TV3 proves hypnotic for viewers in 2014

Never underestimate the power of hypnosis. With a little help from programmes such as Keith Barry: Brain Hacker , the heavily promoted Sunday night showcase for the Irish "mentalist", TV3 is toasting a 5 per cent increase in its adult audience share so far this year compared to 2013.

The broadcaster's share among adults aged 15-plus hit 10.68 per cent for the period up to February 10th, while its commercial impacts – a measure of viewers' exposure to advertisements – rose 6 per cent year-on-year. TV3 group director of content Jeff Ford described this as "an incredibly positive start" to 2014.

TV3 is turning to The Lie for its next audience boost. The 10-part game show hosted by Newstalk presenter Jonathan McCrea will air on Mondays and Fridays at 8pm and debuts next week. The co-production between TV3's 3Studios and Scottish Television Productions (STV) will invite viewers to play along live against the clock via second-screen companion app ShowPal and compare their results with other viewers (much in the style of Channel 4's The Million Pound Drop ).

A Scottish version of the "spot the falsehood" game show will be hosted by comedian Susan Calman and the two co-production partners are hoping the format will sell internationally.

TV3 Group is also planning to lure in Ireland's substantial current affairs audience to The People's Debate with Vincent Browne, a two-hour programme that will air at 10pm on the first Wednesday of every month from March.

Browne describes the show, which will be filmed in front of 150-200 people, as “a new experiment in Irish television” and promises that there will be no “usual suspects” sitting on a panel.

“If the usual important suspects want to participate they will do so on the same basis as everyone else. This is democracy television.”