It’s great to hear people being enthusiastic about their faith…it can be inspirational and infectious. These thoughts were prompted by last Saturday night’s The Conversation on BBC World Service. Two religious sisters were interviewed: Mother Hildegard a Benedictine sister from Australia but now in Tyburn Convent, London and Sr Tracy Kemme, a young American woman…
Brendan O’Regan
Screening in and screening out
A World Without Down’s Syndrome? on BBC 2, Wednesday of last week was a compelling personal documentary by actress Sally Phillips on the issue of our attitudes to Down’s Syndrome, made all the more relevant by her having a son, Olly, who has the condition. Phillips had questions: What kind of society do we want to…
Stunt politics and suffering little children
It was probably the most watched TV broadcast ever, with around 100 million viewers – the first US Presidential Debate (BBC News channel) was a lot to wade through last Tuesday morning and the advance hype didn’t lead to the anticipated drama. I have no time for either candidate, and it amazes me how…
A journey of lives lost and saved
Robert Duvall is one of my favourite American actors so I was glad to see him interviewed on The World Over Live (EWTN) last Thursday afternoon. Presenter Raymond Arroyo was well informed on Duvall’s films and had some acting experience himself which helped when they discussed various acting coaches and styles. I had forgotten…
Radio shake-ups and familiar subjects
Last week was the first for Newstalk’s new schedule, and they’ve had some thorough changes. I’m glad to see Shane Coleman at the helm on the new Breakfast show. The laddish approach of the Donoghue/Yates combo has given way to a more serious tone, and it looks like Morning Ireland will now have a worthy…
Strong-willed figures dominate the airwaves
The Church is at its most attractive when faith is combined with service, at its worst when it is combined with arrogance or domination. I was prompted to these thoughts by Peter McVerry: A View From the Basement (RTÉ 1, Tuesday of last week), a worthwhile profile of the Jesuit human rights campaigner. Looking back,…
Drama and debate on the human person
Usually you have to wait for the new season to find some good new dramas, but BBC One got off to an interesting but early start Tuesday of last week with an intriguing new crime drama, One of Us. It was all a bit confusing at first with an array of seemingly unrelated characters, but…
TG4 discover a real gem with married couples
One of the most enjoyable programmes I saw last week was Mí na Meala, one of TG4’s treasures, featuring married couples revisiting their honeymoons. The photo-album motif was appealing, with music ranging from apt to cheesy! Last Wednesday it was the turn of Etaín and Séamus Ó Síocháin, a couple very much in love and…
Church coverage lacking the necessary insight
The only thing new I learned from Last Orders with Gay Byrne, RTÉ 1, Tuesday night of last week was that Gay Byrne played the organ in church in Rialto. Everything else in this review of the decline of the Church in Ireland has been rehashed ad nauseam. I can understand increasing the programme’s audience…
A week when Maynooth was the only show in town
Oh well, that didn’t last long. Last week Catholic euphoria over World Youth Day gave way to Catholic agony over the Maynooth controversy. Predictably, the few Irish clerics and seminarians involved in that kerfuffle garnered a lot more media attention than the thousands of enthusiastic young Irish Catholics that attended World Youth Day. I suppose…