RTÉ let itself down with juvenile anti-religious humour

The Christmas to New Year season is a rich time for TV and Radio programmes with a religious flavour. Much of the material is made up of repeats so I’m always on the lookout for something different.

The mockumentary Death to 2020 (Netflix) was ideal viewing for New Year’s Eve – a scattershot and satirical review of a tumultuous year with a high-profile cast including Hugh Grant, Samuel L. Jackson and Lisa Kudrow. There were plenty of laughs, too much gratuitous bad language and to a great extent the targets were predictable – Donald Trump and Boris Johnson got the usual trashing but there were plenty of digs at Joe Biden (uncomfortably, most were about his age), and even some mild send up of the ‘woke’ crowd. The satire was turned off however when it came to ‘Black Lives Matter’, when the tone changed to preachy.

Not preachy

Definitely not preachy was The Goes Wrong Show: The Nativity (BBC One). I’m a fan of the series having seen the live Goes Wrong Show and was looking forward to this, but while there were very funny moments (of a slapstick kind) I thought they crossed over the line of respect a few times which was a pity. The Nativity is a story beloved of and sacred to Christians and while experimenting with the story to present it in a creative contemporary way is fine in my opinion (e.g. BBC’s own Liverpool Nativity from a few years ago) there needs to be an underlying respect and even better when there’s understanding and warmth.

Much worse was the atrocious ‘God as rapist’ skit that formed part of the NYE Countdown Show (RTÉ One). These are normally insufferable so I don’t bother, but looked back when I heard rumblings of a controversy. I did like the music (was impressed by Prof. Luke O’Neill’s performances) but the mock news items from ‘Waterford Whispers’ were embarrassing – the low point of Aengus MacGrianna’s news reading career. This was the kind of juvenile anti-religious humour usually found late on RTÉ 2, but on a high-profile RTÉ One show it was particularly inappropriate, crass, tone deaf and offensive. By early afternoon Saturday, RTÉ had issued an apology, but, while welcome, it was minimalistic, and didn’t express any regret or ‘purpose of amendment’! Their initial report of the apology was rather understated too, referring to complaints by “a number of people”, when by its own account it was “around 600”. By Saturday evening it was over 1,100 and counting.

You couldn’t fault The Cork Nativity (RTÉ One) on the respect front – just five minutes long it was an endearing presentation of the Gospel story, read by a variety of people from Cork city and county. It was described as “a hope-filled journey, celebrating the county’s diversity, culture, places and sights” and it lived entirely up to expectations. It was warm and sincere as we met lots of people, young and older, and many involved in works of service – the priest, the staff of emergency services, teachers, Cork Penny Dinners and more.

Commended

Also to be commended is The Tullamore Nativity (RTÉ News Now), a presentation by the Christian traditions of the town. I liked Fr Joseph Gallagher’s introduction when he spoke of “a light that only Christ can bring” and, with Covid-19 in mind, “a road that we’ve never gone before”. Rev. William Hayes, of the local Presbyterian community explored the concept of the ‘loving Word’ as he reflected on the beginning of St John’s Gospel. There was a mixture of prayers and readings as well as some socially-distanced music from local singers and musicians, mostly school going.

A Christmas Leap of Faith (RTÉ Radio 1) was a leisurely reflective programme for early Christmas morning. Selected voices from the Mornington Singers, the Palestrina Choir and the St Mary’s Pro-Cathedral Girls’ Choir added a seasonal musical flavour, journalist Ellen Coyne spoke of her return to Catholicism, Alice Leahy reflected on homelessness and how radio is a common and convenient way for them to stay connected. Rev. Chris Kennedy referred to the ‘ache of Covid’ and I’m sure many could relate to that. Margaret Slater, chaplain at the Mater Hospital described the particular challenges posed by Covid-19 for her work, while Sr Colette of the Poor Clares joined in from Galway. She found that in coronavirus times they were getting lots of letters and visits from people in the need of prayer – a good formula for 2021.

***

PICK OF THE WEEK

THE SONG OF THE LONGING HEART
EWTN Saturday January 9, 9.30pm
See how one Church musician and composer creates the beautiful music that is an integral part of our sacred liturgy.

NEW! VATICANO
EWTN Sunday January 10, 8.30pm, Monday January 11, 7.30pm, Tuesday January 12, 2.30pm
An interview with Cardinal George Pell, who spent 405 days in prison after being accused of sexual abuse before Australia’s highest court overturned his conviction and freed him.

Great Irish Interiors
RTÉ One Wednesday January 13, 7.30pm
As one of the most famous castles in Ireland, Kylemore Abbey, has served as a project of romance, a holiday home and a convent school over the course of its 151 year history.