As we rapidly approach the end of the summer we’re already thinking about cosy nights with our candles lit, fluffy socks on, cosied up in front of the TV! With that, it’s nice to know exactly what we have to look forward to over the next few months.
Today RTÉ revealed what they have in store for the upcoming season including lots of newness in drama, entertainment, sport as well as firm favourites we know and love already!
DRAMA
With over forty hours of new Irish drama coming to our national broadcaster there is lots to look forward to. Brand new drama, Kin will be coming to our screens later this year featuring Aiden Gillen, Clare Dunne and Ciarán Hinds.
Six part Irish drama, Hidden Assets, will also be on our screens starring Angeline Ball, Simone Kirby and Peter Coonan.
After the success of season one of Smother, which aired in the midst of lockdown, we are now getting a season two. The formidable Ahern family will be back of course starring Dervla Kirwan, Gemma Leah-Devereux and Seána Kerslake.
Also joining the drama line-up is Harry Wild, starring Jane Seymour, a comedy-drama series called The Dry, and Conversations with Friends based on the book by Normal People author, Sally Rooney.
ENTERTAINMENT
As well as lots of gripping dramas to get us through the colder, darker months there is also a whole host of brand new talent and entertainment shows on the way too.
Westlife’s Nicky Byrne will be hosting a new talent show, Last Singer Standing where competitors from around Ireland will be in to win a €25,000 prize.
Of course, the Late Late Show will be back on our screens very soon as it heads into it’s 60th year on air. Another returning favourite is Tommy Tiernan as he’ll be on screen with a Christmas special.
In more newness, Angela Scanlon will be debuting her much anticipated, brand new entertainment show on Saturday nights called Angela Scanlon’s Ask Me Anything.
Another show with plenty of hype around it features Longford lass turned Love Island star, Maura Higgins. She’ll be hosting Glow Up Ireland which will see her challenge Ireland’s best amateur make-up artists to compete against each other.
If you prefer your entertainment a little less glamorous, then you’ll love Hell Week – The Professionals which sees 18 of Ireland’s fittest from the world of sport and entertainment take on the gruelling physical and mental challenge, which has a 90% failure rate.
For daytime entertainment, Today with Maura and Dáithí celebrates 10 years of lively afternoon chat and will be back with a new presenter. Emer O’Neill, formerly of Home School Hub, is joining Dáithí and Maura while Sinéad Kennedy takes maternity leave.
FIRM FAVOURITES
Of course, a staple on RTE is Fair City and viewers can look forward to plenty of action from Ireland’s favourite drama, with the residents of Carrigstown continuing to share their lives with us every Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday evenings.
Even more shows that we know and love will also be coming back to our screens. We will see Baz Ashmawy return as host of hit show, DIY SOS, and The Style Counsellors with Suzanne Jackson and Eileen Smith are also back to work their magic.
FACTUAL
As well as keeping us entertained throughout the autumn and winter months, RTE will of course be bringing us some more hard hitting and heart warming content too.
A documentary will air on the life of the late Keelin Shanley called Keelin Shanley: Faraway, Still Close.
We’ll also get to see Cocooned, a documentary looking at how the older generation in this country coped during the beginning of the pandemic as well as Ireland’ Diry Laundry, a look at those who worked in Ireland’s notorious Magdalene Laundries.
There’s plenty here to keep us going all the way up until the Toy Show!
