TV3 has confirmed its 2014 Autumn Schedule and 2015 programming plans in a special presentation from Dublin’s Mansion House yesterday. TV3 and 3e will deliver a wide variety of new content across a number of key genres from Entertainment and Lifestyle to Sport & Events, News & Factual, International Acquisitions and Soap and Drama. TV3 Group will invest over 50% of its programming budget on home-produced content next year. Over 2500 hours of home-produced content will be aired in 2015, and TV3 will broadcast 30 new original programmes and 8 new entertainment shows.
Commenting on the groups programming plans, TV3 Group Director of Content Jeff Ford said: “As we approach autumn 2014 and 2015, advertisers and audiences will experience the best of what TV3 now has to offer. Built on a solid foundation of returning and much-loved shows- ‘Ireland AM’ through to ‘The X Factor’ – I look forward to delivering over 50% of home-produced content next year, even bigger and better international co-productions and above all, a channel our viewers can truly relate to.”
Commenting on the launch today, David McRedmond CEO of TV3, said: “TV3's success in recent years has been based on our own production and special commissions. We invested in Ireland's best TV production facilities and are now ready to share the rewards with our viewers. We are really delighted to launch Red Rock, Ireland's first 21st century soap."
Home-produced Irish content will account for over 50% of TV3’s programming schedule next year. This will include the production of a new soap called ‘Red Rock’, TV3’s most ambitious commission to date. Produced by Element and Company Pictures, Red Rock will air in January 2015 and provide a fresh soap alternative to Irish viewers. The soap will also see major investment in the industry and employ between 100-130 people across the entire production.
A number of new home-produced shows are also being added to the schedule. These include: ‘Gogglebox’, ‘Donal MacIntyre Investigates’, ‘A TD In My House’, ‘Paramedics’, ‘The Lie’, ‘The Joy’, ‘The Lazy Chef’, ‘Ireland’s Oyster Clan’, ‘Prison Families’, ‘There’s Something About Amanda’ and ‘Islanders’.
UK entertainment giants ‘The X Factor’ and ‘Britain’s Got Talent’ will be exclusive on TV3 as well as ‘Broadchurch’ and ‘Downton Abbey’ plus a brand new original entertainment play-along show called ‘Sitting On A Fortune’, co-produced by 3Studios and RDF and presented by Brian Dowling. ‘Sitting On A Fortune’ is just one of a number of major new entertainment shows that are being produced in the TV3 Sony HD Studio. Other shows that have been produced or planned to go into production in the state-of-the-art facility and that are making waves internationally, include ‘Keith Barry: Brain Hacker’, ‘The Lie’, ‘The Algorithm’ and ‘Jason Byrne’s Snaptastic Show’.
TV3 will also air ‘The Guarantee’, a new theatrical film release featuring Peter Coonan and David Murray which will hit selected cinemas in October and TV3 screens in November. Directed by Ian Power, the film recreates the drama surrounding the most significant political decision in modern Irish history when the Irish government decided to guarantee the entire domestic banking system.
Sport will also be a key genre for TV3 in 2015. The channel has secured exclusive Irish rights to air all 48 matches of next year’s Rugby World Cup and will cover the tournament in full HD with great new panellists and a new approach to TV presentation. It will be the biggest TV event of the year and TV3 has exclusive access to all of the Rugby World Cup action. There is also a new welcome addition to 3e with the group agreeing a broadcast partnership with the UFC. It follows Conor McGregor’s highly successful ‘Fight Night Dublin’ bout which reached over 600,000 viewers on 3e, making it the most successful sporting event ever to air on the channel.
Last but not least, this year’s line-up looks stronger as a variety of talented names in the industry will host TV3’s exciting and busy schedule. Names old and new include Jason Byrne; Brian Dowling; Ray Foley; Lucy Kennedy; David McWilliams; Matt Cooper; Vincent Browne; Donal MacIntyre; Colette Fitzpatrick, as well as new soap faces, Andrew Weafer, Paul Roe, Jane McGrath and Peter O’Riordan, the newest face to Xposé.
