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IN A YEAR when Ireland got its second commercial broadcaster, TV3 has announced its Autumn scheduling pledging to cement its position ahead of UTV Ireland.
The Ballymount-based studio says that 55% of its programming will be Irish-made next year, and they’ve revealed what they’ve been working on.
This is what caught our eye:
Vincent Brown Investigates: Gerry Adams
TV3′s top draw recently told everyone that he wants to keep his show for another decade.
Whether that happens or not, Vincent is around for a while yet and he’s got a special three-part documentary about Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams in the works.
TV3 describe the Louth TD as “the most controversial political personality on the island” and promise that the investigation will examine Adams’ role in the conflict and the peace process. T
he show is also set to look at Sinn Féin in a wider context and if they could make “any appreciable difference” to the Irish people.
Gogglebox Ireland
We were promised an Irish version of the phenomenally successful Channel 4 show last year and TV3 say it’s now on the way.
TV3′s blurb says viewers can, “tune in to Mary reviewing last week’s Bake Off, Paddy critique the dress sense of the Xpose girls and Mick wax lyrical on the state of play in the latest episode of Celebrity Big Brother”.
All the shows named above are TV3-based, perhaps understandable given today’s launch, but surely the show will need to access content from other channels for it to be a runner.
The Gogglebox show will run for 12 episodes.
Heart Surgery Live
In what’ll be a pulsating edition to TV3′s schedule, they’re set to broadcast an hour-long programme live from an operating theatre. The show will see one of Ireland’s leading cardiologists (they’d want to be) insert a stent into a patient live on air.
It’s part of TV3′s Heart Week that’ll run a show each day culminating in the live event on Friday.
The focus is partly to celebrate the Irish Heart Foundation which turns 50 next year.
Jobstown – The Edge of Town
Last year, TV3 started their ‘Edge of Town’ series with a documentary about the people of the north Dublin estate of Darndale. The broadcaster itself says the show proved controversial and their latest edition looks like it may be even more so.
The name Jobstown has been all over the news since the water protest that saw the Tánaiste stuck in her car and the subsequent arrests.
TV3 spent year with the residents in the area and say the programme will look at how the people there have struggled with “high unemployment, anti-social behaviour and crime”.
The series is made by Motive Television and runs for four hour-long episodes.
It’s been a while since TV3 jumped headlong into the world of home improvements, a mainstay of RTÉ television for years with the favourites like About The House and Beyong The Hall Door.
More recently, Channel 4 has fed people’s curiosity in looking into other people’s homes.
TV3 are now getting on board with a gameshow twist. House Rules will pit six teams against each other travelling around the country to renovate each other’s homes.
The winning couple will have their mortgage paid off. An Irish prize if ever there was one.
TV3 are also putting together their own in-house documentary series called Disclosure.
Each episode will be an hour long and will feature a range of topics including the murder of Irish student Karen Buckley, Ireland’s homeless crisis and an exploration of the business behind Irish soccer.
TV3′s soap Red Rock is ongoing but, on the drama side of things, one of the more intriguing new shows in Smalltown.
Based on Ireland’s current bout of widespread emigration, the show follows two Irish twenty-something’s who leave Ireland for London
It’s by award winning writer and director Gerard Barrett and the drama will run for three hour-long episodes.
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TV is basically tabloid TV, Vinny is OK the rest tends to be crap.
A show about Irish people emigrating to London. How edgy and unique. I’d nearly watch it to see what the producers definition of “interesting” is…. but I won’t.
Watch TV3? Are you having a laugh?
Vinny is the only reason I switch the box on, looking forward to the documentary. He holds no punches and sides with no political party. Best entertainment on Irish television! Kenny is scared shitless of him!
Vincent knows more about Gerry than Gerry knows about himself. Should be interesting.
At least it will be a genuine documentary. If rte made it there’d be horror music played in the background and it would be shot in black and white
It will be a rehash of the one TV3 made a few years ago about SF, except this time maybe having an interview with Gerry Adams rather than MMcG.
Shinnerbots will deny the parts they don’t like and rave about the parts they do like.
Dermo,I can get you a good deal on a satellite dish so you will be able to view all the South’s tv channels including tv3.
One fiddy Dermo,good price,special price just for you.
(Sterling)
Thanks Franco, but I’m an Irish citizen, resident in this State so I unfortunately get TV3 when I pay my TV licence. Are you in a similar boat?
I’m ecstatic.
Vincent is the only show in town. I’d watch him no matter what station he worked for. Yes,even UTV Ireland, and that’s saying something.
TV3,= copy and paste,
Vincent is no fan of SF … Expect a hatchet job .
He’s no fan of fainna fail, fine Gael, labour either. Expect an in depth balanced well written documentary
Supernova …. Last time TV3 did something on SF they edited out part if a conversation with former SF Cllr Killian Forde to make it sound like he was calling SF a cult .
I can not find fault with Vinny doing a hatchet job on SF. Their comrades in the IRA were experts in their usages.
Good man Cillian, get your retaliation in first.
Unionists/blueshirts assemble! #flutemusic
Thought Shinnerbots likes Vin B? Not so when he turns his eyes on their Dear Leader.
What a complete load of sh!te
you’re a happy chappy
Isn’t TV3 owned by Denis O Brien?
At least we don’t have to pay licence fee for it Not owned by DOB
No.
No it’s owned buy this crowd https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doughty_Hanson_%26_Co
UPC owns TV3.
I think Gerry will be destroyed in a debate by Vincent…
In defence of TV3, they don’t receive and tv licencing money….so at least we don’t have to pay for any of their crap
7% of the Licence Fee goes into the Broadcast Fund which is administered by the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland. The Broadcast Fund is paid out to applicants to fund specific programmes. For example, TV3′s gem “Danger! Amanda at Work” received a grant from the Broadcast Fund.
Similarly, TV3′s drama “Red Rock” received a grant of €800,000 from the Broadcast Fund.
(Source: IrishTimes.com 9 July 2015; http://www.bai.ie.)
I don’t think there’s any issue with the likes of Red Rock getting money but that other rehashed muck is deplorable.
Riveting – completely engrossing: compelling; the documentary is a riveting account of the freedom fighters journey through the troubled decades.
Hahaha, sneak preview of the wording for the promo for Mr Adams aka ‘I was not in the PIRA’
I can only imagine how cringeworthy their version of Gogglebox will be, watch an Irish TV station yet again make a balls of what is an excellent programme.
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