Three new Irish productions are set to air on RTÉ One next week; GMarsh TV’s ‘Living the Wildlife’ and RTÉ Cork’s brand new ‘Recipe for Success’ and the exclusive documentary ‘Secret Billionaire: The Chuck Feeney Story’.
‘Secret Billionaire: The Chuck Feeney Story’ sees the multi-billionaire philanthropist and Forbes Top 50 Rich-List member talk for the first time about his remarkable life.
Ciaran O’Connor directs RTÉ’s Richard Crowley - who gains insight into the hitherto quiet and press shy Chuck Feeney, an Irish-American who was the founding partner of Duty Free Shoppers and who became a billionaire many times over in the 60s and 70s. He founded The Atlantic Philanthropies, a charitable enterprise, whose sole aim was to use his $8bn fortune to in donations to disadvantaged people, to universities, social programmes, community enterprises and charities across the globe. Ireland has benefited from his generosity more than most - to the tune of over $1.2bn. Until 1997, all of this was done on one condition: that Feeney's name never be disclosed, the beneficiaries sworn to secrecy about the identity of the donor.
Also, for the first time, Chuck has allowed his family to speak to about his life and work as well as some of the people whom Feeney's work has touched, from politicians and activists such as Bertie Ahern, Niall O'Dowd, loyalist Billy Hutchinson and Gerry Adams.
Produced by Nuala Cunningham from New Decade, the programme was filmed in Dublin, New York, Geneva from July 2008 – January 2009. Post took place at the Element Post Production with sound post taking place in Avatar.
In ‘Living the Wildlife’ presenter Colin Stafford Johnson, the Emmy-award winning wildlife cameraman, takes to the road in his campervan home once again on a journey of discovery across the length and breadth of Ireland.
On his travels around the country, Colin stakes out the Waterford Wood to get a glimpse of the elusive Pine Marten and celebrates the community inspired return of the Red Squirrel to the Beleek woods in Mayo. He meets Ireland’s newest mammal, The Greater White Toothed Shrew, wonders at the incredible singing of Humpback Whales and reports on the mysterious disappearance of our fresh water Eel.
Produced by Gillian Marsh of GMarshTV, the series was shot from May - December 2008. While Colin also acted as director and DOP for the shoot, other crew members included; Domenico Pontillo (Camera); Kevin O’Malley (Sound); Stephen Smith (Production Manager/Research); James Pembroke and Paula Rouse (Research). The series was posted at GMarsh TV Production with on-line editing by Donal O'Kane and sound mix by Jeremy Rynhart.
Produced by Mary Martin for RTÉ Cork, the new culinary series ‘Recipe For Success’ will see fifteen amateur cooks battle it out to get their home recipe turned into a commercial product fit for the shelves of 190 Supervalu stores nationwide.
In each episode, three cooks will go head-to-head under the guidance of Restaurateur Oliver Peyton who will set a series of challenging supermarket tests to find out who could be a contender. It’s a bagel co-owner and Irish Times food writer Domini Kemp is also on hand to give the participants some advice on the food industry.
Each week the budding entrepreneurs will be advised on all aspects of the food business, from perfecting the concept to testing feasibility, refining the recipe and ultimately, pitching to Supervalu chiefs in a bid to have their dish scaled up for mass production. One recipe will eventually be chosen and put into mass production by Supervalu, with the eventual winner getting an on-going royalty for as long as the product remains on the shelves. Luke McManus directs the series with camera by Piaras McKenna.
‘Secret Billionaire: The Chuck Feeney Story’ – RTÉ One - Tuesday 5th May at 10.10pm.
’Living the Widllife’ – RTÉ One – Tuesday 5th May at 7pm
‘Recipe For Success’ - RTÉ One – Thursday 7th May at 8:30pm
