A US television series which has been variously described as the Dallas, Falcon Crest or Dynasty of the 90s is expected to be the hit of RTE's autumn schedule.
Savannah, which tells the story of three women in their 20s in the Southern state of Georgia, has proved hugely popular among US women. It has been acquired by RTE as part of its annual programme buying.
The show is expected to top the Autumn viewing list along with the movie version of Cracker, starring Robbie Coltrane, a new series of Heart Beat, and the fifth series of Prime Suspect with Helen Mirren.
RTE's head of acquired programmes, Mr Dermot Horan, has lust returned from the American television market in Las Vegas, the BBC's Showcase market in Brighton and the Cannes television market.
Savannah, he says, has been doing extremely well for the new Warner Brothers Network and has attracted an audience beyond the youth market.
Mr Horan, formerly head of young people's programmes, is responsible for providing 6,000 hours, or just over 50 per cent, of programme time for both RTE channels. He is particularly pleased with the success of Murder One, a series he managed to secure ahead of the BBC - which has also bought it - and of all other European terrestrial channels.
RTE will not say how much programmes cost, or disclose the budget for acquired productions. But it is believed that Murder One represents a major investment for the station. It was created by Steve Bochco, who was responsible for LA Law and NYPD Blue.
The Cape, a drama about young astronauts training on Cape Canaveral, is also expected to be on RTE in the autumn.
This will probably be the year Mr Horan will be able to buy programmes for Irish television without price competition on the home market.
With over 70 per cent of Irish homes able to receive BBC, ITV and Channel 4, he already has to compete in terms of popularity and in getting programmes on screen first. However, the advent of TV3 - due by this time next year - is expected to lead to competitive bidding which could push the price of the hotter television products up by 50 per cent.
TV3 is already talking to the major producers. But the station will not be able to sign contracts until it has completed its licence negotiations with the Independent Radio and Television Commission.
Meanwhile, Irish viewers can look forward next autumn to a further series of ER, a showing of the Sculptress - a four part mini series made by the BBC - and the transmission of Absolutely Fabulous on RTE.
Next autumn RTE will also he running a Hitchcock film series, with classics such as Rear Window, Vertigo and The Birds, among the 600 films that will be bought by the station this year.