Entertainment and Music

Entertainment and Music output, featuring new entertainment, musical talent and the welcome return of favourites, meant that RTÉ continued to be a major commissioner of prime-time entertainment programming from independent producers.

On RTÉ One, 2022 saw the return of two hugely popular shows in Ireland’s Fittest Family, produced by Animo TV, and Dancing with The Stars, produced by Shinawil. In January the nation slipped on its dancing shoes for the fifth series of the hugely successful entertainment series, as large numbers tuned in to sway away the winter blues. Jennifer Zamparelli and Nicky Byrne were joined by new judge Arthur Gourounlian to put a cast including Billy McGuinness, Erica Cody and Gráinne Seoige through their paces, before Nina Carberry waltzed away with the glitterball.

Later in the year Nina swapped the quickstep for hard yards, becoming a coach on the returning Ireland’s Fittest Family. The series featured a brilliant range of exciting events, inspirational families from across the country and our committed coaches, who support and encourage our competitors. Proving that original Irish content is world beating, the tenth series of the format, which RTÉ first supported in 2014, brought audiences together, with all the signs indicating that this homegrown entertainment format has become a firm family favourite.

New content from the independent production sector

Building on this model, 2022 also saw the launch of a new development drive with the wider independent production sector to secure a new generation of original Irish content to sit alongside existing formats. Extensive work across a number of months led to new commissions and pilots, which will be announced in due course and will come to screen later in 2023 and into 2024. One of the first to emerge debuted at Christmas as Adare Productions delivered a new entertainment show that united our broadcast platforms, bringing the stars of 2FM Breakfast to screen. The Full Irish Hidden Camera Show, hosted by Doireann Garrihy, Donncha O’Callaghan and Carl Mullan, was a brand-new 30-minute programme combining elements of comedy and traditional prank shows to produce something altogether new and contemporary. The show was well received by audiences and a full series will follow in 2023. We also took a new approach to the traditional New Year show in New Year’s Eve Party with Jennifer Zamparelli. Produced by the in-house production team, the show was 75 minutes of music, comedy, celebration and chat which showcased the talents of a broad array of artists. Performances from acts such as Tom Grennan, MuRli featuring Jafaris, Donovan, and Ash performing with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra made for a show that was warmly received by audiences.

The in-house production team also delivered a hugely successful Wizard of Oz-themed Late Late Toy Show, which demonstrated once again that for our biggest audience of the year there really is no place like ‘The Toy Show’. The award-winning Tommy Tiernan Show, produced by Power Pictures, returned to screens, turning Covid restrictions to an advantage by increasing the intimacy and intensity of the always revealing conversations that make this unique show an unmissable treat for audiences. Guests including Joanne McNally, Steve Coogan, Gabriel Byrne and Roger Daltrey made this the most successful series to date. Elsewhere, Home Advantage, the quirky family quiz, returned for a second series and was hosted by Jennifer Zamparelli.

In music, Other Voices, produced by South Wind Blows, returned for a landmark 20th series and saw Annie Mac bring a rich array of music to the screen, including several of Ireland’s top artists, such as Dermot Kennedy and Orla Gatland and international acts including Sigrid and Sam Fender. In an RTÉ 2FM/RTÉ One radio and television partnership, The Ultimate Irish Playlist, produced by Shinawil, brought RTÉ’s broadcast platforms together as 2FM asked the nation to choose its top 20 Irish songs of all time, and RTÉ One revealed the results in a fantastic two-hour special which also streamed on RTÉ Player. The show not only showcased many original artists but also brought innovative interpretations from trailblazing Irish artists, including Shobsy and Ruth Ann Cunningham.

Alongside Fleadh Cheoil, RTÉ Choice Music Prize, St Patrick’s Festival 2022, Callan Kicks the Year, and much more, RTÉ kept Irish music, talent, creativity, performance and culture firmly centre stage for audiences across our platforms.

Toy Show the Musical

RTÉ was delighted to bring Toy Show the Musical to the stage at the Convention Centre Dublin for the Christmas period. Created and developed by RTÉ with an exceptional team of creative talents from the world of theatre, Toy Show the Musical was a truly special and original new Irish musical. Led by Nell Mooney, our fictional hero, and all the kids and characters on Tricycle Street, the musical was the heart-warming story, told through songs, jokes and antics, of how Nell manages to bring her little family back together on Toy Show night and the adventure that it brings them on.

The story, music, songs, choreography, set and costume design were all brought to life through a wonderful cast of children and adult leads, including Jamie Beamish, Clare Barrett and Anna Healy, all of whom delivered a unique Irish show full of heart, music and mischief.

While a number of shows had to be cancelled at short notice due to illness among the cast and crew, RTÉ was heartened that families and children who saw the show really loved it. Children in particular were very taken with the story and songs and the fact that the show was led by a diverse cast of children like them.

This project was a new departure for RTÉ and, after such a difficult period for the live events industry, RTÉ remains proud to have supported and invested in Irish creative and theatrical talent: writers, composers, actors, producers, directors, designers

and all the production and technical specialists. Over 100 people were employed by Toy Show the Musical during its run, in addition to a front-of-house team and set-up crew.

At the time of writing, like all creative projects, a full review of Toy Show the Musical is under way.

Supporting Irish Music & Live Performance After a two-year hiatus, events such as Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann and the RTÉ Choice Music Prize were back with live audiences, along with the RTÉ Radio 1 Folk Awards, which had made a return to Vicar Street in 2021. ‘The Fleadh’ returned to the town where it all started – Mullingar in Co. Westmeath – and to mark this special homecoming, RTÉ was official media helping to celebrate the world’s largest festival of Irish music, song, dance agus comhrá Gaeilge. RTÉ’s support of the 2022 Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann is in line with our vision to champion Irish culture by captivating audiences and celebrating Ireland’s rich diversity, and included an extensive marketing campaign across broadcast, social and digital platforms as well as a range of radio programmes across RTÉ Radio 1 and RnaG live from Mullingar during the Festival week. The RTÉ Choice Music Prize returned with a live event in Vicar Street which celebrated the nominees and announced the winners of Irish Album of the Year (For Those I Love) and Song of the Year (Dermot Kennedy). The event was hosted by Tracy Clifford and was also broadcast live on RTÉ 2FM with exclusive performances from eight of the nominated artists. On Sunday 13 March, RTÉ2 broadcast a one-hour TV highlights programme, produced by Southpaw Pictures, featuring live performances along with artist interviews by Bláthnaid Treacy. The RTÉ Radio 1 Folk Awards, a wonderful celebration of the very best in folk music in Ireland from the past year, were hosted by John Creedon in Vicar Street, Dublin on Thursday 17 November and were live on RTÉ Radio 1. Mary Black received the Lifetime Achievement Award, while founder and frontman of the Chieftains, Paddy Moloney, who passed away in 2021, was inducted into the Hall of Fame. Winners included Cormac Begley, Ye Vagabonds and Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh. Live performances came from members of the Chieftains, Sharon Shannon, Scullion, Pauline Scanlon, Inni-K, Mary Black and more.