The new season on RTÉ One marks the beginning of an exciting year for viewers. Major events like the 1916 Centenary Celebrations, the General Election, the Olympic Games and Euro 2016 will see RTÉ, and RTÉ One in particular, play a central role in Irish life.
Despite the availability of over 800 channels in this country, RTÉ One remains Ireland’s most popular channel. 19 of the top 20 programmes so far this year have been delivered by RTÉ television on either RTÉ One or RTÉ2. RTÉ television competes with better funded broadcasters and wins by providing relevant, engaging Irish content.
At last week’s launch RTÉ Oneunveiled it's biggest line-up of new programming in recent years, announcing 53 brand new series and documentaries to be delivered in partnership with the independent sector. The new season schedule will deliver new Sunday night drama, a new slate of documentaries for Monday nights, brand new lifestyle series for mid-week and new entertainment for weekends along with the best in news and current affairs.
The RTÉ2 new season and a new slate of childrens’ content from RTÉjr will shortly be announced.
Drama, Factual, Entertainment... and lots more!
On announcing his first schedule for the new season as Channel Controller for RTÉ One, Adrian Lynch said: “RTÉ One exists to deliver compelling and distinctive content and that’s what will be served up to the audience this new season with over 50 new series and documentaries on offer as well as fresh series of viewer favourites. From news, current affairs and investigative programming that the nation turns to, new world-class drama, factual programming telling Ireland’s contemporary stories and plenty of brand new entertainment there’s a lot to look forward to on RTÉ One this autumn and beyond”.
RTÉ One continues its world-class run of acclaimed production with 11 hours of new Sunday-night drama. Clean Break, a new four-part series written by acclaimed playwright Billy Roche with a cast including Damien Molony and Kelly Thornton. And from the makers of Charlie comes Rebellion, a drama set over three weeks in Easter 1916 starring Charlie Murphy, Brian Gleeson, Ruth Bradley, Barry Ward and Sarah Greene.
RTÉ One will be bringing viewers a broad range of new factual programming including Recruits, which offers unprecedented behind-the-scenes access to the Irish Defence Forces. In Ireland’s Wealth Revolution David McWilliams looks at the country’s wealth gap, while Death of a Son tells the story of how Michael Dwyer was assassinated in Bolivia in 2009, The Boston Nanny follows the story of Cavan nanny Aisling Brady McCarthy and Hidden Impact: Rugby’s Concussion Crisis examines how this controversial problem can be tackled.
Filmed over eight months, Crumlin observes paediatric care from the point of view of the medical practitioners at Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital; Garda Down Under gives a fascinating insight into the lives of the gardaí who are now on the beat in Western Australia and in Call Back, Joe Duffy looks back on Liveline’s most memorable stories.
There are new additions to the entertainment line-up with the debut of The Ray D’Arcy Show to light up Saturday nights and Mario Rosenstock comes to RTÉ One with a new studio show. The Voice of Ireland and Ireland’s Fittest Family make a welcome return and Ryan Tubridy is at the helm as The Late Late Show returns for a record breaking 54th season.
RTÉ One’s arts output has been refreshed with John Kelly presenting a brand new weekly series in which he interviews a different leading light in the arts from Glen Hansard to Jennifer Johnston. Other new arts programming includes the story of Irish design in Designing Ireland, Paddy Moloney: Chieftain and Druid Shakespeare following the Druid Theatre Company’s 40th anniversary celebrations. Brent Pope uncovers some incredible human stories behind ‘outsider’ art and Bob Geldof examines W.B. Yeats' life and work in the context of the 1916 centenary commemorations.
Real Stories
New lifestyle series include You Should Really See a Doctor featuring Dr. Pixie McKenna and new RTÉ One face Dr. Phil Kieran meeting and treating people with a tendency to self diagnose on the internet; a new science series Everything You Need To Know... and One Week To My Wedding, a new series following six different couples in the week leading up to their wedding day. Rachel Allen and Donal Skehan are also back with brand-new cookery series.
At the Heart of It
RTÉ One’s current affairs slate will continue to be at the heart of the schedule offering in-depth analysis and debate. After a very successful launch earlier this year Claire Byrne Live returns to Monday nights, Prime Time will continue twice a week on Tuesdays and Thursdays with David McCullagh and Miriam O’Callaghan at the helm along with a number of major reports from the RTÉ Investigations Unit.
We've got it all
Along with Ray D’Arcy, Mario Rosenstock, Dr Pixie McKenna and Dr Phil Kieran, other new faces featuring in primetime slots on RTÉ One this season include Bob Geldof, Anna Geary, Alan Quinlan and Nathan Carter.
The above content is a press release from RTÉ