More Irish content in RTE’s autumn schedule

Over 60 new shows and series have been been packed into RTÉ’s new autumn schedule and all the favourites are there too.

RTÉ’s director general Dee Forbes said the station wanted to captivate the nation.

“This new schedule demonstrates that RTÉ will continue to put great Irish content at the heart of what we do,” said Ms Forbes.

One of the stand-out programmes is Ireland’s Deep Atlantic, a three-part series that will, for the first time, reveal life on the ocean floor off the Irish coast.

Underwater cameraman Ken O’Sullivan is passionate about his work. He ventured out about 150 times to get a single shot of a humpback whale.

Mr O’Sullivan said a remote submarine had been sent down to 3,000m below the surface to see what was on the seabed.

He filmed a blue whale passing him by underwater, without an air tank, so he was mobile enough to do it.

“What you are trying to do is get out in front of the animal,” he said.

Asked if he was afraid for his life, he replied: “Whales have no intention of harming us. We were more concerned about not upsetting them.”

At the launch of RTÉ’s schedule, Ms Forbes said the broadcaster was partnering with more national cultural institutions and organisation than ever before.

There was an increased focus on Irish drama, with stronger partnerships with the independent sector, co-productions with other broadcasters and the Irish Film Board.

Mr Forbes said RTÉ was completing a major upgrade of the RTÉ Player to offer viewers more choice and more content in the new year.

Despite competition from other broadcasters, RTE Player was Ireland’s number one broadcaster video on-demand service. Ms Forbes said the first six months of 2017 saw the biggest audiences ever on the player.

RTÉ also intends to mark the significant event around the foundation of the State from 1918 to 1922 with many programmes and activities.

A programme called The Voting Age by Loosehorse Television will focus on the general election in 1918, the only time that Ireland had a 32-county election.

Based on an idea by RTÉ journalist and author, David McCullagh, it will recreate the poll live in a studio, with additional social media input. Former Tory cabinet member Michael Portillo will also be involved — he will be commenting on the War of Independence.

Channel controller for RTÉ One and RTÉ2, Adrian Lynch, said they were delivering a broad range of programming to Irish audiences in the new season.

Mr Lynch said about 1,500 hours of programme was original Irish content.

“It is about reflecting Irish life and I think the new season television schedule does that really well,” he said.

He singled out Ireland’s most-watched soap, Fair City, saying it had increased its younger audience.

This year, the drama welcomes its first transgender character and there is a shock in store for the residents of Carrigstown as some familiar faces return to ruffle feathers.

Mr Lynch said WeatherWatch Live, a major three-part family-focussed television event during Science Week in November, would look at Ireland’s weather.

As well as offering an insight into Ireland’s weather systems, it will look at how people’s behaviours are affecting the environment.

Weight loss expert Dr Eva Orsmond, who is taking a look at the nation’s health in her new documentary in Ireland’s Health Divide, said some people led such challenging lives that healthy eating was not a priority.

“It has been a learning experience because I always believed people could take responsibility for their health,” she said.

“I interviewed mothers who bought really bad food for their children because it was all they could afford.”