National broadcaster RTÉ has announced 70 new home-produced series and programmes will be aired during this autumn/winter season. Included in the lineup is forty new programmes from RTÉ Factual and two new series from RTÉ Drama.
The first of the new drama series is ‘Raw’, a six-part series for RTÉ Two set in a top Irish restaurant. Produced by Octagon Films and Ecosse Films, ‘Raw’ features Irish actors Charlene McKenna (Pure Mule, Single-Handed) and Keith McErlean (Bachelors Walk, The Clinic). The second new drama series is ‘Whistleblower’, produced by Saffron Pictures, a two - part fictionalised drama based on the findings of the Lourdes Hospital Enquiry of 2006.
Tile Film’s ‘Cromwell in Ireland’ and Mint Production’s ‘Bertie’ are among the forty documentaries that will be aired as part of the new factual season, as well as others including ‘Blood of the Irish’, the famine based ‘Where Were Your Family During the Famine?’ and a new series exploring Ireland’s relationship with the British monarchy ‘Forbidden Love’. In addition, two new contemporary series will look at the Gardai in action ‘Traffic Cops’ and RTÉ Two’s ‘J1 Summer’ will follow a group of students living and working in the USA.
Commenting on the broadcaster’s autumn/winter schedule, Noel Curran, MD of RTÉ Television said: “The scale and ambition of this new schedule reflects the huge energy that RTÉ Television, our programme makers and commissioning editors, along with our colleagues in the independent sector, have brought to the task of making home-produced programmes for a home audience.”
With these new shows comes a host of new faces on RTÉ including stylist Sonya Lennon, who teams with Brendan Courtney to front the latest series of ‘Off The Rails’. Síle Seoige replaces Joe’ O’Shea and joins her sister Grainne for the new season of ‘Seoige’; while the IFTA Sony Bravia TV Personality of the Year winner Kathryn Thomas joins Aidan Power for a new season of ‘Winning Streak: Dream Ticket’.
Nine new lifestyle series in the pipeline this season include the architectural centred ‘Designs for Life’, dancing challenges in ‘Ballet Chancers’, while ‘At Your Service’ will help rescue hotels and B&Bs around the country that are in need of an upgrade.
Commentating on the new season ahead, Clare Duignan, Director of Programmes, RTÉ Television, says: “With a secure, realistic Licence Fee and the strength of commercial income in recent years, our schedule has expanded dramatically. RTÉ now offer viewers in Ireland almost round-the-clock home-production; our programmes, produced by us or commissioned by us, form the heart of the daytime and evening schedules.”
Viewers will also have the chance to see new US drama’s including the Golden Globe - winning series ‘Mad Men’ as well as CBS’ ‘Harper’s Island’ starring Irish actress Elaine Cassidy (Disco Pigs, And When Did You Last See Your Father?).
