The RTÉ Player team share their top picks to watch on RTÉ Player this week.
What’s Trending?
Only two weeks in and we just cannot get enough of Room to Improve! Last weeks episode saw Fermoy couple, Dave and Susie challenge Dermot with the task of extending and upgrading a 170-year-old three-storey mansion to create the ultimate family home and the entire episode inspired a Twitter barrage of begrudgers. From in-house day spas to holiday homes in Waterford, Dave and Susie were in the firing line for having major notiony notions. Not only that, but Susie came under attack for being a little bit flirtatious with our Dermot. Well we enjoyed their banter and think Dave and Susie were just great! Catch the full episode now on RTÉ Player along with some exclusive never-before seen ‘behind the scenes’ extras where Susie presents Dermot with a ‘tongue in cheek’ gift that really suits his personality along with a short clip seeing Dermot limber up at Ireland’s most unique golf hole before luxuriating in a hot seaweed bath accompanied by lady of the house, Susie.
What’s New?
After a memorable trip through Italy, Neven Maguire is back with another series of Neven’s Irish Food Trails. This time he travels to counties Cavan, Limerick, Dublin, Meath, Wicklow, Wexford, Cork, Kerry, Carlow, Waterford and Kilkenny; and visits some of the country’s most innovative and exciting food producers and chefs including a snail breeder, Dublin’s top patisserie, a seaweed forager, a mozzarella producer, and a 5th generation miller. In the first episode of his new series, Neven explores the internationally renowned Irish dairy industry as he meets one of Ireland’s youngest dairy farmers in Co. Cork and also learns how Italian cheese-making techniques are combined with local milk to create Irish mozzarella. Leading pastry chef Robert Bullock demonstrates how to create Tarte Au Citron Meringue, before Neven heads home to Blacklion in Cavan, to devise a recipe influenced by his trip: Mozzarella Balls with Smoked Tomato Sauce. Watch Neven’s Irish Food Trails now on RTÉ Player
What Not to Miss?
Championing individuality, creativity and commitment to design, Home of the Year returned this week for a fourth series featuring homeowners around Ireland who have done something special to the place they call home. Over the next 8 weeks, 21 homes will compete for the Home of the Year title, with three very different properties featured each week. From re-design, new builds, renovations and restorations the series will showcase homes from all across Ireland including a renovated schoolhouse building and an 18th century mill turned home, contemporary new builds pushing the boundaries in design, a converted Irish farm cottage, re-imagined bungalows and semi-detached homes with a difference. Making the tough decisions on which homes go through to the final are our three expert judges; design legend Hugh Wallace, renowned interior designer Deirdre Whelan and award-winning architect Patrick Bradley. Patrick gained a lot of attention when his own shipping container home appeared on Channel 4’s Grand Designs. Patrick’s home has gone on to win several awards and has appeared in newspaper articles all over the world. Looking for individuality, functionality and clever design, the judges will individually score each of the homes out of 10, the home with the highest combined score in each programme will go through to the final, where the ultimate winner will be crowned. Watch the first episode and Home of the Year Extras now on RTÉ Player.
Pick of the Week
Young Sheldon
Fans of The Big Bang Theory are in for an extra special treat as Young Sheldon comes to RTÉ! Set in 1989, the series follows a nine-year old Sheldon Cooper as he attends high school in the fictional town of Medford, Texas. A spin off prequel to The Big Bang Theory, Young Sheldon gives us a little insight to how Sheldon managed to navigate the world around him while family and friends attempted to deal with his unique intellectual capabilities and social challenges long before he met up with Penny and the crew. Catch Young Sheldon now on RTÉ Player.