RTÉ Television - New Season 2012/13

NEW SEASON 2012/13

CONTENTS
1 Welcome
2 Factual
7 Entertainment
12 Drama
14 Lifestyle
18 Arts
20 Irish Language Programming
(Cláracha Gaeilge)
22 Religious
24 Young Peoples
27 Acquisitions
30 News and Current Affairs
32 Sport
34 Saorview
36 RTÉ Press Centre
RTÉ Player

welcome
Welcome to the New Season on RTÉ Television, featuring 114 new and returning home produced series
and programmes across RTÉ One, RTÉ Two and our five digital channels as well as the RTÉ Player
across Factual, Entertainment, Lifestyle, Drama, Young Peoples, Religious, Irish Language, Arts,
Sport and News & Current Affairs.
We are looking forward to a great Autumn/Winter on
RTÉ Television with something for everyone, including
62 hours of home-produced drama like the hugely
popular Love/Hate, Fair City and Raw, 16 new
documentaries and series along with seven returning
series from RTÉ Factual covering topics as diverse
as education, obesity and teen pregnancy; and the
biggest and best entertainment programmes on Irish
television, like The Late Late Show, The Saturday Night
Show, Mrs Brown’s Boys, The Voice of Ireland and
Celebrity Bainisteoir; as well as new programmes
like Hector Goes… and It’s An Irish Thing.
RTÉ Two will deliver a schedule full of the best Irish
comedy, sport, Irish factual programming, like the
pioneering Format Farm, and the first broadcast
of the best US and UK acquired programming.
RTÉ Sport will continue to bring viewers the most
comprehensive free-to–air sports coverage available
with unrivalled analysis on any channel in this country,
including the Paralympics, GAA, soccer, rugby,
racing, athletics and more.
RTÉ Television will also deliver a broad schedule
of Arts programming, Irish language and religious
programmes, as well as the biggest range of
programming for young people in the country from
RTÉ’s award-winning Young People’s department.
The new season on RTÉ Television is also about great
comedy from the Republic of Telly and Katherine
Lynch, plus new comedy from Irish Pictorial Weekly
and The Fear with Jennifer Maguire as well as
hugely popular Lifestyle programming like Operation
Transformation, and new series like Getaways,
Strictly Am-Dram, Instrumental and more.
RTÉ Television will be first with many of the best of US
and UK drama and comedy like Homeland, Revenge,
Big Bang Theory, 2 Broke Girls, New Girl, CSI and
The Mentalist – all of which will be available to Irish
audiences on RTÉ before anyone else.
As ever, RTÉ News and Current Affairs will provide
comprehensive, reliable and impartial reporting of
national and international news in Irish and English
across both television channels, covering the important
issues of the day, raising debate on topics of national
interest and exploring aspects of life in Ireland through
its in-depth investigations.
The New Season on RTÉ Television 2012/13
continues to deliver the quality, range and diversity
of programmes that Irish viewers have come to
expect, and indeed deserve, from their Public
Service broadcaster. We hope you enjoy it.
RTÉ Television - We’re All About You
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factual
What in the World ? 21st Century Railway Firefighters Scoil Mhuire
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This season RTÉ Factual will be offering the viewing audience 16 new documentaries and series along with
seven returning series which promise to stimulate debate about important topics such as education, obesity
and teen pregnancy. RTÉ Factual will also present an insight into many aspects of both contemporary and
historical Irish life which will captivate and enlighten viewers.

(NEW) INSIDE THE DEPARTMENT
1 X 60’
This observational documentary follows Minister for
Education and Skills Ruairi Quinn and his senior
advisers and civil servants as they carry out the
day-to-day business of running one of Ireland’s largest
government departments. Filmed over six months, with
unprecedented access, we witness the highs and lows
of a minister under pressure as he attempts to bring in
reforms in education while at the same time having to
make controversial budget cut-backs. A fascinating
insight into the world of a government department.
(NEW) JOHN LONERGAN’S SCHOOL
PRINCIPLES 1 X 45’
In this documentary the former governor of Mountjoy
Prison, John Lonergan, brings us on a journey around
Ireland looking at the way we educate our children
while exploring why the ‘One Size Fits All’ approach to
the way we teach does not work for everyone. Each
year thousands of teenagers complete their secondary
education but there is always a small percentage who
don’t make it that far and along the way fall out of the
schooling system. Through talking to school principals,
teachers, students, parents and experts John explores
why education doesn’t actually work for all of our
children and attempts to find out what happens when
they leave the system and what is be being done to
keep them in it.
(NEW) SCOIL MHUIRE (WORKING TITLE)
1 X 52’
This one hour documentary tells the story of a Wexford
primary school through the eyes of its teachers, the
children and their parents. With 560 pupils Scoil Mhuire
is a large disadvantaged or DEIS school – it also has
a purpose built unit for autistic children. For years
principal Pat Goff and his staff have worked hard to
build a happy and successful school, which has been
recognised for big improvements in children’s literacy
and numeracy. Over six months we follow teachers and
families as they deal with the highs and lows of day
to day school life – from the joys of Communion, the
sponsored walk and school play to the tension as
they all prepare for further cutbacks.
(NEW) FIREFIGHTERS 8 X 30’
Dangerous missions, daring rescues and thrilling
non-stop action… meet the Firefighters. This actionpacked
and hard-hitting new series captures all of the
drama from across Dublin city, moving from station
to station as the action happens, to bring viewers the
most exciting and dramatic stories. Whenever and
whatever the emergency, the firefighters are first on the
scene, putting themselves in danger to save lives. And
it’s not just fighting fires. Every member of the Dublin
Fire brigade is a trained paramedic, and between
ambulance services, rapid river rescues, marine
emergency response and high wire rescue, there’s
never a quiet day.
(NEW) BULLYPROOF 3 X40’
Clinical Psychologist David Coleman is on a mission to
explore the issue of teen bullying in Ireland. As part of
the series, David will offer his expertise and therapeutic
skills to a number of teenagers and their families who
have been affected by bullying. He wants to help them
overcome the trauma that the bullying experiences
have caused and encourage them to look toward their
futures in a more positive frame of mind. David is also
keen to see what a diverse range of people, schools
and communities are actively doing to combat the
issue of bullying. Throughout the series, David will offer
practical tips and strategies to guide the audience
through the process of changing attitudes and
behaviour in relation to bullying.
(NEW) APARTMENT KIDS 1 X 52’
In Ireland we’re accustomed to seeing children playing
in the concrete yards of inner city flats complexes. Now
there’s a new phenomenon: a generation of children
growing up in isolated, suburban apartments that were
only ever intended to be starter homes. During Ireland’s
boom, buying an apartment was the only option for
many young couples. It was never meant to be long
term. Now trapped in negative equity, young families
have little choice but to raise their children in small
spaces, apartments built without children in mind.
Whether they are raised in Dublin’s inner city social
housing or private suburban complexes, Apartment
Kids face distinct and shared challenges. The
sociological fallout impacts the children, their parents
and the community at large.
Bullyproof
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(NEW) IRELAND SEARCH AND RESCUE
6 X 52’
Claire Byrne presents this brand new series that
captures real rescues as they unfold and the bravery
of the volunteer and professional crews as they strive
to save lives in some of the most terrifying weather
conditions. RTÉ has been given exclusive access and
insight to some of our country’s key rescue agencies
including the Irish Coast Guard, Cork Fire Brigade,
the RNLI, Mountain Rescue Teams from Dublin, Kerry
and Donegal as well as the Irish Naval Services.
(NEW) THE FUTURE OF TELEVISION
1 X 60’
Part of RTÉ’s TV50 Season, The Future of Television is
a one-hour documentary in which Miriam O’Callaghan
embarks on a journey to examine what might lie
ahead for our favourite medium.This is a time of
unprecedented change for Irish television, unlike
any other in its 50 year history. The ways in which
programmes are produced, watched and paid for are
being transformed. Many commentators predict that
the medium as we know it might not survive, while
others insist that TV is a ‘supermedium’, which is
powerful enough to withstand any threats from upstart
competitors. In this programme, Miriam meets the
people shaping the future of television. Whether behind
the scenes at The Voice of Ireland, or meeting a couple
who put their lives on YouTube, she learns that the box
in the corner will never be the same again.
(NEW) THE OBESITY CLINIC 2 X 52’
A new two-part observational documentary goes inside
Ireland’s first public weight management clinic in St
Columcille’s Hospital, Loughlinstown, Co. Dublin.
Filmed over ten months, eight individuals honestly
share the truth about their struggle to lose weight. Over
the course of the two episodes we hear from those who
undergo gastric bypass surgery and those who are
aiming to lose weight without surgical intervention.
(NEW) TOMMY BOWE,
THE SCIENCE OF ME 1 X 52’
Tommy Bowe, The Science of Me takes Irish
international rugby player Tommy Bowe on a powerful
journey which will see him tested to his limits to uncover
what makes an elite sportsman. A major sports science
documentary, it will give an observational look at a top
athlete’s life, married with cutting edge sports science
experiments. Tommy’s own innate curiosity about the
science of his own body will drive the narrative as
we explore the science of extreme physicality and
the research and breakthroughs surrounding it.
Numerous factors—genetic, psychological as well as
physiological go into making a super performer. In this
programme Tommy sets out to see if it is possible to
identify one characteristic as being the most important.
Using a mix of CGI, stunts, expert interviews and
observations in science labs, this programme promises
to build a unique and fascinating portrait of a top
athlete and the incredible science of the human body.
(NEW) TEEN MUM 2 X 40’
(WORKING TITLE)
A new two part observational documentary series
depicting the work of Ireland’s first Clinical Midwife
Specialist in Teenage Pregnancy, Una O’ Brien, at Our
Lady of Lourdes Hospital Maternity Unit in Drogheda.
The documentary will feature the many aspects of
Una’s working day with pregnant teenage
parents-to-be.
(NEW) COMMUNION DAY 2 X 52’
She’s got the white dress and the veil. He has the suit,
the tie and the waistcoat. A party is planned with family
and friends arriving from near and far. Mum and Dad
may have paid more in these recessionary times,
but it’s their son or daughter’s big day and one to
remember. No, we’re not talking about weddings.
Communion Day is a two-part documentary series
featuring stories of eight families as they journey
towards one of Ireland’s landmark family rituals.
(NEW) 21ST CENTURY RAILWAY
3 X 25’
This three part series follows the creation, decline and
rebirth of Ireland’s railways. Railways in Ireland have
been around for almost 180 years. When they first
arrived they brought Ireland to the forefront of cutting
edge technological change. The railways took over
from canals as the new means of mass transportation
of people and goods. Having once enjoyed a Golden
Age, railways were to enter a long period of decline
- but today their revival is being championed once
again. A sort of renaissance has taken place right
across the network and, despite the current recession,
is set to continue, albeit slowly, into the future, bringing
the railways out of decades of neglect and into line with
21st Century expectations.

(NEW) A MAN YOUNG AND OLD 1 X 52’
This documentary will explore one of the darkest
episodes of the Irish Civil War, when six Republican
soldiers were shot dead by their former comrades
on the summit of Ben Bulben in County Sligo. One of
the victims was Brian MacNeill. His nephew, former
Minister for Justice Michael McDowell, now wants to
discover what happened on that day in September
1922. Did Brian and his comrades really die in an
ambush, as the official version goes, or were they killed
in cold blood? Why was Brian MacNeill, the son of a
minister in the Free State government, fighting on the
Republican side? What were the forces, events and
ideologies that drove him and other Irish men to take
up arms against their former comrades – and in Brian’s
case, members of his own family?
(NEW) MY CIVIL WAR 1 X 52’
My Civil War features selected stories and experiences
from the Irish Civil War (1922/23) which have almost
vanished from memory. Presented by Eddie Hobbs the
documentary will introduce three people in their 20s
and 30s with a direct family link to some event during
the civil war. The documentary follows their journey as
they search archives and retrace steps to find out what
happened to a relative during the war. What is the
modern verdict on a bloody war, fought by one-time
friends and comrades, over ideals of fidelity and a
Republic? My Civil War will blend history, genealogy
and discovery into a moving account of our history
which still has potential for controversy.
What’s Ireland Eating? Part Two Apartment Kids Inside the Department
WHAT’S IRELAND EATING? PART TWO
1 X 52’
Last year, in What’s Ireland Eating? Philip Boucher
Hayes showed how the nation’s eating and shopping
habits were hurting our health and the Irish economy. As
a nation, we are getting fatter and sicker. This autumn,
Boucher-Hayes analyses some of the nation’s favourite
meals and how Ireland’s babies are eating the diets of a
‘mini adult’. He visits St. James’s Hospital to find out how
belly fat could be particularly dangerous and with two
thirds of Irish adults overweight or obese asks should
willpower be enough to stop us gaining weight or are
there other forces at work? With a new sugar tax for
Ireland currently under consideration he looks at how
our relationship with sugar is far from sweet!
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THE SECRET MILLIONAIRE 5 X 52’
Four very different Irish millionaires turn their backs on
their day-to-day lives and go undercover in some of the
most disadvantaged parts of Ireland. Their search for
genuine local Irish charities brings them face-to-face
with some of our most pressing social problems
including homelessness, depression, disability and
addiction. On their journey they meet extraordinary Irish
people working selflessly everyday to help people in
their own communities. Each millionaire then springs
the ultimate surprise when they give them thousands
of euro of their own money and reveal themselves as
a Secret Millionaire. In episode five John Concannon,
John Fitzpatrick and Nadim Sadek will return to the
communities, groups and people they helped in the
first series to see what progress has been made.
They will talk passionately about the effect taking
part in the series had on each of them.
WHAT IN THE WORLD? 4 X 25’
What in the World? returns this autumn with another
series of seldom-heard stories of struggle and
resistance from across the globe. From the conflictridden
Democratic Republic of the Congo to postconflict
East Timor, now known as Timor Leste, to the
Ethiopian and Honduran highlands, Peadar King brings
more compelling stories of the disfavoured and the
dispossessed as well as presidents and politicians
to RTÉ audiences. Now in its sixth series and having
filmed in 31 countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America,
What in the World? has garnered a reputation for telling
stories of intense pain and suffering, of small triumphs
and occasional advances, of betrayal and complicity,
of utter resilience and stout defiance.
CRIMECALL 10 X 52’
Crimecall, the hugely successful crime-investigation
programme returns for its ninth series with Philip
Boucher Hayes and Grainne Seoige at the helm. Each
month Crimecall looks for the public’s help in crime
investigations through the use of reconstructions,
CCTV footage and live studio appeals. Calls to the
programme have helped lead to numerous convictions
over the previous eight series.
ERNST AND YOUNG ENTREPRENEUR
OF THE YEAR 4 X 25’ AND 1 X 52’
With entrepreneurship to the forefront of our hopes
of economic recovery, Pádraig Ó Céidigh returns,
highlighting the business people from across the
country nominated by their peers for the coveted
title of Entrepreneur of the Year. The five-part series
culminates in the award ceremony in October which
celebrates the very best in Irish business and success.
The Secret Millionaire
NATIONWIDE
The ever-popular Nationwide with Mary Kennedy and
Anne Cassin is at 7pm on Mondays, Wednesdays and
Fridays on RTÉ One with an eclectic round-up of news,
views and events from around the country.
EAR TO THE GROUND 16 X 30’
As the nation looks to rural Ireland as its economic
saviour, the Ear to the Ground team are back this
autumn to ask the hard questions. The team
of Darragh McCullough, Helen Carroll and Ella
McSweeney will roam the countryside bringing
to your screens great stories of rural recovery,
heroism and eccentricity as they explore a world
of food and farming in rapid transition.
Nationwide

There’s something for everyone in entertainment programming this new season on RTÉ Television.
On RTÉ One Ryan Tubridy returns as Late Late Show host and Brendan O’Connor is back in the hotseat
on The Saturday Night Show. In a new series Hector takes to the highways and by-ways of Ireland and
Irish Pictorial Weekly offers a satirical slant on Irish life. The new season sees the return of the hugely
popular The Voice of Ireland and Celebrity Bainisteoir is back with a new twist.
Trivia The Fear The Late Late Show Ladies Day Celebrity Bainisteoir
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THE LATE LATE SHOW
NEW SEASON STARTS FRIDAY
SEPTEMBER 7TH
Having celebrated the Late Late Show’s 50th
anniversary last season Ryan Tubridy returns to present
another series of the longest running chat-show in the
world with a mixture of entertainment, music, in-depth
interviews and discussions on the stories that have the
nation talking.
THE SATURDAY NIGHT SHOW
NEW SEASON STARTS SATURDAY
SEPTEMBER 29TH
Journalist and broadcaster Brendan O’Connor returns
this autumn for a fourth series of The Saturday Night
Show. Brendan will be joined each week by a selection
of guests to provide an entertaining mix of lively chat,
comedy and music.
THE VOICE OF IRELAND
It was a monster hit in its first series now The Voice of
Ireland is back. This talent show puts the emphasis
firmly on the quality of the participants’ vocal
performance rather than their appearance. Coaches
take part in ‘blind auditions’ and must decide whether
or not to take on a participant without having seen
them and solely on the quality of their voice.
TRIVIA 6 X 25’
Trivia returns for a second series with the unique
Lawrence (David Pearse) all set to move in with his
girlfriend Molly (Janet Moran). She is training to be a
paramedic and he is charged with keeping the clan
afloat until she qualifies. Literally on his way to
complete his move-in with Molly, Lawrence finds
that he’s unemployed and that The Plan is in tatters.
Lost in shock and panic, he doesn’t tell her his news at
the first opportunity and thereafter finds it impossible
to come clean despite the advice of best friend Adam
(Keith McErlean) to do so. To make matters worse
Lawrence finds himself tempted back to the pub
quiz scene – which he hasn’t attended since
he promised Molly that he’d never go again.
Still – what’s one more little deception?
(NEW) IRISH PICTORIAL WEEKLY
4 X 25’
Irish Pictorial Weekly is a new satirical sketch show.
With Ireland lurching from one display of incompetence
to the next, the programme will look at the country’s
political and media culture using a range of sketch
formats and media manipulation. The writing and
performing team - including Barry Murphy, Gary Cooke,
Paul Howard, John Colleary, Alan Shortt, Eleanor
Tiernan, Colm Tobin and Tara Flynn - has been
involved in the highest level of Irish comedy and
satire in recent years (Apres Match, Ross O’Carroll-
Kelly and The Savage Eye).
(NEW) HECTOR GOES… 4 X 40’
Hector returns to RTÉ One screens in his brand new
series Hector Goes...which explores some of the
subcultures of Irish life as he takes to the road in
his 1979 Volkswagen Combi. Hector discovers and
explores some of the quirkier side roads of Irish life
from country and western fans to God.
The Saturday Night Show
(NEW) IT’S AN IRISH THING 6 X 30’
It’s an Irish Thing takes a satirical look at key areas
of our culture. Told through the eyes of social
commentators and comedians we deconstruct our
culture in a light hearted way. Interviewees include
Ardal O Hanlon, Brenda Fricker, Fr. Brian D’Arcy,
Tracey Piggott, Mícheál Ó Muircheartaigh, Matt
Cooper, Conor Pope, Jennifer Maguire, Mary
O’Rourke, Bill O’Herlihy and many more.

Mrs Brown’s Boys
CELEBRITY BAINISTEOIR –
THE RIVALS 8 X 60’
There is a whole lot more at stake this year as we
introduce Celebrity Bainisteoir – The Rivals where each
celebrity is paired against a rival celebrity from their
own world. It’s X-factor versus The Voice as singer
Mary Byrne takes on Richie Hayes; the battle of UK
reality TV as celebrity traveller and celebrity Big Brother
winner Paddy Doherty takes on celebrity everything
Calum Best; the battle of the babes as model and WAG
Jessica Lawlor goes head to head with Roz Purcell and
it’s a Mr and Mrs Celebrity Death Match as married
couple Brian Ormond and Pippa O’Connor go to war
on the football pitch. At stake is the glory of leading
their club to a very special All-Ireland title.
Mairead Farrell will present the all new Celebrity
Bainisteoir series and will be getting under the skin
of our stars on their journeys through the joy, despair
and, for one of them, ultimate glory. As before, all
proceedings will be done under the watchful eyes
of our regular mentors, GAA legends, Ciaran Whelan
and Liam Kearns.
MRS BROWN’S BOYS 6 X 26’
Comedian Brendan O’Carroll stars as Agnes Brown, a
hilarious, foul-mouthed Dublin matriarch who interferes
in the lives of her children and friends.
UP FOR THE MATCH 2 X 52’
Up For The Match returns for another season as the
GAA Championships climax. Des Cahill and Gráinne
Seoige look ahead to the All-Ireland Hurling and
Football Finals, as they are joined by a host of wellknown
faces and personalities from the competing
counties and elsewhere.
PEOPLE OF THE YEAR AWARDS
1 X 75’
Gráinne Seoige hosts this award ceremony which
honours Irish people who have made an outstanding
contribution to Irish life, triumphed over adversity and
proven to be an inspiration to others by their courage
and selflessness.
WINNING STREAK
NEW SEASON COMMENCES
SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 1ST
Presented by Marty Whelan and Geri Maye Winning
Streak is back for another season with cash, holidays
and cars up for grabs. Each week five players will be
in with a shot of winning some fantastic cash prizes.
In association with the National Lottery, the top prize on
Winning Streak is an incredible €500,000 and players
can walk away with more depending on how much they
bank during the course of the show.
COME WEST ALONG THE ROAD
(FINAL SEASON) 13 X 25’
Come West Along the Road, the longest-running
television series ever on Irish traditional music, begins
its 15th and final series this autumn. Presented and
researched by Nicholas Carolan, director of the Irish
Traditional Music Archive in Dublin, the 13 programmes
in the series will be drawn from the first 30 years of
RTÉ’s coverage of Irish traditional music, from the early
1960s to the early 1990s, with additional material from
other television stations, newsreels, feature films, and
private film footage.
SUPERBLOOPERS 6 X 25’
Ireland’s favourite aliens Zig and Zag return to our
screens joined by earthling Aidan Power to bring you
their collection of bloopers, home videos and pranks
in a fun show for all the family.
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ENTERTAINMENT ON RTÉ TWO
From parenthood to dating,
songwriting to hidden camera
shows there’s something to suit
all tastes on RTÉ Two this season.
Craig Doyle holds court on his
chat show and singing Bernie
Walsh has her eye on re-inventing
breakfast television with the help
of her trusty sidekick Brian.
CRAIG DOYLE LIVE 10 X 25’
Craig will be joined by guests and regular contributors
for a mix of comedy, topical affairs, gossip and sport.
(NEW) REALITY BITES: GAY DADDY
1 X 52’
Darren Kennedy is a TV presenter, journalist and stylist.
He lives with his partner of ten years, Aidan, dotes on
his dog Harry and commutes between London and
Dublin leading a glamorous lifestyle of opening nights
and celebrity parties. However, now in his thirties, all
around him his friends and siblings are having babies.
This is forcing Darren to re-evaluate his priorities but
how easy is it for a gay man to become a dad in
Ireland? If Darren is serious, then he needs to start
planning now. We follow Darren on his journey as
he explores the options of surrogacy, co-parenting,
adoption and fostering. A journey that forces both
the viewers and Darren to take a very close look at
the kind of society we think we are, and the stark
realities of parenting in the 21st century.
(NEW) REALITY BITES: LADIES DAY
1 X 52’
Ladies Day is a 52 minute authored documentary for
RTÉ TWO fronted by Brendan Courtney and all set in
the catty, hatty world of the Irish racecourse Ladies
Day. From Galway to The Curragh, from Clonmel to
Leopardstown – every Irish Racetrack has its Ladies
Day Prize, and the Best Dressed Lady competitions
are a huge part of the racing world calendar, upping
the profile of the tracks by bagging massive press
coverage and making going-to-the races look less
about gambling, and more about glamour. Ladies Day
follows 12 Best Dressed wannabes from all over Ireland
as they prepare for and compete for their own local
Ladies Day prize. Casting a judicial eye on the Ladies
Day phenomenon is presenter Brendan Courtney
who, for the past ten years has spent his summers
moonlighting as Irish Racing’s most prolific Ladies
Day adjudicator.
(NEW) THE FEAR 6 X 25’
In crazy situations, what would you do? Hosted by
Jennifer Maguire, this character based Irish hidden
camera show is more risqué take on the genre. Aimed
at sending up the Irish population at large, we want to
see how they cope with ludicrous or embarrassing
situations we place them in!
RTÉ TWO FORMAT FARM is an innovative
series of exciting new Irish generated
TV entertainment programme formats.
Partnering up with the biggest television
distributors in the world, RTÉ have
commissioned this run of pilot programmes
to entertain audiences at home, and also
to be exported around the world, bringing
jobs and revenue back to Ireland. The five
pilots are detailed below:
(NEW) FORMAT FARM:
THE TAKEOVER 1 X 52’
Cutthroat business collides with workplace
manoeuvring in The Takeover, the business makeover
show that sees the boss of a struggling company stand
aside and let the employees take over in a last ditch
attempt to save the business and secure their jobs.
Interpersonal conflict and competition drive the
jeopardy, as the staff attempt to save their own
jobs. Fronted by Norah Casey of Dragons’ Den.
(NEW) FORMAT FARM: THE HIT 1 X 52’
The Hit is a real music competition that gives fledgling
songwriters a chance to have chart success with an
established star. From hundreds of submissions
Grammy award winning music producer Steve
Lillywhite, who has produced bands such as The
Rolling Stones, The Pogues and U2, will select a
shortlist of songs that will then be pitched to two
established stars. The stars are under pressure to
select one song they can turn into a hit. Ultimately
the audience will decide, when at the end of this
pilot show two songs will be released.

(NEW) FORMAT FARM:
BAPTISM OF HIRE 1 X 26’
One fake company, a cast of actors, one real employee
and a bunch of hidden cameras. This new hidden
camera programme follows a temp’s first day through
a series of ridiculous and madcap set-up office pranks.
(NEW) FORMAT FARM:
THE LOVE CLINIC 1 X 52’
A feel good dating show, which takes hopeless
singletons and with the advice of a team of credible
experts in the areas of psychology, health and fashion,
offers a body and mind makeover with a view to
helping them find love.
(NEW) FORMAT FARM:
SIX IN THE CITY
Gay Daddy The Hit
Six in the City is a new show format which will feature
three couples living in three different Irish cities, each
one vying to host the biggest, most rollicking, best
night out on the tiles…strictly on their own terms!
The couple who host the best night out will win
a bespoke European city break specially tailored
to their interests.
(NEW) KATHERINE LYNCH’S LATE
LATE BREAKFAST 8 X 25’
Katherine Lynch’s Late Late Breakfast is an all new
genre-busting telly concept. Yes, it’s breakfast TV...
in the dark! Anchored by comic Katherine Lynch’s
Travelling Troubadour character Singing Bernie Walsh,
with Brian Dowling schmaltzing it up in sidekick mode,
the half hour comedy entertainment show gleefully uses
and usurps all the clichéd daytime tropes; the hearty
sofa-bound celebrity and author interviews, the agony
aunt phone-ins, the health advice slot, the makeovers,
cookery and obscure craft demos, showbiz gossip,
film and TV reviews, fashion, pets, gardening, fitness,
weight loss, travel, interiors, parenting...all held
together by frantic sunny banter and bizarre viewer
competitions. Be sure to watch it in your pyjamas!
REPUBLIC OF TELLY 10 X 25’
Republic of Telly returns for a new series in which
presenter Dermot Whelan skewers everything in pop
culture and takes a wry look at what’s happening
throughout Ireland and the world.
11
entertainment

drama
Fair City Raw The Fall Fair City
12
Featuring some of the best in Irish talent both onscreen and behind-the-camera, there will be over 62 hours of
home-produced drama to keep viewers engrossed this coming season. IFTA award winning Love/Hate is back
for its third season under King Nidge’s reign and Jojo and the kitchen crew return for a fifth season of RAW.
Ireland’s favourite home-grown soap Fair City enters its 24th season and new crime series The Fall, made in
Belfast in association with RTÉ, makes its debut.

LOVE/HATE (SERIES 3) 6 X 52’
This is the reign of King Nidge (Tom Vaughan-Lawlor).
Having carried out his ruthless coup to remove the
erratic and paranoid John Boy, Nidge is determined
not to make the same mistakes as his predecessor.
He runs his criminal enterprises – mainly drug dealing
and prostitution - sensibly, quietly making money and
staying under the police radar.
But Nidge finds himself dissatisfied with his new power,
frustrated with his life with Trish (Aoibhinn McGinnity),
annoyed that he is going bald – the threat of a mid-life
crisis blinds him to the cracks already showing in the
gang. Darren (Robbie Sheehan) – who has lost his
brother, his love and his soul - is back at Nidge’s side
but his loyalty is yet to be tested. Fran (Peter Coonan)
is out of prison and Nidge brings him back into the fold,
but he too has his own agendas and grudges. And
Tommy’s (Killian Scott) family life with Siobhan (Charlie
Murphy) and Leighton is jeopardised by his on-off
relationship with Debbie (Susan Loughnane).
When one of the gang is mistakenly shot by members
of a dangerous rival organisation, Nidge steps in
to play the diplomat. But discord and violence are
inevitable in gangland. Nidge starts to lose control of
the situation, and he and his crew find themselves on
the brink of war. As tensions old and new begin to spill
over the gang threatens to fragment… and Nidge will
need all of his cunning and ruthlessness to survive.
(NEW) THE FALL 5 X 60’
The Fall is a gripping, five-part, investigative drama
series following the lives of two hunters within one story.
The first hunter is the highly-driven DSI Stella Gibson,
played by Gillian Anderson. The other is a serial
predator, preying on the lives of people, at random,
across Belfast. DSI Gibson arrives from England
in pursuit. Drafted in by the Belfast police, whose
superiors are under increasing pressure, the truth
emerges that, while they have a track record of hunting
down terrorists, they have no experience of a serial
killer. Gibson has. While she senses hostility as an
outsider brought in to run the team, DSI Gibson brings
with her vital knowledge of how serial predators stay
in the shadows and how to look for them.
But this isn’t a whodunit, rather, a will-they-stop-him?
Radically, the killer is identified to the audience from
the start and the drama will increase in intensity
by playing out the cat and mouse game from both
sides. The impressive cast includes Emmy Award
winner Archie Penjabi (‘The Good Wife’), John Lynch
(‘Sliding Doors’), Simon Delaney (‘Father & Son’), Laura
Donnelly (‘Merlin’), Stuart Graham (‘Tinker Tailor Soldier
Spy’), Michael McElhatton (‘Perrier’s Bounty’) and Ian
McElhinney (‘Game of Thrones’).
RAW 6 X 60’
The fifth series of RAW returns with familiar faces
and some new arrivals. There’s a surprising new man
for Jojo (Charlene McKenna), a fresh start for Geoff
(Damon Gameau), a wildfire romance for Shane (Keith
McErlean), a new opportunity for Selena (Montserrat
Lombard), an abrasive new ego in the kitchen, and an
exciting venture for Kate (Kelly Gough). Emma (Tara
Lee) finds herself drawn to a hot new boy and Philip
(Sam Keeley) is none too happy with the situation.
Fiona (Aisling O’Sullivan) is also caught up in the
buzz, channelling all her passion into the restaurant
and just loving life.
FAIR CITY
As Fair City enters its 24th season, Ireland’s favourite
home-grown soap kicks off with the return of the
formidable characters Renee (Una Crawford-O’Brien)
and Ingrid (Vivienne Connolly), each of whom will
cause havoc in Carrigstown in their own inimitable
way. Dolores (Martina Stanley), Pete (Enda Oates) and
Wayne (Victor Burke) don’t emerge unscathed from
the shocking revelations about Lucy’s (Lorna Quinn)
past. And there are big changes at The Station which
have life-changing impacts on both the Dillon and the
McGrath clans. In the four times weekly instalments
of Fair City, hearts will be broken, romances rekindled
and intrigues spun, while danger lurks for certain
families in Carrigstown.
Love/Hate
13
drama

lifestyle
Getaways Rachel Allen’s Cake Diaries Off the Rails The Zoo Feargal Quinn’s Retail Therapy Operation Transformation
14
RTÉ Lifestyle programming features a range of new and returning series covering everything from travel,
fashion and culinary endeavours to weddings, amateur dramatics, home improvement and much more.

MASTERCHEF 12 X 60’
Top restaurateur Nick Munier and Michelin starred
chef Dylan McGrath are back for a second series of
Masterchef. From over 50 home cooks Dylan and Nick
will select 16 of the very best and take them on a
culinary adventure over 10 weeks. En route they will stop
off in the kitchens of some of Ireland’s top restaurants,
they will be challenged by some intricate Masterclasses,
be expected to create dishes with little preparation time
and cook for some of the world’s best chefs. In the end
only one will be left standing in the Masterchef kitchen
and be hailed as the best amateur cook in the country.
A prestigious title and e25,000 awaits.
OPERATION TRANSFORMATION
8 X 52’
Presenter Kathryn Thomas is back with the sixth series
of the popular series. Last year’s leaders Adrian,
Grace, Killian, Kayleigh and Natalie collectively shed
over 11 stone. Tune in this year to see who will be
chosen from hundreds of applicants to overhaul their
health, appearance and lifestyle. As in previous years,
the leaders take part in a styled catwalk show for the
grand finale where their final weight loss and newly
transformed selves are revealed to family and friends.
(NEW) GETAWAYS 6 X 30’
Presented by Aoibhinn Ní Shúilleabháin and Joe
Lindsay this travel review programme features
destinations you can travel to directly from Ireland.
Each programme features one main foreign destination
and a local ‘staycation’ destination. In this series
Aoibhinn and Joe travel to Malta, northern
Italy, Lisbon, the Izmir region of Turkey, Chicago
and Morocco. Getaways is a co-production between
BBC Northern Ireland and RTÉ One.
(NEW) STRICTLY AM-DRAM 6 X 30’
Strictly Am-Dram follows a diverse number of amateur
drama groups from different parts of Ireland in the build
up to their annual event, the All-Ireland Finals, held in
Athlone in May each year. This is real pride of the
parish stuff: a wet winter’s worth of rehearsals,
walkouts, fluffed lines and acclaim or disappointment.
Divas rub shoulders with real nose-to-the-grindstone
individuals to make up the rich tapestry of a community.
See the cheers, jeers and rivalry as the members of
the various groups sweat it out with a community’s
expectations riding on them. This new six-part
observational documentary series will offer an insight
into six very different groups which will capture the
essence of amateur drama’s unique place within every
community in the country. From the parish priest to the
bank employee, the housewife to the aspiring young
actor – all share a commonality: a passion to tread the
boards…regardless of how they creak!
(NEW) INSTRUMENTAL 6 X 25’
Imagine being told you have five months to learn a
musical instrument and get ready to perform live on
stage to a capacity crowd backed by the RTÉ Concert
Orchestra. Welcome to Instrumental! This series will
inspire and enable a broad, mainstream Irish audience
to learn a musical instrument. The driving force on this
journey is principal conductor David Brophy and the
RTÉ Concert Orchestra. Three members of the public
are chosen and paired off with three well-known faces:
Brent Pope, Maeve Higgins and John Murray, to learn
an instrument over a five month period with the aim of
performing live on stage in a spectacular series finale.
Composer Bill Whelan will write the theme tune, lessons
will be available on our companion website and the
public will become an integral part of this brand new
musical journey.
(NEW) HEART OF THE MATTER 1 X 52’
Heart of the Matter is a programme that could change
people’s lives - and change people’s deaths - as well
known RTÉ journalist George Lee turns his analytical
eye to Ireland’s biggest killer - heart disease.
Thousands of Irish people drop dead each year without
any prior symptoms or warning signs. George travels to
the US to learn more about a revolution that is taking
place there in preventive cardiology. He asks whether
there is a better way of identifying and treating high risk
patients here in Ireland.
(NEW) THE GATHERING 6 X 30’
In this primetime television series six celebrities who
have worked and lived outside Ireland will return
to their hometowns to help them prepare for The
Gathering - a year long celebration in 2013 where
Ireland invites its diaspora, or those with an affinity
to Ireland, back home. Celebrities include Bressie,
Tadhg Kennelly and Brendan Grace.
(NEW) CITY WILD (WORKING TITLE)
1 X 52’
This documentary marks the 350th anniversary of
Dublin’s famous Phoenix Park. City Wild takes a
behind-the-scenes look at the people who live, or have
lived within the walls. Most are park staff, past and
present. Some have even grown up in it, found love,
raised families in the park and hope to die there.
They introduce us into the park, from its historical
significance, as a resting bed of Irish republicanism,
to the herds of wild deer living in it. These men and
women’s lives and stories are intertwined with those
of the park: stories of great love and loss and of the
ghosts of so many generations that inhabit their lodges,
their borrowed homes.
15
lifestyle

lifestyle
16
(NEW) THE MOVIE SHOW
(WORKING TITLE) 16 X 25’
Can’t figure out which movie to see at your local
cinema? Let The Movie Show give you a steer with
credible reviews, all the latest gossip from the red
carpet and the inside track on the big film festivals and
award ceremonies.
(NEW) RICHARD’S RANDOM ACTS
OF KIND-DISH 1 X 25’
Michelin star chef Richard Corrigan surprises
unsuspecting members of the public with a “flash
mob” style world-class meal when they least expect
it. Friends and family nominate individuals or groups
within their community who they feel deserve a top
class meal cooked for them by Richard Corrigan.
However, not only will the meal be cooked and
prepared by Richard, the twist in the format is that
Richard and his dining team will then surprise the
lucky recipients with their meal in an unforgettable
“flash mob” style.
ROOM TO IMPROVE 6 X 60’
On Room to Improve clients normally demand a lot
from their architect. In 2012 they demand even more.
More space, better value for money and layouts that
will work just as well in 10 years time as they do today.
In this, the sixth series of Room to Improve, architect
Dermot Bannon is tested to his absolute limits. With
budgets ranging from e80,000 to e250,000, Dermot
Bannon will remodel five homes and build one brand
new home, from concept to completion.
FEARGAL QUINN’S RETAIL THERAPY
6 X 30’
Feargal Quinn’s Retail Therapy returns for a third
series, as retail mastermind Feargal Quinn turns his
attention to more independent retailers in need of his
help. This year’s shops include a family fishmongers in
Dublin, an airport shop, a city centre garden centre, an
old style grocery store in Tipperary, a ladies boutique
in Roscommon and a St Vincent de Paul charity shop.
Once again, Feargal will help these businesses to
shake off old habits, embrace change and adapt
to an ever-changing and increasingly competitive
retail market.
THE ZOO 10 X 30’
The Zoo is back with more amazing animal adventures!
From the arrival of Asian lion cubs to the birth of baby
tapirs and baby sea-lions there’s plenty of excitement
in Dublin Zoo! There are big changes ahead when a
new bull elephant comes to town. This massive Indian
elephant is hoping to lead the herd but first the
zookeepers are going to have to introduce him to
the females. Meanwhile there are more elephant
adventures when Gerry travels high into the forested
mountains of southern China to find the last wild
sanctuary of China’s Asian elephants. We also travel
to the rainforests of Borneo with zookeeper Brendan in
search of critically endangered wild orangutans in their
natural habitat, while closer to home, the zookeepers
travel into the Irish countryside to visit conservation
projects protecting some of our own endangered
animals.
DON’T TELL THE BRIDE 8 X 60’
The hugely popular format Don’t Tell the Bride is back
for its third series featuring couples from all over the
country. The premise is simple; the couple are given
e10,000 towards their wedding under the condition
that everything is chosen by the groom without any
input from the bride. He and his bride are contractually
bound to have no contact until the big day. The
couples hand over their mobile phones and sign
a contract, in the presence of a lawyer, before
separating for three weeks. The groom’s best man
and groomsmen can help with all the arrangements,
including the choosing of the wedding dress, but at
the end of the day it’s his bride he is aiming to please.
There are tears and tantrums throughout, but always
a happy ending.
AT YOUR SERVICE 8 X 30’
Hotel experts John and Francis Brennan return to
our screens for a fifth series on their mission to help
Ireland’s struggling B&B’s, guesthouses and hotels.
Venues in need of a helping hand this series include a
Strictly Am-Dram

country mansion with an artistic owner and impressive
history, an organic farm and country house that’s off the
beaten track and a landmark hotel trying to re-establish
its reputation as a leading wedding venue. Can the
Brennan brothers get these businesses back on track?
OFF THE RAILS – SERIES 15 11 X 30’
Approaching its 15th series, Off the Rails is an exciting
mix of up-to-the-minute fashion reports and features,
makeovers, and style advice that our fans have come
to love. Presented by Ireland’s top style team Sonya
Lennon and Brendan Courtney this season will be
celeb-packed and fashion filled. Features include
Superstar Makeovers for Superfans”; ‘Fash Mobs’,
where Sonya, Brendan and their team of stylists take
a gaggle of gals, giving them a glam-over for their big
event; ‘Wake up your Wardrobe’, where Sonya and
Brendan help you update those impulse purchases
from the past and bring them bang up-to-date; and
‘One Trend, Three Generations’ which looks at how
you can wear metallics, animal prints or sports luxe
no matter what age or size you are.
RACHEL ALLEN’S CAKE DIARIES
13 X 25’
Rachel Allen’s Cake Diaries is a personal look at how
cakes can and do play a part in a life full of family and
friends. In it Rachel reveals that cake is about so much
more than the traditional celebrations we all recognise.
Her diaries reveal a myriad of life events - from the big
family occasions through to coffee with friends - that
can all be made so much more pleasurable with cake.
Wherever you are, or whatever you’re doing, Rachel
reveals that there is a cake to suit the mood or the
moment. It might be muffins, cupcakes, brownies
or blondies, a showstopping triple layer cake or a
foolproof sponge. With tips on icing and decorating,
as well as baking and serving, this is a series packed
with great advice and absolutely stunning cakes that
everyone will want in their own kitchen diary.
Masterchef Room to Improve
Kitchen Hero
NEVEN MAGUIRE: HOME CHEF
13 X 25’
Neven Maguire: Home Chef is back for a fourth series
which sees the popular TV chef showing people how
to prepare dishes that he serves in his award-winning
restaurant. Bucking the current trend for simplifying
everything, Neven will demonstrate quite complicated
dishes and techniques in the knowledge that his
audience comprises the most experienced and skilled
home cooks in the country. As well as cooking in his
own kitchen, Neven will visit some of Ireland’s best
chefs, both here and overseas, and cook with them
in their restaurants.
KITCHEN HERO 7 X 25’
Donal Skehan is back and continues to show novice
cooks how to create really tasty dishes for a variety
of occasions.
17
lifestyle

John Kelly
18
RTÉ continues its commitment to the arts this season with new documentaries spanning the worlds of film,
literature and art to inspire and illuminate viewers’ imaginations.
The Stranger / An Strainséir The Works
arts
A Grand Experience The Missing Bones of W.B.Yeats

(NEW) THE MISSING BONES
OF W.B. YEATS 1 X 52’
In Ireland, Yeats is rightly regarded as the stately poet
of the nation. In Britain he is regarded as a romantic,
Irish dreamer. But the reality of his life, with its constant
preoccupation with sex and the occult, was a good
deal earthier. The mystery of Yeats’s final resting point
crowns a life that was as full of farce as of verse. ‘Under
bare Ben Bulben’s head, in Drumcliffe churchyard
Yeats is laid,’ the poet wrote as in his final year of life
he began to stage his own self-mythologising funeral.
However, he died in France at the start of World War II
and his ‘remains’ were not repatriated for many years.
But many historians and critics believe that the body
that came home to the strains of The Marseillaise and
A Nation Once Again was that of an Englishman called
Alf. This film will examine the facts surrounding Yeats’s
original burial and subsequent repatriation to Ireland
for the first ever time on television. And in doing so,
we uncover a very different side of the great poet to
the one we learnt about in our schooldays.
(NEW) A GRAND EXPERIENCE 1 X 52’
A Grand Experience charts a journey by three artists
– a writer, a photographer and a musician – along the
Grand Canal on board an original 68 metre Grand
Canal barge. As they travel through Ireland’s midlands,
they rediscover a lost Ireland, a deep sense of history
and heritage and a community that, in spite of the worst
ravages of the recession, is thriving and embracing its
own uniqueness and talent. Their challenge - to create
an artistic response to the people and places they
encounter on their journey. This is a visually stunning
travelogue which brings viewers on a timeless journey
through an unspoilt and enduring part of Ireland.
(NEW) THE STRANGER /
AN STRAINSÉIR 1 X 52’
In 1990 the body of a man in his 40s was found in
a hovel on Inishbofin Island in Donegal, near a cliff
overlooking Toberglassen Bay. It’s hard to say how
long he’d been dead – some said he’d died of a heart
attack, or a brain haemorrhage, while others said he
died before his time. All he’d left behind were drawings,
beautifully illustrated diaries and some carvings on
the wall of the chicken coop he’d made his home.
Beginning with the objects – the carvings, drawings,
etchings, his hovel, and the pieces he made for
different people – this film, by acclaimed director
Neasa Ní Chianáin, will piece together the story of Neal
MacGregor, artist and master craftsman, and through
his story revisit the Irish craft revival of the 70s and 80s.
In a cinematic style that will use archive including local
influences such as home movies from the 80s, Neal’s
own drawings and some animation, this film will bring
a remarkable, enigmatic life into context as we uncover
his influence both in Donegal and abroad.
(NEW) SEE YOU AT THE PICTURES
1 X 52’
Kicking off a season of programmes celebrating our
enduring love of the cinema, See You at the Pictures
is a feature-length documentary exploring the centurylong
love affair between Irish people and the movies.
The film uses real-life testimonies from people all over
Ireland and draws upon a treasure chest of hitherto
undocumented or privately-documented stories and
memories of cinemas, places and films that have
been stored inside heads or scribbled in yellowing
notebooks and diaries across the country. Combining
hundreds of contributions from ordinary and well-known
Irish figures, liberal doses of extracts from favourite
films, and fantastic digital recreations of former
cinemas, the film will tell the story of a century of
change through the prism of cinema, and reveal
a portrait of a nation still in love with the movies.
(NEW) HELL’S KITCHEN TO
HOLLYWOOD 1 X 52’
Also as part of our Movie Season, Hell’s Kitchen to
Hollywood is a major new documentary by awardwinning
director Gerry Hoban, presented by John Kelly
that tells the remarkable story of the Irish-American
men and women who shaped American cinema and
helped change the fortunes of an entire people. Mixing
travelogue with archive, biography and interviews, John
Kelly journeys across the States, from New York and
Boston to the wilds of Monument Valley, to discover
how the Irish not only created the movie archetypes
that shaped America’s image of itself but how that
legacy inspires actors and directors to this day.
THE WORKS
Presenter John Kelly and reporters Kevin Gildea,
Sinéad Gleeson and Nadine O’Regan go behind the
scenes in the worlds of books, film, music, theatre,
visual art and more on RTÉ TV’s weekly arts magazine
programme, The Works.
19
arts

Irish language
programming
(cláracha gaeilge)
Scannal - Gibraltar Scannal - Mature Recollection Abhainn Cloch le Carn - Joe Lynch RnaG@40 Scannal - Sex, Lies and the Intern
20
In a country of great story tellers Cláracha Gaeilge bring viewers some of the best stories. From the
political to the tragic or even nostalgic whatever the mood there’s a scéal for you - as gaeilge.
Agus má’s ann don scéal, beidh ann do Chláracha Gaeilge - ag ceiliúradh, ag fiosrú agus tochailt
le díogras ar son an phobail.

(NEW) RNAG@40 1 X 25’30
RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta, which is celebrating 40
years on air, was set up as a result of pressure by the
Gaeltacht Civil Rights Movement. When Raidió na
Gaeltachta started broadcasting in 1972 it was limited
to two hours per day produced by a tiny staff of
seven broadcasters. Now, RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta
broadcasts 24/7, nationally and internationally on
satellite and the web. RnaG@40 looks back at the
history of the station with the help of two of its
presenters – Rónán Mac Aodha Bhuí agus
Eibhlín Ní Chonghaile.
SCANNAL 4 X 25’30
This popular strand returns with a new series, looking
back at more of the scandals that shocked, outraged,
amused and incited the nation.
SCANNAL - SEX, LIES AND THE INTERN
January 1998, in a momentous coast to coast TV
address, the President of the United States Bill Clinton
denied a sexual affair with a White House intern:
“I did not have sexual relations with that woman....
Ms Lewinsky.” Scannal revisits the story that dominated
world headlines and casts new light on this sexual
scandal which rocked the American political system
to the core. Reporter Pádraig O’Driscoll meets some
of the key Washington players in this story who speak
for the first time on Irish television about the scandal
and their involvement in the unfolding events.
SCANNAL - MATURE RECOLLECTION
Mature Recollection recalls the dramatic events of
the 1990 presidential election in which Fianna Fáil’s
candidate Tánaiste and Minister for Defence, Brian
Lenihan Sr, was seemingly unbeatable. But Brian
Lenihan got himself into trouble when he denied having
made certain phone calls to Áras an Uachtaráin in
January 1982. What was really going on behind
the scenes? Was Lenihan the victim of a carefully
orchestrated Fine Gael ambush? Who was really telling
the truth about phone calls to the Áras in January 1982?
For the first time on Irish television, Scannal reveals the
official log kept by the army officer who took all phone
calls to Áras an Uachtaráin on that fateful night in 1982,
a document that resolves, once and for all, one of the
great political mysteries of recent decades.
SCANNAL - THE BATTLE ON
O’CONNELL STREET
Cars ablaze, shops looted, petrol bombs, running
street battles – this wasn’t Beirut or Baghdad but Dublin
city centre on a bright spring Saturday in February
2006. Scannal looks back at the “Love Ulster” Riots
with eyewitness accounts from journalists and
bystanders who witnessed the mayhem. Contributions
come from journalists Póilín Ní Chiaráín, Colm Ó
Mongáin, Michael O’Toole and Sorcha Ní Riada
as well as Dublin-Central TD Joe Costello.
SCANNAL - GIBRALTAR’
On March 6th 1988, three unarmed IRA members were
shot dead by the British SAS. They were suspected of
being in the process of organising a bomb attack on
the Changing of the Guard ceremony at the Governor’s
residence in Gibraltar. Scannal examines the Gibraltar
killings; the political background that framed the
reactions of the both the Irish and British Governments;
the strained relationships between media and
government and how nearly 25 years later the
fallout from this incident framed the narrative
of the Northern Ireland conflict.
CLOCH LE CARN 2 X 25’
Remembering those that have gone before – Cloch le
Carn takes a constructive but not always uncritical look
at public figures who have made a contribution to Irish
society in their lifetimes.
CLOCH LE CARN - DAVID KELLY
In February 2012, David Kelly, one of Ireland’s most
charismatic, versatile and iconic actors died at the age
of 82 after a short illness. He left behind a body of work
that will be long remembered in film, television, radio
and on stage and was proud of the fact that he never
retired. He was a dapper dresser who always wore a
bow-tie and said that denim was “the work of the devil.”
Cloch le Carn looks back at the life and times of David
Kelly through the eyes of those who knew him best.
CLOCH LE CARN - JOE LYNCH
Joe Lynch ended his career as a household name,
maybe better known as Dinny Byrne, the Wicklow
farmer he played in Glenroe and before in Bracken
for so many years. A proud Corkman, Joe was a
multi-talented performer who carved out his career as
an actor, singer and comedian in television, radio and
theatre. Now more than a decade after his death he’s
still fondly remembered by his friends and legion of fans.
ABHAINN 3 X 25’
Abhainn returns exploring another three of our rivers
from source to sea. The Barrow, the Blackwater and the
Erne, taking us on a visually stunning journey by air and
on the water revealing the unique personality of each
river and the stories both ancient and new that tell us
who we really are.
(NEW) WOLFLAND 2 X 30’
Wolfland is the conquest of Ireland through the eyes of
the Irish wolf. This two part documentary explores the
demise of the wolf in Ireland and the links made by the
English between the wolf and the Irish population.
21
Irish language programming (cláracha gaeilge)

22
religious
RTÉ continues to feature a broad range of religious expression from all the major Christian denominations
and Ireland’s minority faith communities through its religious programming. Issues of faith and spirituality
will be discussed and explored in both new and returning series. This season will also feature programmes
marking 50 years of RTÉ Television, examining the changing role of religion in Irish society.

(NEW) BEYOND BELIEF 4 X 45’
This new, late-night discussion series, presented by
Mick Peelo, will explore the issues and arguments
behind religious and ethical current affairs. It will
react to events in the news and the discussion will
be informed and energetic, reflecting a range of
passionately held beliefs and opinions.
(NEW) THE CHOICE 5 X 30’
Presented by Bláthnaid Ni Chofaigh The Choice is
a new, interview-based format which will explore
the processes and consequences of life-changing
religious and ethical decisions. Subjects will range
from informers and whistle-blowers to radical career
changes and conversions – the thinking behind
them and the impact and legacy of the choice.
(NEW) THE RADHARC SQUAD 2 X 52’
Just over fifty years ago, spotting the likely influence
of the soon-to-be-launched national TV broadcaster,
Archbishop John Charles McQuaid put together and
trained a small group of filmmaker priests, to offer
programmes to Telefis Éireann. If the idea was to
create a Trojan horse of Catholic influence at the heart
of the national broadcaster, some of its consequences
were unexpected. Far from being a voice of religious
conservatism, the Radharc squad proved to have
a progressive outlook and made full use of its
international network of contacts to bring national and
global consciousness into Irish living rooms. From an
exclusive interview with the grieving “Mother of the
Kennedys” to the world’s first televised famine, in
Biafra, Radharc’s 400 films, which aired from 1962 to
1996, informed Irish audiences about aspects of their
own changing culture and about international events
and ideas in a way which RTÉ would otherwise have
never been able to attempt. In two episodes, made
with support from the BAI, The Radharc Squad tells
the story of the Radharc team and its role in the
evolution of Irish television and culture.
THE MEANING OF LIFE WITH
GAY BYRNE 6 X 30’
The Meaning of Life with Gay Byrne returns with six
new episodes, in which Gay talks to major public
figures about how life has shaped their beliefs and
values… and vice versa. The series begins with the first
in-depth televised interview with former President Mary
McAleese since she left Áras an Uachtarain, in which
she not only talks about her past life, but also her
current academic career in canon law and Quo Vadis?,
the provocative book she is publishing, based on her
MA thesis. Gay Byrne will also speak to musician and
singer/songwriter Noel Gallagher.
WOULD YOU BELIEVE?
GOD ON THE BOX 1 X 60’
Mick Peelo presents Would You Believe’s contribution
to the TV50 celebrations: an hour-long special,
examining the changing face of God On The Box over
the last fifty years. It’s been a period of seismic change
in Ireland. In religious terms, cynics might chart a
course from deference to indifference, but there’s more
to it than that. Ireland remains one of the most religious
countries in Europe, but the influence of the Catholic
Church is much diminished and diversity and doubt
have complicated the picture further. Through archive
and interviews, Peelo identifies some of the watershed
moments in the story of Ireland’s shifting relationship
with God on the Box.
The Choice
The Meaning of Life with Gay Byrne
23
religious

RTÉ’s award-winning Young People’s department provides the biggest range of programming for young
people in the country through channel blocks RTÉjr and TRTÉ along with TwoTube. This season we’re offering
our viewers a wide range of exciting new programming including two new Irish animations, new dance and
surfing shows along with a brand new reality series that offers one lucky Irish soccer player
a coveted place at Glasgow Celtic’s prestigious Youth Academy.
Big Wave Bootcamp NeverBored I’m a Creepy Crawly elev8 OMG! Jedward’s Dream Factory
24
young peoples

(NEW) FOOTBALL’S NEXT STAR
8 X 30’
Celtic Football Club has teamed up with Young
People’s Programming to offer one lucky Irish soccer
player a place at Celtic’s prestigious Youth Academy
in a new reality series, Football’s Next Star. Presented
by Nicky Byrne, the series will see 10 teenage boys
selected from hundreds at trials in Dublin and Limerick.
Just 10 make it to Glasgow where, over four weeks,
they will eat, sleep and breathe football at a gruelling
training camp as they attempt to impress the Celtic
coaches and bosses. These boys get a real taste of
what life as a professional footballer would be like as
they battle it out but only one can win the coveted prize
- a nine month place at the Celtic Youth Academy.
(NEW) PUMP UP MY DANCE 9 X 30’
Pump Up My Dance is a new high-energy dance series
where some of the finest Irish and International Dance
Masters will test talented young dancers with the
toughest routines they have ever encountered.
Each show will feature one of these nine styles:
Contemporary, Ballet, Jazz, Tap, Irish, Hip-Hop, Latin,
Musical Theatre and Break Dance. Each show will open
at an on-screen audition at a dance studio where 20
promising young dancers must perform the pre-set
routine. Just as in a professional audition, the Dance
Master will eliminate dancers stage by stage until
eventually he or she will choose a top five from the
line-up to perform at a gala in Smock Alley Theatre.
(NEW) BIG WAVE BOOTCAMP 8 X 30’
Big Wave Bootcamp takes eight surf-mad Irish teens
and unleashes them on the world’s most extreme
surf school. Instead of the usual three foot swells at
Bundoran beach, this group will have to face up to
some of the world’s most fearsome waves. They’ll
leave the icy cold North Atlantic behind and head
over 10,000 kilometres away to the sunny shores and
glamour of Hawaii where they will spend three weeks
being tutored by the best big wave surfer in the world
and one of the sport’s true legends, Ken Bradshaw.
Ken will take them on a tour of the maddest waves
Hawaii has to offer, from the bunny slopes at Waikiki all
the way through to the monster wave known as Jaws.
(NEW) MAGIC CIRCUS SHOW 10 X 10’
Three Irish children will join a range of the best young
European circus talent in an international televised
circus later this year. The three performers, all from
Galway, were selected in a competition announced on
RTÉ’s elev8 programme during the spring. The three,
two acrobats aged 11 and 12 and a 13-year-old
diaboloist, will travel to Geneva in November where
they’ll meet talented amateurs from eight other
European countries. Their week of rehearsals will
culminate in a glittering show in the big tent before
the local Swiss audience.
(NEW) NEVERBORED 15 X 5’
A brand new comedy entertainment show featuring
RTÉ children’s entertainer Reuben Evans. Each
episode features two to four young children who’ve
become bored while stuck in a dull place - the back
of a car, a doctor’s waiting room or a departure lounge.
While moaning about their predicament, one of them
says the words “I’m bored...” and with that Reuben,
hearing their call from afar, somehow manages to
locate the kids and come to their rescue. Reuben
challenges the children to create zany ideas and
games with only what they can find around them
and, in no time, everything is transformed into
a place of fun and imagination.
The episodes end when, having taught the kids the
‘Neverbored’ dance, Reuben departs leaving them with
the skills and creativity to entertain themselves in future.
(NEW) THE SECRET LIFE OF
FAMILY PETS 10 X 6’
The Secret Life of Family Pets sees children take on the
serious approach of the naturalist as they investigate
fascinating facts about their own pets. Marmalade the
Cat can’t taste sugar, can run faster than a human
being at 30 mph and has a rough tongue covered in
mini-hooks which help him clean his fur. Watch out
Marmalade and all family pets - your secrets are
about to be uncovered! This series has curiosity
and fun at its core.
(NEW) I’M A CREEPY CRAWLY 52 X 2’
Creepy Crawlies are slimy, squashy, stingy little pests.
Or so we all think, but they’ve got a thing or two to say
about that! In I’m a Creepy Crawly, the insects invite
us into their alien world, right under our feet, to set the
record straight. Each episode stars a different insect,
who tells us all sorts of fun, interesting and sometimes
disgusting facts about where they live, what jobs they
do, how they survive in such dangerous places and
how we humans have got Creepy Crawlies all wrong!
(NEW) JOE AND JACK 39 X 7’
Meet Joe, and his best friend Jack, a cat. When
these two are together, their imaginations run wild!
A bunch of sticks are transformed into a top secret
spy headquarters, a cardboard box becomes a
space rocket and their garden becomes a jungle.
Come and join the fun with Joe and Jack!
25
young peoples

young peoples
26
OMG! JEDWARD’S DREAM FACTORY
10 X 30’
The hugely popular, IFTA nominated OMG! Jedward’s
Dream Factory is back and this time John and Edward
are on a mission to make even more dreams come true.
The series will see hundreds more boys and girls, from
all over Ireland, have their biggest wishes fulfilled by
the Grimes brothers - everything from walking the red
carpet with showbiz’s top stars, to training with their
sporting heroes, to going behind the scenes of
television’s biggest shows. As well as having their
dreams fulfilled, our young dreamers will also join John
and Edward in studio, where they’ll be awarded their
very own and very exclusive ‘OMG!’ badge. Plus the
twins will entertain the packed studio audience with
more of their greatest hits.
ELEV8
Building on its success over the past two years, elev8
is back for a third season, with presenters Seán Regan,
Ivan Minnock and Diana Bunici and a whole team
of mini reporters. The daily show returns with its
unique blend of science and nature, sport, music,
entertainment and history. Popular strands are returning
such as Science Fiction – animated shorts featuring the
science crack team of the knowledgeable Dr Knowles
and her less knowledgeable sidekick, Professor
McCork. Also back are sports challenge, elev8
superstars and the popular talent strand, “Show Off or
Get Off”. New this year is “101 Things to Do Before
you’re a Teenager”, the definitive guide to the must-dos
for anybody between the ages of seven and 12, from
scoring a penalty in the Aviva Stadium to ghost hunting
to becoming a Guard for a day. Also new is a weekly
game, “Just Bluffing”, where participants have to decide
whether they are being told the truth or being misled as
to the purpose of a historical artefact. All this and more
makes up the daily cocktail that is elev8.
HUBBLE
Emma O’Driscoll and Ógie return with a new series as
they travel to a variety of places using their very own
bubble machine, hubble. Along the way, viewers enjoy
colourful journeys of discovery and play.
elev8 Joe and Jack
Footballs Next Star Hubble
WATCH YOUR LANGUAGE 10 X 20’
The popular, rapid-fire quiz show is back for a sixth
series with host Shonagh Lyons in the chair. Over ten
programmes, she puts 20 teams of three through their
literacy paces and challenges their spelling, speed
and team-work.

acquisitions
Homeland Big Bang Theory New Girl Criminal Minds
Grey’s Anatomy
RTÉ Television continues to bring Irish viewers the very best in international drama with the return of big
hitting series. New series Hell on Wheels starring Colm Meaney rolls onto RTÉ Two while returning series
Homeland, Revenge, Big Bang Theory, New Girl, 2 Broke Girls, CSI, CSI New York and The Mentalist will
all be shown first on RTÉ. So grab your favourite spot on the couch (Sheldon style!) and curl up to watch
the latest exploits of all your favourite characters.
27

aquisations
28
(NEW) HELL ON WHEELS
Hell on Wheels is a contemporary Western that tells the
epic story of a confederate soldier Cullen Bohannon,
played by Anson Mount, who sets out to exact revenge
on the Union soldiers who have killed his wife. His
journey takes him west to Hell on Wheels, a dangerous,
raucous, lawless melting pot of a town that travels
with and services the construction of the first
transcontinental railroad, an engineering feat
unprecedented for its time. Also starring Colm Meaney
as Durant, Dominique McElligott as Lily Bell and Eddie
Spears as Joseph, the series documents the railroad’s
engineering and construction as well as institutionalised
greed and corruption, the immigrant experience and
the plight of newly emancipated African-Americans.
HOMELAND (SEASON 2)
SEE IT FIRST ON RTÉ
The hit psychological drama Homeland starring Claire
Danes and Damian Lewis returns for an eagerly
anticipated second series. Carrie Mathison burnt her
bridges with the CIA at the end of the debut season.
Season two sees her working as a professor at an
unknown location when her old colleague Saul contacts
her and asks her to work on a three-day undercover
mission to Beirut. Meanwhile Brody is working on his
political career trying to prove he has no links to terrorism.
Will he become entangled in Carrie’s new mission?
REVENGE (SEASON 2)
SEE IT FIRST ON RTÉ
Following the huge success of its debut season
Revenge is back for a second series on RTÉ Two. In
season one Emily Thorn (Emily VanCamp) came to the
Hamptons on a quest for revenge after her father was
framed for a crime he didn’t commit, this time Emily’s
thirst for vengeance will involve the search for her
long-lost mother.
BIG BANG THEORY (SEASON 6)
SEE IT FIRST ON RTÉ
The sixth season of the hit comedy series returns to
RTÉ with the group of loveable supergeeks adjusting
to life after Howard and Bernadette’s wedding. Sheldon
and Amy’s relationship flourishes in its own inimitable
way after holding hands in public for the first time,
Howard and Penny continue to explore their
differences, Raj deals with being the only singleton in
the group and Howard continues his travels in space.
NEW GIRL (SEASON 2)
SEE IT FIRST ON RTÉ
The second season of the successful comedy series
returns to RTÉ. The season one finale saw the gang
stranded in the desert as Nick had second thoughts
about moving into his own place. Jess, the eponymous
new girl, continues to challenge and charm her
housemates with her ‘adorkable’ ideas about friendship
and romance while her glamorous friend Cece is still
the focus of Schmidt’s amorous intentions and may
have developed mutual feelings for him.
2 BROKE GIRLS (SEASON 2)
SEE IT FIRST ON RTÉ
Still broke and still living in New York, Max and Caroline
are still a long way off trying to raise enough money to
open their own cupcake business but will an encounter
with a celebrity home maker bring the girls one step
closer to making all their dreams come true?
TWO AND A HALF MEN (SEASON 10)
Walden, Alan and Jake are back for the tenth series
of Two and a Half Men. The finale of season nine saw
Jake decide to enlist in the army following his high
school graduation. Will Cadet Harper survive
basic training?
GREY’S ANATOMY (SEASON 9)
The season finale of season 8 saw a devastating loss
to the Seattle Grace team when Lexie was killed in a
plane crash. In the aftermath of Lexie’s death Meredith,
Cristina, Mark, Derek and Arizona fight to stay alive in
the woods. Will Owen send out the search parties in
time to locate and rescue his wife and staff? Or will
it be too late for some of the injured team?
MAD MEN (SEASON 5)
Put your feet up and fix yourself a bourbon, the
much-anticipated fifth season of Mad Men comes to
RTÉ. Set in 1960s New York, Mad Men follows the lives
of the ruthlessly competitive men and women of
Madison Avenue advertising, specifically fledgling
agency Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce. Season 4 ended
with Don proposing unexpectedly to his secretary
Megan, and Joan and Roger reigniting their affair,
resulting in Joan falling pregnant. The award-winning
series stars Jon Hamm as the enigmatic and flawed
Don Draper, alongside Elisabeth Moss, January Jones,
Vincent Kartheiser, Christina Hendricks and John
Slattery.
CSI (SEASON 13)
SEE IT FIRST ON RTÉ
Ted Danson stars as DB Russell when CSI returns to
RTÉ Two for a 13th season. Fans who’ve been on the
edge of their seats since the season 12 finale will learn
about the disappearance of Russell’s granddaughter,
Nick’s decision to quit and the shooting of Conrad
Ecklie when season 13 kicks off.

CSI NEW YORK (SEASON 9)
SEE IT FIRST ON RTÉ
Det. Mac Taylor (Gary Sinise) and the CSI New York
team are back for a ninth season on RTÉ Two. In the
season opener someone has been setting fires around
the city and a captain from the New York City Fire
Department is killed in a blaze. Desperate to catch
the person responsible, Mac teams up a convicted
arsonist to solve the case.
CRIMINAL MINDS (SEASON 7)
Brand new season seven of the hit police series
continues with the FBI’s Behavioural Analysis Unit
(BAU) team acclimatising to having Prentiss back.
They work on a variety of cases involving bank-robbing
serial killers, a copycat murderer, home invasions and
a kidnapper whose victims turn up in the Arizona
desert. The team reopens the case of Morgan’s missing
cousin and travels to Oregon to investigate a series of
ritual killings.
BLUE BLOODS (SEASON 3)
Attention all Blue Bloods fans, The Reagans have
reported back for duty with series three of the hit US
drama set to return to screens on RTÉ Two. Tom
Selleck is back in his role as Frank Reagan, the New
York City Police Commissioner who heads both the
police force and the Reagan family. Danny faces
further challenges keeping his temper in check as a
detective, Jamie continues to try and prove himself as
a rookie cop while Erin struggles to balance work in
the District Attorney’s office with life as a single mom.
THE MENTALIST (SEASON 5)
SEE IT FIRST ON RTÉ
Simon Baker returns for a fifth season on RTÉ One
as former “psychic” Patrick Jane, a consultant to the
fictional California Bureau of Investigation (CBI), who
uses the highly developed observational skills he
previously employed to “read” peoples’ minds. This
time around viewers will see the darker side of Patrick
Jane as the hunt for Red John reaches a climax.
Revenge
Hell on Wheels
2 Broke Girls
29
aquisations

30
news and
current affairs
RTÉ News and Current Affairs provides comprehensive, reliable and impartial reporting of national and
international news in Irish and English across both television channels. In addition RTÉ News and Current
Affairs provides a range of programming which covers the important issues of the day, raises debate on
topics of national interest and explores aspects of life in Ireland through its in-depth investigations.

RTÉ NEWS BULLETINS
RTÉ News provides the Six One and Nine Television
News programmes, plus five News bulletins per day
on RTÉ One, and the late evening RTÉ News on Two.
It also produces the Nuacht bulletins on RTÉ and TG4
and the children’s News service, news2day, which
transmits each weekday afternoon during the school
year on RTÉ Two.
THE FRONTLINE
RETURNING MONDAY, 10TH SEPTEMBER
Pat Kenny hosts live debate on the major, political,
economic and social issues of the day between
studio guests and an invited audience.
PRIME TIME
RETURNING ON TUESDAYS AND
THURSDAYS FROM TUESDAY,
11TH SEPTEMBER
Prime Time brings more in-depth analysis of current
affairs and topical reports every Tuesday and Thursday
after the 9pm News with Miriam O’Callaghan and
Richard Crowley.
ONE TO ONE
RETURNING, MONDAY, 24TH SEPTEMBER
A new series of the extended interviews given by
well-known national and international figures. This
season they include former MEP, Pronsias de Rossa;
Professor Orla Hardiman; Professor John Monaghan
of the St Vincent de Paul Society and former Fianna
Fáil Minister, Martin O’Donoghue.
THE WEEK IN POLITICS
RETURNING SUNDAY, 9TH SEPTEMBER
Sean O’Rourke presents a weekly round-up of the
major political stories of the week.
RTÉ News is available 24-hours per day on
www.rte.ie/news, on the RTÉ News Now app, and RTÉ
News Now is now a standalone channel on Saorview.
The Frontline
RTÉ News
31
news and current affairs

sport
Paralympics RTÉ Soccer Panel Darragh Maloney RTÉ Rugby panel
32
In an unbeatable year of Irish and International sport, RTÉ continues to offer the most comprehensive
free-to–air sports coverage available with unrivalled analysis on any channel in this country. This season
RTÉ Sport will bring you the biggest and best national and international sports events including the
Paralympics, GAA, soccer, rugby, racing, athletics and more.

GAA
RTÉ will have exclusive live coverage of the All-Ireland
Senior Hurling and Football semi-finals and finals live
from Croke Park on The Sunday Game Live along with
the best GAA analysis and discussion on The Sunday
Game. This autumn RTÉ Television will also screen
the Camogie final live, the GAA GPA All-Star Awards,
highlights of the ladies football final and live coverage
of the GAA 2013 Championship Draw.
FIFA WORLD CUP 2014 QUALIFIERS
The Republic of Ireland soccer team begin their
campaign to qualify for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil
this autumn. RTÉ Two will be there each step of the
way with live coverage of their qualifying games away
to Kazakhstan and the Faroe Islands and against
Germany in the Aviva Stadium.
PARALYMPICS
This autumn Ireland has its biggest team in 16 years
at the Paralympic Games, RTÉ will present eight
highlights programmes from London featuring all
49 Irish athletes across 10 sports.
RUGBY INTERNATIONALS
RTÉ continues to bring fans the best of the Irish
international rugby team in action with live coverage
from the Guinness Series 2012 including Ireland v
South Africa and Ireland v Argentina at the Aviva
Stadium as well as Ireland Wolfhounds v Fiji live
from Thomond Park. In addition RTÉ’s popular rugby
programme Against the Head returns with highlights,
analysis and debate around the series.
RABODIRECT PRO 12 LEAGUE
Following Leinster’s narrow one point defeat in last
season’s final, RTÉ Sport will broadcast another season
of the Rabodirect PRO12 league with up to 30 live
games featuring all four Irish provinces home and away.
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE LIVE
Kicking off this August RTÉ will broadcast 17 live
UEFA Champions League fixtures this season in high
definition on RTÉ Two HD with first choice matches
on Wednesday nights, as well as comprehensive
coverage of every round.
PREMIER SOCCER SATURDAY
RTÉ Two will also feature highlights of the best of the
action and analysis from the Premier League in Premier
Soccer Saturday and Premier Soccer Sunday.
DOMESTIC SOCCER
As the season climaxes this autumn, RTÉ will feature
more live matches with a record 24 live games from
the Airtricity League and FAI Cup being broadcast
on RTÉ Two in 2012 including the FAI Ford Cup final
broadcast in HD on RTÉ Two HD. MNS also continues
with highlights of the latest Airtricity League action
along with opinion and analysis on the country’s only
dedicated Irish soccer programme.
RACING
Coverage of Ireland’s top races continues with the
Champion Stakes and the Irish St. Leger this autumn,
before wrapping up the year with the Leopardstown
Christmas festival in December.
This new season, RTÉ Sport will also broadcast
coverage of a wide range of events including the
Super Cup, Greyhound racing from Shelbourne Park
and the European Cross Country Championships.
Bill O’ Herlihy
Peter Collins
33
sport

34
saorview

Along with an exciting autumn schedule of
programmes, RTÉ also looks forward to a new era in
broadcasting as the whole country converts to digital
television. On 24th October the old analogue service
will be switched off and SAORVIEW will be the
replacement free to air public broadcast service.
The new digital service has many immediate
advantages to the viewer; clearer picture, better sound
and three additional RTÉ channels. RTÉ News Now, a
rolling news service satisfies the enduring Irish appetite
for quality news and current affairs coverage. RTÉjr
provides entertainment for our younger viewers and
RTÉ One + 1 offers viewers an opportunity to watch
the key offerings of RTÉ One an hour later.
Over time, the digital network will allow RTÉ to further
expand and develop its output and provide additional
means by which we can extend our public service
provision and inform and entertain RTÉ viewers. Just
as the change from black and white to colour television
was a pivotal moment in broadcasting, so too is the
national transition to digital. The SAORVIEW service
offers both quality and choice to viewers and reflects
RTÉ’s commitment to offer our viewers the very best
television service and broadcast content now and
long into the future.
TV CHANNEL DESCRIPTIONS
RTÉ One remains the most popular
TV channel in Ireland. It is the home
of authoritative Irish and international
television News and Current Affairs.
The channel offers a comprehensive
range of home-produced Irish
Factual, Drama, Arts, Entertainment
and Lifestyle programming and a
selection of premium international
programming.
RTÉ One + 1 is on-air from 7pm
until late. This channel offers viewers
another opportunity to experience
the key offerings of RTÉ One, one
hour later.
RTÉ Two is the home of Irish sport
and children and young people’s
daytime television. Its evening
schedule offers a range of innovative
Drama, Entertainment and
Acquisitions. RTÉ Two HD
broadcasts key programming
including Sport and Drama from the
RTÉ Two schedule in High Definition.
RTÉ News Now is a rolling news
channel with live news bulletins,
live current affairs programmes,
catch-up on recent news and current
affairs, live coverage of special
events, breaking news and
continuous sport, business and
weather updates throughout the day.
RTÉjr is a dedicated daytime
television service for children aged
6 and under. RTÉjr broadcasts from
9am to 6.30pm on weekdays and on
Saturdays and Sunday mornings.
This channel is free of advertising.
Home produced programming is the
cornerstone of the RTÉjr schedule,
with live action programming and
Irish animation featuring strongly.
SAORVIEW also offers access to RTÉ Aertel
and all RTÉ Radio digital stations
For more information:
Lo Call 1850 222 012
Aertel Page 650
www.saorview.ie
35
saorview

36
RTÉ PRESS CENTRE
The RTÉ Press and Publicity team have recently
launched a new and improved RTÉ Press Centre
– www.rte.ie/presspack
The new site has been designed to make the user
experience easier with an improved look and feel,
better layout and functionality and more streamlined
navigation. The new site will allow us to expand the
range of information and materials we can provide for
you and make it quicker and easier for you to access
the information you are looking for.
Some of the site will be publicly visible, however
all the sections that relate to advance information,
preview material and image download will have
restricted access.
In order to access this area of the site
media users will need to register here
www.rte.ie/presspack/registration-request/
and follow the instructions.
RTÉ PLAYER
RTÉ Player, Ireland’s most popular live and catch up
streaming service gives audiences the opportunity
to watch up to 250 hours of programming from all
categories of the RTÉ broadcast schedule including
Drama, Entertainment , Factual, Lifestyle, Sport,
News and Current Affairs.
RTÉ Player continues to grow with the launch of a new
suite of RTÉ player iOS apps facilitating downloads to
the iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad. RTÉ Player is now
available on connected and cable televisions and
gaming consoles.
Usage of RTÉ Player is steadily increasing with
32 million programme streams served in 2011 –
a 45% growth year on year.
Design: larrybyrnedesign@gmail.com