Throw down your remote control and leave that index finger unpoised. @last tv, a new 10-part television series, has arrived. Going on air for the first time next week, it will do your channel-surfing for you. Producer/ directors Mary Murphy and Tom Johnson, both aged 28, say that after years of being TV addicts, they have put together a series which they would want to watch themselves. The idea was born over Mary's kitchen table. "We are like kids in a sweet shop finally getting to put together the kind of programme that we would like to watch. We grew up with shows like Nighthawks and TV Gaga and wanted to do something just as exciting and fun. We hope it will be the kind of programme that people will stay in to watch, despite anything else happening on Tuesday night, says Mary.
The target audience is the 18-35 age group and because of its wide base they have created a series that is diverse and will "inform, discuss, present and alter the mindsets of Irish viewers".
"People channel-surf like mad now until they find what they want - and then they surf again. But we will do your surfing for you," says Mary. It is, says Tom, a channel within a channel, with a variety of selfcontained programmes within a programme. No item will be longer than five minutes, so the subject matter will be constantly changing. It will reflect what twentysomethings are really into - music, fashion, comedy, sport, travel, sex, health, politics, films, books, drugs, food . . ."
Slots will include one called My Favourite Things, a weekly chance for someone to rant, and another feature has seven strangers at a dinner party discussing everything to do with sex and relationships.
It's not all hip, happening and trendy, however. Viewers will also get a chance to see some RTE gems from the past in a "TV heaven" slot which looks back with nostalgia at Quicksilver, The Live Mike, Wanderly Wagon and suchlike. @last tv will have its own resident drama - The Candi- date - which should make for some good laughs, according to Tom, telling the story of candidates running against each other for a Dail seat, which is set to become a case of life imitating art as we face the presidential election and two byelections.
The series will not have a regular presenter or studio links between programmes, but will have "stings" linking each programme as any other channel would have. "We don't expect that people will like every single item, but if you don't like the first one, it will only be a few minutes before the next one comes along. We decided against a presenter because if you don't like them, it would quickly make you change channels. The identity of @last tv is not based around personalities.
It's the first time around for both producer/directors in such a venture. Mary, from Kenmare in Co Kerry, and Tom, from Newbridge in Co Kildare, studied communications together in DCU. They set up the Stop Watch television company to make the series and were eventually commissioned by the independent productions unit at RTE - they hope it will be the first of many collaborations.
While looking for ideas they tapped into a lot of new talent, commissioning people to produce and direct some programmes and received individual contributions from others, making for lots of variety. "In fairness, RTE are taking quite a risk with us. We are very new but they have been very supportive. We have tried to make the kind of TV we would like to watch," says Mary.
@last tv begins next Tuesday night on Network 2 at 10 p.m.