A mix of familiar faces and promising new work could help keep the chill recessional winds at bay
RTÉ’S AUTUMN schedule, which includes 55 new home-produced series and documentaries, is a spirited attempt to keep its beleaguered head above water.
In the face of ever-decreasing advertising revenue, and with the pall of economic crisis driving many independent television production companies to the wall, the national broadcaster has had to tighten its belt and dust off a few trusty old frocks in which to face its public.
Despite its straitened circumstances, it has (on paper at least) come up with a convincing and entertaining line-up.
RTÉ has, sensibly, engaged the talents of its most experienced and popular broadcasters, and among the schedule's highlights are Pat Kenny's new weekly news and current affairs show, Frontline, and Marian Finucane's provocatively titled Does God Hate. .?, which comes under the auspices of religious programming.
And then, of course, there is The Late Late Show, back for its hundred thousandth season, this time under the groovy baton of Ryan Tubridy.
Tubridy’s virgin flight should certainly arouse the public’s interest, although with 60 per cent of Irish homes now having satellite television, it remains to be seen whether their attention can be maintained in the face of 500 other channels screaming for notice on a chilly Friday night.
This is true across the board for terrestrial television, but despite the competition (albeit much of what is available in the nether regions of your LCD or dusty goggle-box isn’t worth the effort of finding the remote control for) there are areas where RTÉ excels, and this season looks to be focused on them.
Both in news and current affairs, and in arts coverage (specifically the brilliant Arts Lives strand, which continues into the new season with documentaries on various Irish artists, including Sean Scully), the channel has produced consistently superb programmes.
The seemingly incessant recession may, conversely, work to RTÉ’s advantage, given that no one can afford to go out any more, and that we’ll soon be jettisoning the satellite dishes in favour of eating. It’s a unique opportunity for the national broadcaster to entertain us out of our misery.
But entertainment doesn’t always come easy to RTÉ, and comedy and drama have historically been its weakest links.
One senses, though, that this year’s line-up is an attempt to address this.
There is promising-looking new work from comedy writers Arthur Mathews and Paul Woodfull, with their new series, Val Falvey TD, starring Ardal O'Hanlon, while talented and tested writers, such as the teams behind Pure Muleand Bachelors Walk, return with further storylines.
One is, however, tempted to offer a blood sacrifice for much more home-produced drama.
RTÉ2 continues as the caravan camp for the nation’s comics.
One can expect more puppetry, profanity and panel shows from the likes of Jason Byrne and Carl Spain, and the channel appears slowly to be building up a clutch of productive comic talent – but why on earth have Après Matchnot been seduced into offering us an extended series?
This could be a long winter, but with luck it won’t be without an occasional night of decent television.