So much of what’s on TV is aggravation and conflict ridden so it’s great when you find something calming and uplifting. Monty Don’s Adriatic Gardens (BBC Two, Fridays) is not just about gardening – there is history, spirituality and a host of interesting characters. Monty Don’s visit to the area started in Venice, where we…
One of the welcome things about the extended holiday period is that we get a greater variety of presenters, on the radio shows in particular. And so it was that Katie Hannon stood in for Joe Duffy on Liveline (RTÉ Radio One) last week. Thursday’s show was dominated by a discussion of Pope Francis’ words…
Maybe it’s a bit of a grim start to the first media column of the year, but the topic of domestic violence never ceases to be important. It has been highlighted recently in adult dramas such as Angela (ITV), The Maid (Netflix) and The Other Girl (BBC One) and plot-wise can be both gripping and…
There’s usually a glut of programmes with religious elements in the media over the Christmas period, and I’m usually on the lookout for something distinctive or shows that stand out for a variety of reasons. Heaven Made at Christmas (BBC One and Two) was particularly engaging. Over two episodes on Christmas week (on repeat from…
TV & Radio Review 2021 I had hoped that I wouldn’t be writing about Covid-19 again at the end of 2021, but it has dominated the media for the year. But should it be so? One night in early December I was listening to the BBC Radio 4 news headlines and the only mention of…
Christmas Crackers Keep Christ in Christmas, a Catholics Come Home special presentation EWTN Saturday December 18, 7pm also Thursday (night) December 23, 3.30am A tour behind the scenes of the making of Santa’s Priority, a Christmas evangomercial and discover what a small group of Catholics are doing to combat the secular war on Christmas and…
I’m always on the lookout for inspiration, hope, something radical, out of the ordinary, especially when it comes to Church matters. Current affairs’ debates about matters touching on religion are not always a good source. It was good to see the return of The Leap of Faith (RTÉ Radio One, Friday), with Michael Comyn, albeit…
It’s interesting how the concept of justice is used so liberally these days – everything from ‘climate justice’, a relatively new concept, through ‘social justice warriors’ whose methods don’t always taste of justice, to genuine justice tempered by mercy. The phrase ‘crying out for justice’ was used in a timely interview on Times Radio Breakfast…
When something is a right you shouldn’t have to kick up a fuss to vindicate it, yet it often seems to be that way. These thoughts were prompted by episodes of Liveline (RTÉ Radio 1) last week, at its best when championing the rights of the vulnerable. Last week there were so many stories of…
When a person who holds opinions not beloved by media folk is called onto a current affairs show, it can feel like being called to the principal’s office for a ticking off. I’ve been there. It felt like that when Mary Wilson interviewed Anna Sochanska, the Polish Ambassador to Ireland, on Morning Ireland (RTÉ Radio…
Brendan O’Regan