Updated at 1pm
RAY ‘DARCY HAS been speaking about his new Saturday night chat show this afternoon, as RTÉ One launches its new season.
The presenter, who moved to the national broadcaster earlier this year from Today FM, says he hopes it will reflect a modern Ireland that is “vibrant, confident, flawed”.
The new show, which will be broadcast after the main evening news from late September, is still being planned a the moment, D’Arcy said.
Regarding the format, he said he’ll be aiming to make sure viewers ”sitting there with the bottle of wine with the kids gone to bed” are entertained, engaged and “shout at the telly”.
“It’s just me. It’s different to anything you’ve done before in that I’ve never done a chat show,” he added. D’Arcy added he hoped to be there “in a nice comfortable environment” chatting to people about their stories.
Hopefully those stories will make people laugh, make them cry, make them shout at the television. We’re just hoping to create a bit of magic.
“Any new job takes a while,” he said of his return to TV.
And after a series of meetings with RTÉ management he’s keen to take to the air.
It’s like when you play team sports – you just want to get out there and play the cup final.”
As for his radio show on RTÉ, D’Arcy said: “It will take another six months or so but I think we’re going in the right direction.”
New Schedule
The new RTÉ One season is being launched at at Dublin city centre venue this afternoon – with the likes of D’Arcy, Brian Dobson and other household names on hand to talk up the station, along with actors, producers and directors.
Amongst the drama highlights heading into the new season, Clean Break looks to be the standout production (particularly if you happen to be a Love/Hate fan).
From the makers of the hit gangster series, it stars Adam Fergus as – according to the RTÉ press bumf – “a car dealer running out of fiscal rope whose attempt at staging a tiger raid on the local bank goes badly wrong”.
Meanwhile, Love/Hate star Charlie Murphy is part of the cast of the five-part Rebellion serial set over the three weeks around Easter 1916. Brian Gleeson (of Gleeson family fame) also stars.
Here’s a selection of other productions being promoted by the national broadcaster today…
Along with staples like the Late Late and the Voice of Ireland, Mario Rosenstock has a new venture – a studio show this time.
In terms of arts, John Kelly will helm a new weekly interview series featuring a “different leading light in the arts”. Glen Hansard is one of the opening guests.
Other highlights in the area include a documentary on Paddy Moloney of the Chieftans, Brent Pope‘s new show on ‘outsider’ art (yes, really) and a Bob Geldof-fronted programme on “W.B. Yeats’ life and work in the context of the 1916 centenary commemorations”.
New lifestyle series include health show You Should Really See a Doctor featuring Dr. Pixie McKenna, a new science series Everything You Need To Know and One Week To My Wedding, a new series following six different couples in the week leading up to their wedding day.
Here’s what station controller Adrian Lynch had to say:
“RTÉ One exists to deliver compelling and distinctive content and that’s what will be served up to the audience this new season with over 50 new series and documentaries on offer as well as fresh series of viewer favourites. From news, current affairs and investigative programming that the nation turns to, new world-class drama, factual programming telling Ireland’s contemporary stories and plenty of brand new entertainment there’s a lot to look forward to on RTÉ One this autumn and beyond”.
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