildBrain, it follows the adventures of a regular teenager growing up in the town of Normill. Life takes a wild turn when four magical beings escape from Area 52 and crash-land in his back yard. Dorg takes them under his wing and disguises them as normal teenagers – but his new gang of best friends are anything but normal! |
RTÉjrOur youngest viewers were served up a mix of animation and live action to keep them entertained throughout 2020. RTÉjr’s science and dance show, Body Brothers (stop.watch), was back delivering animal facts and dance moves. Bright Sparks returned with more fun, drama and laughter, inviting the audience into its world of mishaps and adventures with the residents of Bright’s Park. My Story: Sophie (Fubar Films) is a poignant film about eight-year-old Sophie Corley and the preparation for her end-of-year Glee Club performance. Donncha’s Two Talented Christmas Special (Adare Productions) brought Christmas cheer to end the year: Dancing with the Stars judge Brian Redmond, Fair City actor Maclean Burke, Irish Times journalist Róisín Ingle and country & western singer Cliona Hagan were mentored by their talented youngsters to belt out Christmas favourites. Highlights in animation for our pre-school viewers included new series Hungry Bear Tales, from Treehouse Republic in partnership with Bionaut Animation, which follows best friends Ned and Mikey. In new adventures, Pablo (Paper Owl Films) and the Book Animals figured out the challenges of the world, and Ollie from studio Ink and Light was back with small stories about big issues like discovery, friendship, being alone and the importance of the little things in life. 2020 also saw an exciting move for the Young People’s department into commissioning content for our Young Adult audience. A new feature-length documentary, Growing Up at the End of the World, produced by Brick Films, follows three teen climate change activists over a year and a half as they demand change in a bid to save their future. |
Radio & Podcasts
Podcasting came to the fore this year, with more need to entertain a young audience and busy parents trying to work and teach from home. The Home School Hub Podcast was our sonic companion to the TV show, offering original bespoke content (The Living Library, 2K from Home, Adventures in Time, Inside the Orchestra) alongside our back catalogue. It rolled in with the After School Hub, and approached 60,000 plays across the year.
We Love Books, launched in February with a nationwide story contest for kids aged 8–12, had hundreds of entries. The second season offered a Book Doctor slot in conjunction with Children’s Books Ireland and Dublin City Libraries.
Mothertongues – our multilingual podcast for kids to celebrate their language and culture, showing just how diverse and interesting Ireland is – was recorded during lockdown, with families taking the lead. Let’s Dive In, fronted by Phil Smyth and Julie Gould, dealt with tricky science questions that no stuck-at-home parent could answer. Movies Are Magic was our 10-part series on film making and watching, with a peek behind the scenes to show why and how people make movies. Ecolution, launched for RTÉ on Climate last year, had home-produced episodes fortnightly until midsummer and received a Silver IMRO Award in the Best Podcast category.
