All of the best new shows we’ll be getting stuck into on RTÉ, Virgin Media and TG4.
As we head out of August and further into Autumn, we’ll be getting longer nights and colder days, which means we’ll all likely be spending more time indoors, on the couch, in need of new stuff to watch on the telly.
Thankfully, the folks at Ireland’s broadcasters have announced their schedules for the remainder of 2021, and they’re filled with some very exciting new programmes.
We don’t have precise date and time details for a lot of these yet, but we do know they’re due for an imminent release, and they’re all coming soon enough for us to be getting very excited to see them.
The Big Deal – Virgin Media
Kicking off at 8pm on Saturday, 4 September, this new talent show will be hosted by Vogue Williams, and will feature a judging panel consisting of Boy George, Jedward, JLS’s Aston Merrygold, Deirdre O’Kane and Lyra, with a cash prize of €50,000 for the winner following a nationwide hunt for Ireland’s next biggest talent.
Conversation with Friends – RTÉ
Director Lenny Abrahamson and author Sally Rooney reunite after the worldwide phenomenon that was Normal People for their next project, which will detail the ever-evolving relationships of a central quartet of characters played by newcomer Alison Oliver, Sasha Lane (American Honey), Jemima Kirke (Tiny Furniture) and Joe Alwyn (The Favourite).
Generation Dating – Virgin Media
Singletons in their twenties are matched up with folk within the over-65s age group, with the goal to have each of them help improve the other’s dating tactics and opportunities. Also, after nearly two years of people actively being told to avoid each other, getting back into the dating scene will prove trickier than ever.
Glow Up Ireland – RTÉ
After becoming a bit of a hit on Netflix, the UK series will now be getting an Irish makeover (see what we did there?), as Love Island’s biggest star Maura Higgins hosts the competition to find Ireland’s best amateur make-up artists.
Go mBeirimid Beo – TG4
Inspired by the last year-and-a-bit of the world living under a global pandemic, this tongue-in-cheek documentary series will take a look at “apocalypses” from the past, the present, and the potential future, and how Ireland specifically deals with them. We reckon Gabriel Byrne might have something to say about that…
Kin – RTÉ
We got our first look at this new crime drama last week, with a shockingly impressive cast including Aidan Gillen (Love/Hate), Clare Dunne (Herself), Charlie Cox (Daredevil), Ciarán Hinds (Game of Thrones), Emmett Scanlan (Peaky Blinders), Maria Doyle Kennedy (Outlander) and Sam Keeley (The Cured), to name just a few.
First look at Kin, coming to Irish audiences on @RTEOne 👇
Screen Ireland are delighted to support this new drama series!#IrishDrama 📺💚 pic.twitter.com/u03K3MgKz7
— Screen Ireland (@ScreenIreland) August 18, 2021
Last Singer Standing – RTÉ
Every Saturday evening, Westlife’s own Nicky Byrne will host this singing competition, where contestants will be vying for the €25,000 top prize. The jury will include Girls Aloud’s Nadine Coyle, N*Sync’s Joey Fatone and Samantha Mumba.
Misneach – TG4
This documentary sounds incredibly powerful, focusing on whistle-blowers within Ireland who have taken a stand against wrongdoings in their workplace, and the treatment and reactions those whistle-blowers then received during the fallout of their actions.
OnlyFans: Ireland’s X-Rated – Virgin Media
You can check out our full write up on this new documentary right here, and the doc itself will feature a group of varied individuals from across Ireland who have made a business out of posting their adult footage on the social app.
Redemption – Virgin Media
Paula Malcomson (The Hunger Games), Siobhan McSweeney (Derry Girls) and Moe Dunford (Vikings) star in this new dark drama about a police officer who tries to assist in the investigation of her own daughter’s suicide, and discovers she didn’t know her own child as well as she thought she did.
Clips via Virgin Media and TG4.
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