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RTÉ2 announces increase in home-production with over 30 new series and 18 documentaries for new season

NEW SEASON The-Fear Image Name: NEW SEASON The-Fear Description: NEW SEASON The-Fear - Ross Browne, Hilary Rose and Fred Cooke
NEW SEASON Swipe TV - Claire O'Reilly and Simon Mulcahy Image Name: NEW SEASON Swipe TV - Claire O'Reilly and Simon Mulcahy Description: NEW SEASON Swipe TV - Claire O'Reilly and Simon Mulcahy
NEW SEASON Ireland's Sulkie Racers Image Name: NEW SEASON Ireland's Sulkie Racers Description: NEW SEASON Ireland's Sulkie Racers
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NEW SEASON Panti The Queen of Ireland Image Name: NEW SEASON Panti The Queen of Ireland Description: NEW SEASON Panti The Queen of Ireland
NEW SEASON The Matchmaker Mairead Molloy Image Name: NEW SEASON The Matchmaker Mairead Molloy Description: NEW SEASON The Matchmaker Mairead Molloy
NEW SEASON Ireland's Sulkie Racers Image Name: NEW SEASON Ireland's Sulkie Racers Description: NEW SEASON Ireland's Sulkie Racers
NEW SEASON - Hardy Bucks - Chris Tordoff as 'The Viper', Martin Maloney as Eddie Durkin, Pe Image Name: NEW SEASON - Hardy Bucks - Chris Tordoff as 'The Viper', Martin Maloney as Eddie Durkin, Pe Description: Chris Tordoff as 'The Viper', Martin Maloney as Eddie Durkin, Peter Cassidy as Frenchtoast, Tom Kilgallon as Boo and Owen Colgan as Buzz McDonnall. Hardy Bucks, Series 3, RTÉ2.
NEW SEASON Fast and  Furious Image Name: NEW SEASON Fast and Furious Description: NEW SEASON Fast and Furious, Kevin McGahern
NEW SEASON Eureka - Neil Delamere Image Name: NEW SEASON Eureka - Neil Delamere Description: NEW SEASON Eureka - Neil Delamere
NEW SEASON Don't Tell The Bride, Season 6 Image Name: NEW SEASON Don't Tell The Bride, Season 6 Description: NEW SEASON Don't Tell The Bride, Season 6
NEW SEASON Bridget and Eamon Image Name: NEW SEASON Bridget and Eamon Description: NEW SEASON Bridget and Eamon. Jennifer Maguire as Bridget and Bernard O'Shea as Eamon
NEW SEASON Vikings Season 3 Image Name: NEW SEASON Vikings Season 3 Description: NEW SEASON Vikings Season 3
Second Captains Live Ciaran Murphy, Eon McDevitt, Ken Early Image Name: Second Captains Live Ciaran Murphy, Eon McDevitt, Ken Early
Apres Matc 1974 APRES TIGHT 3shot Image Name: Apres Matc 1974 APRES TIGHT 3shot

From the Rubberbandits Guide to 1916 to Louise McSharry’s personal journey in F**k Cancer, the new season sees more Irish-produced documentaries, comedy and entertainment for 15-34 year olds than any other channel in Ireland, along with an unrivalled selection of sporting action.

Other highlights include new factual entertainment series from Baz Ashmawy, Angela Scanlon, Vogue Williams, Maia Dunphy, Bressie and The McDonaghs alongside an Irish version of the hit international format, First Dates.

Speaking at today’s launch on the Second Captains Live set, which was attended by stars of the new line-up, Channel Controller RTÉ2 Bill Malone said: ‘Being a strong, relevant, contemporary Irish voice in a sea of huge multinational media companies is what makes RTÉ2 unique. Irish programming has been central to the rejuvenation of RTÉ2 and today we’re announcing an increase in hard-hitting documentaries and factual programming as well as brand-new comedy, entertainment and an unrivalled sports line-up that will challenge and entertain our audience in the months ahead. It features a host of Irish talent that RTÉ2 has developed and nurtured as well as some fresh faces – and strong female voices, something I’m particularly proud of.’

Twenty new episodes of the hard-hitting Reality Bites strand, which reflects real Irish life, will be delivered on Thursday nights, tackling topics from cancer to mothers on methadone, sulky racing, dangerous dog breeds and recreational drug use. The series also introduces some fresh faces to RTÉ2: Louise McSharry tells her deeply personal journey of battling cancer; Nine Stone Lighter follows Jules Coll through her life changing gastric-band surgery; and RTÉ 2fm Breakfast Republic’s Keith Walsh and other volunteers subject themselves to gruelling training and nutrition plans in pursuit of the perfect body in The Gun Show.

There’s a strong line-up of leading female talent as Maia Dunphy, Angela Scanlon and Vogue Williams each host a documentary series this season: Maia looks at matters close to her own heart, childbirth and the modern Irish emigrant experience, Angela explores celebrity life for some well known Irish names including WWE’s Sheamus in Close Encounters, and Vogue meets women who defy traditional perceptions of the ‘fairer sex’ as three-part series Mean Girls looks at the sexually adventurous, the MMA fighting and some law breaking women.

 

Baz Ashmawy returns to RTÉ2 to explore his Muslim heritage in a compelling new documentary series, The Lost Muslim, while Bressie tackles a subject close to his heart as he seeks to demonstrate the link between physical exercise and positive mental health, training four people to compete in a gruelling half-Ironman challenge in Bressie’s Iron Mind.

 

Other new factual programming includes two-part series The Guards which goes behind the scenes of frontline policing in Dublin’s city centre and new series Young, Dumb and Deadly looks at high profile Irish crimes– from one punch deaths to murder – caused by wreckless behaviour and committed by young people in Ireland and abroad. New series Wasted explores life for Ireland’s twentysomethings scraping by on social welfare and navigating unpaid internships while Nursesfollows six recently graduated nurses at the coalface in some of the country’s busiest hospitals and care institutions. Panti comes to 2 as the feature length documentary Panti: The Queen of Ireland follows Ireland’s most famous drag queen and self-styled “accidental activist”.

 

Comedy continues to play a key role on the channel as The Republic of Telly spawns another hit with 80’s-tastic pair Bridget and Eamon getting their own series, while The Rubberbandits’ Guide to 1916 provides a crash course in Irish history. Brand new series Après Match of the Day revisits the glory days of Irish sport and in Eureka, Neil Delamere puts himself in peril to demonstrate the ‘eureka moments’ of our time, while audiences favourites Republic of Telly, Hardy Bucks and The Fear return with some new faces and characters. RTÉ2 continues to deliver top international drama with the return of hit series, VikingsHomeland and CSI plus new series, Deutschland 83.

 

For younger viewers, Swipe TV begins its first full run as a cross-platform show as a new app is introduced to make content available to audiences wherever they are and allow them to interact with the show.  There’s new talent too as new presenter Claire O’Reilly joins Simon Mulcahy.  Two Tube returns for more early-evening teenage culture with Blathnaid Treacy and Stephen Byrne and will explore themes around 1916 as the anniversary approaches. Brand new series Insiders delves into the science at the heart of sport, entertainment and space, while Around the Block catches up with the children who made the award-winning On the Block documentaries, charting their own lives six years ago.

 

NewsFeed provides bite-size daily news fixes with Carla O’Brien each weeknight and new face Gill Stedman joins Nick Sheridan on News2day as it continues to deliver Irish and International news for younger audiences.

 

RTÉ2 maintains an unrivalled selection of Sporting action this season including the Republic of Ireland’s crucial remaining Euro 2016 qualifiers, Ireland’s tilt at a third RBS 6 Nations title in-a-row, the All-Ireland Football final and the World Boxing Championships from Qatar. RTÉ2 is also the home for free-to-air Wednesday night live Champions League action, live SSE Airtricity League and Ford FAI Cup as the domestic season reaches a climax, plus weekly magazine show Soccer Republic. Second Captains Live sees the lads return to tackle the closing stages of the All-Ireland Championships, some crucial Euro Qualifiers and the Rugby World Cup.

Glen Killane, Managing Director RTÉ Television, said: ‘The repositioning of RTÉ2 last year was about underlining our commitment to younger audiences and specifically 15-34 year olds. We’re offering a range of content made for them and about them with more comedy, more documentaries, more factual entertainment than any other channel. No other channel nurtures and develops talent like RTÉ2 does as is evidenced by the line-up today. We’ve come off the back of a phenomenal weekend for RTÉ television, which saw over 3 million* people tune in for the hurling final, the Dublin v Mayo football replay, Ireland’s Euro2016 qualifiers and The Late Late Show.  The new season is off to a great start as RTÉ television continues to be the place where the nation gathers to witness major events, explore burning issues and be entertained. This will continue into 2016 as we look ahead to major events like the 1916 Centenary Celebrations, the General Election and a fantastic line up of sport off the back of the 6 Nations with the Olympic Games and Euro 2016 to look forward to”.

*Source: TAM Ireland/Nielsen – Over 3 million people* watched RTÉ linear channels LIVE between Friday and Monday (*1min Reach)

 

ENDS

 

For further information contact Sharon Brady, Senior Communications Manager TV & Digital, 087 6858975, Sharon.brady@rte.ie; Anne-Louise Foley, Senior Press Officer, RTÉ TV Press & Publicity, 085 1288911, foleya@rte.ie.ie

 

See full information and schedule at http://newonrte2.rte.ie/

To download images from the new season see here http://presspack.rte.ie/category/tv-news-releases/

 

Editors’ Notes-

 

RTÉ2 new season schedule

 

>>>>BRAND NEW FOR RTÉ2

 

*NEW Bridget and Eamon The definitive Irish 80s Mammy and Daddy land their own series with Jennifer Maguire and Bernard O’Shea mining the decade that brought us shoulder pads and medicinal 7-Up for comedy gold.

*NEW Baz: The Lost Muslim Extreme adventurer Baz Ashwamy explores his Muslim heritage and considers how the culture and faith can co-exist with his own very Irish identity. Can his devout sister guide Baz back onto the path of Islam?

*NEW First Dates

RTÉ2 is delighted to announce that an Irish version of the hit Channel 4 series, in which hopefuls look for love at the First Dates restaurant, will be going into production this autumn.

*NEW Wasted What’s life like for Ireland’s twentysomethings who find themselves scraping by on social welfare and navigating JobBridge, unpaid internships and ‘mickey mouse’ courses. This is the story of a generation watching helplessly as the best years of their lives slip away.

*NEW Aprés Match of the Day Put the horrors of recent Irish football performances to bed as Aprés Match bring the glory days back to life with the type of pre- and post-match analysis we wished we had back then.

*NEW Bressie’s Ironmind To prove that good physical health is great for the mind, Bressie enlists the help of experts in training four ordinary people to go from the couch to competing in a gruelling half-Ironman challenge.

*NEW Nurses Six recently graduated nurses face the reality of life on the ward at some of the country’s busiest hospitals and care institutions. Long hours, stressful environments but rewarding work follows.

*NEW Eureka! Neil Delamere and a crack team of scientists and comedians tackle the age old questions of the universe. Every episode Neil puts himself in peril to demonstrate the ‘eureka moments’ of our time.

*NEW The Guards Landmark series going behind the scenes of frontline policing in Dublin’s city centre, this two-part documentary shadows Gardaí dealing with everything from drug dealers and street crime to handling major public events.

*NEW Young, Dumb and Deadly Three-part series looking at the high profile crimes – from one punch deaths to murder – committed by young people; hearing from the perpetrators, victims and investigating officers.

*NEW The Rubberbandits’ Guide to 1916 Limerick’s finest rapping comedians give us a crash course in Irish history from Brian Boru, through the Famine right up to Irish independence, with the help of the Trout of No Craic, Willie O’DJ, and some lads from the local takeaway. And a goat.

*NEW Kodaline Up Close One of Ireland’s biggest bands give an exclusive acoustic performance recorded in front of a live studio audience and chat with Eoghan McDermott about their meteoric rise.

*NEW What It Means To Be Irish A documentary looking what it means to be young and Irish in 2016.

 

 

>>>DOCUMENTARY SERIES

 

 *NEW Vogue’s Mean Girls Vogue Williams goes in search of the women who’ve bucked the rules and are living their lives on the edge of “normal”, meeting the sexually adventurous, the MMA fighters and the law breakers.

*NEW Maia Dunphy’s Truth About… Maia Dunphy tackles the impending birth of her son by talking to women who’ve given birth in every possibly way and place; and considers the modern Irish emigrant experience.

*NEW Angela Scanlon’s Close Encounters Angela Scanlon gets a taste of what celebrity life is like for some of Ireland’s best known names including WWE wrestler Sheamus and comedian Jason Byrne.

 

>>>REALITY BITES

 

*NEW F**k Cancer

2FM DJ and columnist Louise McSharry shares her very personal story of battling cancer while in the midst of preparations for her upcoming wedding.

*NEW Born Addicted Every year 130 babies born in Ireland go through withdrawal having been born addicted to the methadone their mothers depend on. This is the story of real people desperate to break the cycle of addiction for the sake of their own children.

*NEW Skin Deep Sinead Kennedy gets under the skin of the tattoo phenomenon with this insightful documentary looking at what it is that drives us to permanently mark our bodies with ink.

*NEW Nine Stone Lighter Half the woman she used to be following gastric by-pass surgery, Damo and Ivor star Jules Coll gives a frank and engaging account of her life-changing operation.

*NEW The Gun Show 2FM Breakfast Republic’s Keith Walsh and other willing volunteers subject themselves to punishing training and nutrition plans in pursuit of the perfect body.

*NEW Ireland’s Sulky Racers Ireland’s sulky racers are much maligned but this documentary goes to the heart of their world, offering a unique insight into this fascinating sub-culture.

*NEW Pit Bull  An objective look at the most dangerous dogs in Ireland, the people who own them and what it feels like to walk the streets accompanied by the toughest dog in the pound.

*NEW Kevin McGahern’s Fast & Furious Republic of Telly’s Kevin McGahern gets under the bonnet of Ireland’s modified car scene meeting the people whose passion for motors is often overlooked in the clamour of negative publicity.

*NEW Panti: The Queen of Ireland One-off documentary following Ireland’s most famous drag queen and self-styled “accidental activist” as she becomes a figurehead in the fight for LGBT rights in Ireland and a vital part of the successful campaign for marriage equality.

*NEW Pairc Life Jacqui Hurley looks at the state of the modern game as she explores the landscape of this year’s All Ireland Championship.

*NEW Connected Reconnected One year on, we reconnect with the six women who filmed every aspect of their own lives for nine months on the much discussed RTÉ2 series Connected.

*NEW Operation Transportation Comedian Fred Cooke is 34-years-old, gigs all over the country but doesn’t know how to drive. And has no clue where to start. Will he manage to pass his test first time around?

*NEW Rapid Response We follow Cork’s Rapid Response medical unit as highly skilled doctors give up their free time to rush to the aid of people in life or death situations.

*NEW Nightclub Medicine Visceral, hard-hitting look at recreational drug use amongst middle-class clubbers. The clubbers talk openly and honestly about why they do it and the medics who deal with the aftermath give a very different perspective.

*NEW The Fighting Irish A look at the burgeoning mixed martial arts scene in Ireland, meeting fighters of every age, weight and gender as we discovered how the sport has evolved here.

*NEW The Matchmaker Matchmaker to the rich and famous Mairead Molloy gives us an insight into a different world as she seeks out potential partners for her extremely rich clients.

*NEW Donal Skehan’s Blog Stars (working title) Ireland’s original blog star Donal Skehan meets the vloggers, a new wave of superstars creating their own mass audience outside the confines of traditional media.

 

>>>RETURNING FAVOURITES

 

Hardy Bucks Ride Again The wild men of Irish comedy return to RTÉ2 with a third series of mayhem and madness, tackling love triangles, broken hearts and new business ventures.

Don’t Tell the Bride Another eight unsuspecting brides put the biggest day of their lives in the hands of their terrified grooms as Don’t Tell the Bride returns for a sixth season.

Republic of Telly Presenter Kevin McGahern returns to the helm of Republic of Telly to tear into TV’s sacred cows. And this season there’s 33 per cent extra funny inside every show – free!

The Fear All your favourite characters are back for the hidden camera show that puts fear into hearts across the country for your amusement.

Meet the McDonaghs The second series of Meet the McDonaghs sees Kelly and her family welcoming a new arrival, celebrate a surprise wedding, take their summer holidays and embrace new opportunities.

Second Captains Live The lads return to tackle the closing stages of the All-Ireland Championships, some crucial Euro Qualifiers and the Rugby World Cup, taking the show to Cardiff with the travelling fans.

Pet Island Pet Island is back, this time even cuter and quirkier.  As a nation we have become besotted with our pets and in Pet Island we meet Ireland’s most lovable ones and, of course, their devoted owners!

NewsFeed NewsFeed presented by Carla O’Brien features a mix of national and international news in bite size bulletins coming up to the hour at 7pm and 8pm, Monday to Friday.

News2day Broadcast Monday-Friday at 4.25pm on RTÉ2, News2day features Irish and international news of interest to a young audience. New presenter Gill Stedman joins Nick Sheridan.

 

 

>>>INTERNATIONAL DRAMA

 

*Vikings – Season 3 Ragnar and Lagertha’s fleets depart Kattegat once more for Wessex and this time they bring a group to colonise it in season 3 of Vikings.  

*Homeland – Season 5 Carrie (Claire Danes) is out of the CIA and working in the private sphere but a hacking breach threatens to pull her back in.

*Deutschland 83 Cold War German language drama about a Stasi agent sent to spy on the west. Screening here before the UK.

*CSI: The Finale The long-running crime drama finishes in a two-hour series finale with William Petersen and Marge Helgenberger returning to join Ted Danson.

Also returning this season: CSI: Cyber, The Big Bang Theory, Blue Bloods, Scorpion, Nurse Jackie, Brooklyn 99, Suits, Outlander (starring Irish actress Caitriona Balfe), Criminal Minds, Grey’s Anatomy, Devious Maids, Person of Interest, Mom.

 

>>>YOUNG PEOPLE’S

 

Swipe TV Swipe TV returns and this year it’s going cross-platform with a brand new app giving access to the show 24/7 as well as featuring original content. Presenter Simon Mulcahy is joined by newcomer Claire O’Reilly.

Insiders Our experts Philip, Sarah-Louise and Jen delve into some of the really exciting science at the heart of the worlds of sport, entertainment and space.

Around the Block Catching up with children who made the award-winning On the Block documentaries charting their own lives six years ago. Who are they now they are in their late teens, awaiting exam results or reflecting on their first year in college? Around The Block is supported by BAI.

Two Tube Two Tube returns for more early-evening teenage culture with popular presenters Bláthnaid Treacy and Stephen Byrne back at the helm. The show will be just one of RTÉ’s Young People’s strands looking into themes around the 2016 centenary year.

 

>>>SPORT

 

The Sunday Game With the Hurling and Football Championships at the business end of the season The Sunday Game is the place to catch all the action in glorious HD on RTÉ2.

Euro Qualifiers Darragh Maloney chairs the debate as the Republic of Ireland’s quest for a place at EURO 2016 in France continues apace with every game, home and away, live on RTÉ2.

Six Nations Spring 2016 will see Joe Schmidt’s Ireland attempting to win an unprecedented third RBS 6 Nations title in-a-row and you can catch the entire tournament live in HD on RTÉ2.

Champions League Live Wednesday night Champions League action on RTÉ2 throughout the 2015/2016 season including the final in Milan’s iconic San Siro.

Boxing Both the 2015 AIBA Men’s World Boxing Championships in Qatar in October and the 2016 AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championships in Kazakhstan in February 2016 will be live on RTÉ2.

Road To Rio Road To Rio captures the ecstatic highs and crushing lows as Ireland’s top athletes – across a range of disciplines – train, compete and try to qualify for the 2016 Olympic Games.

Thank GAA It’s Friday Thank GAA It’s Friday brings you the complete weekly GAA package including the characters, games, fascinating stories and communities both at home and abroad.

Soccer Republic As the domestic soccer season reaches a climax Soccer Republic will be there on RTÉ2 every Monday night with all the goals and analysis from the SSE Airtricity League Premier Division.

Against the Head The rugby magazine show returns for a new series bringing viewers an eclectic mix of interviews, highlights and reviews, as well as discussion on the burning issues in Irish rugby.