After all the fuss, RTƒÕs afternoon slot is a damp squib

Date Published: 12-Nov-2012

You know the way we criticise politicians for talking lots and saying nothing, I didn’t actually believe that a similar situation could be true of a television programme. But yet RTÉ have managed to achieve a new feat by broadcasting a programme in which nothing happens.

It must be something of a record that two presenters of a programme can spend the guts of a half an hour presenting a show in which nothing takes place. It is hard to know where to feel admiration for them or a sense of loathing as they simply had nothing to show for their efforts.

We refer of course to the Friday evening Today programme presented by Bláthnaid Ní Chofaigh and Norah Casey which is probably the best cure for insomnia you are ever likely to be prescribed. It is truly a non event.

RTÉ went overboard trying to convince the public to look at their supposedly revamped late afternoon show – some of which is presented by Daithí Ó Sé and Maura Derrane with the Friday evening slot being occupied by the two formidable looking females who seem to be left short on content.

All four appeared on The Late Late Show a couple of weeks back and from the gist of the interview with Tubridy, they didn’t seem to know what kind of show they would be presenting and if Friday evening’s installment is anything to go by, they still haven’t a clue.

As is typical with all RTÉ discussion programmes (for the want of a better description), the presenters are sat behind a bench in a Cork studio and once the pleasantries are over, they introduce two panelists, namely Mike Murphy and Fiona Looney. What a coup.

Murphy should be a distant memory as far as RTÉ is concerned because he has nothing to offer. Indeed, if the truth be known, he never had anything to offer. His candid camera stuff was absolutely awful – even at the time – and then he went on to present Winning Streak which was catastrophic television.

He made the process of giving away a quarter of a million quid on a weekly basis absolute hell for the viewer and, even though the programme has not improved significantly in the meantime, his departure was a most welcome turn of events.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Sentinel.