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REMEMBER WHEN YOU felt embarrassed to admit watching TV; when you admired those who boldly bragged “oh I never watch TV at all” as you uncomfortably mumbled “yeah, me neither” in utter disgust and shame. And you were right to be ashamed.
OK, there were ephemeral blips, but by and large TV was the retirement home for has-been actors, comfortably out to pasture as their careers faded into the distance. Or TV was the paddling pool, the training ground to see if actors could really cut it or not – the making of the George Clooneys and Bruce Willises of the world.
Channels were crammed with low-budget, mind-numbing entertainment dross, Z-listers drenched in gunge and low quality quiz shows. But cinema – cinema was a different story. Cinema was the thinking man’s pleasure, second to only theatre or reading. Cinema was the showcase medium, the audio visual snob.
But those days are gone. We are living in a golden age of television content. Breaking Bad, Mad Men, Love/Hate, Game Of Thrones, Homeland, True Detective and House of Cards, to name but a few.
Cinema has ironically now become the mind-numbing, comic book style entertainment for the masses as studios lazily roll out sequel after prequel after sequel. The public gets what the public wants and remakes and blockbuster franchises are very much in fashion. Special effects and 3D gimmicks have replaced plots, writing and acting. Of course, there are still some great movies but these are typically few and far between and, worryingly, usually perform poorly at the box office.
In contrast to cinema, the television studios such as HBO and Showtime are producing amazing content, attracting the best writing and acting talent and leaving the film studios wondering where it all went wrong. Audiences are growing too. Nielsen figures show that Irish adults are watching 219 minutes of TV daily in 2014, compared to 208 minutes in 2013.
TV audiences growing
You may have thought that TV was in decline but, in fact, we’re watching more than ever. In 2010 we watched 207 minutes daily and only 189 minutes in 2005. By contrast, Irish box office cinema admissions were down 6% in 2012 and a further 5% in 2013.
TV viewers can stand at the watercooler again with pride, hold their heads high and take the high ground because if you don’t watch TV these days, you’re missing out – although it’s still cooler to say you don’t actually watch these shows on TV.
Not since the days of “Who Shot JR?” have we been so engrossed in the small screen. There is no doubt that big screen actors bring a certain amount of star quality to the small screen but historically big name Hollywood stars only showed up in cameo roles, a novelty value, rolled out as a PR ratings winner like Brad Pitt in Friends so many years ago.
Following on from Matthew McConaughey’s brilliant performance in True Detective it is widely rumoured that Brad Pitt will feature in Season 2, not as a cameo but as the main star. Global audiences and new content distribution platforms mean TV studios now have truly global audiences, and they can in turn invest in higher quality programming. You only need to watch an episode of Game of Thrones in HD to really appreciate the production values of today’s television.
And TV studios are treating their product like movie releases. HBO’s Game of Thrones Season 4 was simulcast on Sky Atlantic in the UK & Ireland at 2am to coincide with the US premiere. In the US, it attracted HBO’s biggest audience since The Sopranos’ finale in 2007 with 6.6 million for the initial 9pm transmission and another 1.6 million for an 11pm repeat. In the year 2012, over 160 baby girls in the US were legally named “Khaleesi” after the character in the show even though it is not the character’s name in the show (it is Daenerys if you want to know) but merely a title, meaning “Queen”, a title in a totally made up language. It seems HBO continue to be masters in finding the world’s entertainment g-spot.
What makes TV gold?
But it’s not just the acting or production values where TV studios are winning; it’s the quality of writers. Yes, we have always had some great TV, whether it was The Sopranos, The West Wing or The Wire, but the viewer today is spoiled for choice when it comes to quality programming. Maybe True Detective was a little self-indulgent and took itself a little too seriously at times but for the first few episodes it was clear that TV, as we knew it, had changed.
TV today is very different. House of Cards is another “television” masterpiece. The writing, the cinematography and Kevin Spacey’s brilliant portrayal of Frank Underwood, it is engrossing entertainment. Yes, the show is based on a BBC UK show from 1990 (which was critically acclaimed) but when David Fincher (Fight Club, The Social Network, Seven, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) applied his Midas touch to an already brilliant script and adapted it for US audiences, it turned to TV gold (well “internet” gold).
So for now, it looks like we’ll be sitting back, turning on the TV and enjoying the best of today’s writing, acting and production – all from the comfort of our own room.
Dave Winterlich is head of strategy at Carat Ireland, Dentsu Aegis Network and currently obsessed with Modern Family.
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Brendan O’Connor, No.
The argument is that , if you don’t like Brendan O’Connor, you can always switch off the show. The problem is that you CANT switch off the fact that you are paying for the show whether you watch it or not
Shockin
Brendan O Connor must have photos of the D.G of RTÈ in a compromising position with a horse, that’s the only explanation for it!
@ Alan – so that is why they have mandatory payment of fees – sure nobody would pay for all this sh*t otherwise.
Scramble it. And let those who wish to perpetuate this drivel pay for it.
New RTE schedule = same old sh1te
No wonder that RTE is crap, when they do not understand the meaning of the word –NEW
Dear oh Dear ! Hector …. and then Des Bishop, I stopped at that, is there no end to the torture.
Jesus! We must have the ugliest collection of celebrities in the world.
So love/hate is the highlight then, forget the rest.
Get rid of Tubrity. I have yet to meet anybody who finds him personable or even likeable. How he even got into that industry is beyond me. Never mind the insane wages he commands. Even after all the cuts!
Probably the most uncharismatic man in the world.
RTE …. Real Tedious Entertainment ………..
I think the word is excrement
Dar … I think you might be right !
What possible public service is this drivel providing?????
And we are forced to pay for this drivel! I think I’d sooner go to jail for non payment.
@m join the brigade if non payers. They can’t put us all in jail.
This is communist Russia Mr. Rabbit!!
Premiere of The Guard? Feels like 10 years since that came out,might as well re-run Season 1 of Quantum Leap while they’re at it
“Oi Ginger! which looks at red-headed people in Ireland.”…why? Is there more series called “Oi Brunettes” and “Oi Blond” ???
In what part of Ireland do people say Oi Ginger?
No part. That would be London.
#sacktubridy
SIOBHAN! WILL YA LISTEN!
And the RTE gravy train rumbles on. The sooner they do a Greece on it the better.
Is it just me or is des bishop an extremely unfunny man in every way possible?
Agree. Sell it off and make it pay for itself.
We are a country of few people and less workers than most, what were you expecting? This is as good as it gets
Agreed..If he could learn to be funny in english first it just might work…on the upside given rte,s finances they might only pay for a one way ticket!!
Who are you interviewing on your show the next night Tubridy?
The cameraman about his genital warts?
“That’ll really cheer people up in these hard times”
Yawn!!!
As Graham Norton interviews the world’s A listers over on BBC.
It’s time to take that fat pension Tubridy, before RTE sacks you.
Imagine that Tubridy, the shame of being sacked by the civil service?
In fact you can bring the rest of RTE with you.
The government’s rubbish propaganda machine!
What J would expect Spud is for DJs and continuity announcers to be paid the same as ordinary workers. Because that is what they are.
the government won’t sell rte because rte is the governments propaganda tool.
What is the language Des Bishop doesn’t speak – English??
Love / Hate won’t be the same without the lovely Darren.
Great line up & no Pat Kenny sponging the airwaves, things are on the up! ;-)
Patricia, I think he is in the new series. He was spotted on the set during the year.
Says its for flashback scenes only. He filmed everything in one day sadly.
I heard he’s coming back as a ghost,chains and all
Ah here! Im on series 2 guys! Dammit
Where does Graybo fit in?
Appearances on every channel again?
Him and Miriam both. Yawn!
What a bloody joke! So this is the best our national broadcaster can do! The announcement of this schedule is like announcing that there will be custard in the trifle, same old same old.
As for the two ugly sisters in the pic that is definitely the kiss of death. ” I can’t believe I’m getting away with it” Hector going to the North for the first time will have the Nation sleepless with excitement. Vomit just pure vomit.
Love/ Hate is far too raw for general entertainment although very well produced and acted. It is not suitable for many people and it is a pity that it is being waved as the primary item in the announcement.
BTW it does look like Darren is coming back. Don’t know if it is a resurrection or as a ghost but I’m sure the ladies will be pleased.
Thank the gods for satellite tv!
Savage eye? Hopefully that’s coming back, best thing on rte in years
I’d Pay an extra €20 onto my TV licence, if they stopped making Fair City is there anything more diabolical than this horse sh!t.
Have you seen the ads for ‘the hit’? Has to come a close second to Fair City in the tripe stakes. Who thought up putting Johnny Logan against Duke not-so Special? Really, the must’ve blown the budget there.
so this is what that grinning idiot rabbit is forcing everyone in the country to pay a broadcasting charge for, so we can pay the wages of the likes of the two talentless tits in the picture above along with funding muck like fair city and dear god the voice of ireland sure did ye not know the CIA use that show to get confessions out of terrorists
I want my 160€ back please. Why do they programme exclusively for those that don’t even pay the license fee?
What about science/history/culture/music/nature etc., etc.,?
i.e. programmes that maybe could be sold on or stand the test of time rather than trash. they are still showing repeats of ‘Hands’ made in the 70s they are so desperate.
Sorry but Love/Hate is totally overrated. It’s Fair City for junkies.
BBC has some of the best documentaries on TV, BBC Four is a great channel and just shows what a real public broadcaster can do. All the BBC channels come in free with a satellite too. With shows like Ripper Street filmed and produced in Dublin RTE could at least do a joint production and broadcast it here
Yep – same goes for the very good BBC Science Club… hosted by? yep, an Irishman. We need to shift our vitriol to the RTE management not the presenters. They haven’t a clue how to run a TV station or radio for that matter.
I think you meant “a thriller with Gabriel Byrne” …..not “a thriller about Gabriel Byrne”?……
Withe centrepiece being the Bracken days
Coola Boola
Not Sinead Crazy Grey Hair. Of all the atrocities in that schedule she is the worst. Pure shit apart from love/hate. Nepotism alive and well in rte
“station bosses emphasised that they were trying to create a distinct separation between RTE One and RTE Two and create a clear identity for each”
Sure why not rename one so………….maybe something like, oh I dont know, Network 2 or something might work?
If you think RTE is bad ? What about the utter rubbish TV3 is spewing out every night ?
That may be, but our tax money doesnt go to TV3. Its a privately funded tv channel so they can show whatever they want.
Exactly Alan. It doesn’t cost us, what is it, a red cent…..
Des Bishop, Hector & Mario Rosenstock are all on a plane over the Atlantic when the engines fail.
Not a joke!
More wishful thinking.
Where’s Savage Eye?
Those two in the picture would go lovely together…
Ugh when I heard Des Bishop was going to China I knew it was inevitable we’d get some rubbish show about it. Stay in China Des don’t come back.
Hey we don’t want him here in China either!
Send him home via Siberia.
Only show I’m looking forward to seeing is love/hate the rest are just…meh
Tubridy, please NO.
Among the new shows on RTE One will be an entertainment series which will see see 2FM presenter Hector Ó hEochagáin travel to Northern Ireland for the first time ……..
cant wait…
Don’t worry Trish, we’ll get u to the hospital before ya pop yeh…
The DVD player will be busy AGAIN this winter! …not even the cheap booze from the local bottle shop could anaesthetise one from this line-up of audio-visual manure…
The Guard premier? Are we stuck in a time warp or what…
Where is Gerri May. Marty will never manage without her. Its a shame she is gone. Starting to fit in and then they drop her.
Does this country honeastly need RTE? Fair enough keep Radio 1 but I say scrap it as a TV Broadcaster and save a lot of money for the country. More important things out there than broadcasting poor standard of TV programmes.
Love Irish Pictorial Weekly!
Rte will focus on providing program’s for the under 35′s. grand so I don’t have to watch
Love/Hate is the only thing worth watching. Thank God for British TV.
They wouldn’t have been able to gather a larger collection of shite together if they tried and we’re forced to pay for it.
Coming soon: Love Hate (Angelus edition), Saturday with Miriam with guests 1 Irish comic 2 RTE staff and whoevers made the English papers this week, plus 100 other autumn telly treats
The same old sh1t. Des Bishop go the China WHY who cares.
Brendan O Connor is absolutely insufferable. Miriam is starting to dose me out of it too. And they’re laughing all the way to the bank with their inflated salaries – I mean O Connor is reputedly on €150,000 per annum! WTF
I wish RTE would release a schedule without RTE.
Doesn’t seem too bad looking for to republic of telly won’t be watching that d4 head vogue what’s her name though
I didn’t think ‘What Richard did’ was that good…..
I dont live at home but I’ve watched O’Connor and Turbidy online and I can’t believe that this is best RTE can find. They are equally unwatchable. I wonder what the viewing figures are compared to Gaybo. Shame on RTE.
Big schwinging micky. They can stick in in their ears.
what about bbc utv sky and you all pay sky upc a fourtune a month for crap.
what was the song 57 and fxxkall on.
I pay UPC for stuff I want – documentaries, good dramas, football, horseracing. For the RTE licence I get very little I would go out of my way to see and heavily biased news output. If it was a standalone channel with UPC I definitely wouldn’t subscribe.
Get all the BBC, ITV and Channel 4 channels for free with a satellite, only pay for the dish and box or an installer if you don’t feel like doing it yourself.
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