I’m reluctant to praise a drama series based on the first episode – too often I’ve done this only to find the series deteriorating (dramatically or morally!) in or after the second episode. One interesting new drama, with some religious elements, is Mrs Wilson (BBC1, Tuesdays), two episodes in at the time of writing. This…
I have quite a few interesting interviews to pore over this week, with some new voices featuring and an older voice retiring. On last Thursday night’s Tonight Show (Virgin Media 1) I was impressed by writer and lecturer Dr David Thunder, who spoke of the media creating a narrative that served only the liberal side in…
I listen with interest to debates about gender, sexism and political correctness, and often these are interrelated. On Prime Time (RTÉ1) on Tuesday of last week, Minister Mary Mitchell O’Connor defended her creation of women-only professorships – it’s a “positive discrimination” measure that has met with everything from whole-hearted support to derision. Prof. Patricia Casey thought…
I doubt if it happens very often that guests appearing on an RTÉ programme say the Rosary on the way to the studio, but that’s exactly what happened last weekend. It was the Marian Finucane Show last Saturday morning (RTÉ Radio 1) when the special guests were Olive Foley, wife of deceased rugby player Anthony Foley,…
It’s seems almost obligatory these days for TV cops to be dysfunctional in their personal lives, even deranged at times. Defenders may say it’s gritty realism, accusers may call it destructive nihilism. I’ve been following Informer on BBC1, Tuesday nights, and the main policeman, Gabe, played with nuance by the versatile Paddy Considine, is certainly…
The plight of refugees in Latin America has been getting lots of coverage of late as a caravan of immigrants heads through Mexico to the US border. Last Friday night’s Unreported Word (Channel 4), subtitled ‘Venezuela’s Lost Children’ focused on some personal stories of teens crossing from Venezuela to Colombia in the hope of a…
Last Sunday morning I thought I might have stepped into an alternative reality when the 8am version of It Says in the Papers (RTÉ Radio 1) started as follows: “Winter time is here and the country has a new President.” But hold a while there (as George Hook might say), the news bulletin said we…
I find it hard to get enthused about the presidential election or the blasphemy referendum. In the case of the election I suppose it’s because the incumbent is so far ahead that he seems a shoo-in and predictability is always a drama killer. It certainly would be more engaging if only the new candidates were…
This week I thought I’d concentrate on my three favourite weekend religious shows. Last Friday night it was a relaxing Leap of Faith (RTÉ Radio 1), when presenter Michael Comyn covered ‘Aifreann’, a new Irish language Mass setting with music composed by Kevin O’Connell and premiered in the Pro Cathedral last Sunday. This was a…
What with the crazy scenes at the McGregor fight last weekend and the strident shrieky protests at the US Senate vote on Judge Kavanaugh (the two events had a lot in common!) I needed some confirmation that civilisation and decency remained durable. And where better to receive this than Nationwide (RTÉ1). Last week there were…
Brendan O’Regan