Striking out from the shallow end

FOR SOMEONE with a serious pedigree in news and politics, John Murray occasionally seems keen to show off his hidden shallows. When he took over Ryan Tubridy's old slot last year, the former journalist and spin doctor promised "intelligent fun", but since then The John Murray Show(RTÉ Radio 1, weekdays) has at times eschewed the former while confusing the latter with fluff.

The programme has too often sounded like little more than the aural wing of hit television shows such as

Masterchef

or

Operation Transformation,

padded with offbeat human-interest stories. Sometimes, the only deep item on display is the presenter’s baritone voice. On Tuesday, however, Murray remembered his original remit, with a little help from events early last week.

Broadcasting in the wake of the extraordinary floods that hit Dublin on Monday, Murray sounded genuinely affected by the scenes of the night before. He spoke of his distress at the plight of unfortunate neighbours in Rathfarnham who had watched helplessly as their homes were inundated. His old instincts kicked in, too. Murray had a substantial bill of fare to get through but still punctuated the programme with eyewitness accounts from people who had lucky escapes.

During these items, the host sounded engaged, as if refreshed by a rediscovered sense of urgent curiosity. At the same time, his discussion with Mary O’Rourke about the final televised presidential debate demonstrated how he can cover current affairs in an amusing yet illuminating way. Despite trying to reinvent herself as a dotty political celebrity in the Ann Widdecombe mode, O’Rourke is not as funny as she thinks she is, but she reacted well to Murray’s light touch. On Martin McGuinness’s fundraising bombshell about Seán Gallagher, O’Rourke commented, “When he [McGuinness] says you’re in trouble, you know you’re in trouble,” a model of understatement if ever there was one.

Even when he strayed from current events, Murray sounded more energised last week, although not always to his advantage. Interviewing Billy Bragg, Murray focused on the singer’s leftist politics. A former press secretary for the Progressive Democrats, the presenter wondered how his guest would right society’s wrongs. “What’s the solution, Billy? Social democracy with higher taxes on the rich?” asked Murray, sounding incredulous at such an outre notion.

Later, when quizzing Bragg about buying a mansion in Dorset, the presenter mused that the house “probably cost a couple of million”, only to be calmly corrected by the singer: “It cost £310,000.”

But there was a vim to the encounter which proved that Murray is at his best when dealing with subjects of some substance. Thursday’s interview with the author Caitlin Moran underlined this, as Murray dealt with the difficult subject of abortion without seeking melodrama or controversy, while still managing to create an oddly exuberant atmosphere. When he gets the balance right, one can see why Murray’s slot has been a steady ratings draw over the past 12 months.

Tom Dunne(Newstalk, weekdays) made his name in perhaps the most superficial business of all, the music industry, but in his guise as a talk-radio host he has attempted to incorporate some shade into his repertoire. Last week, moved by an e-mail from a listener recently made redundant, Dunne dealt with the emotional consequences of unemployment. On Tuesday, he discussed the matter with the actor turned agony aunt Mary McEvoy, who strove to be positive without being "happy-clappy" – she strongly advocated the benefits of exercise – but nonetheless ended up quoting platitudes. "If you can't do what you love, do what you can with love," she said. More concrete advice came on Wednesday from the occupational therapist Brendan Geraghty, who compared being laid off to a grieving process, stressing the need for personal support while giving practical tips on job-seeking.

Dunne’s interest in the subject was clearly sincere, but the presenter never sounded quite at ease. He sounded more like himself when commenting on Dana Rosemary Scallon’s verdict that the presidential campaign had been the dirtiest yet. Dunne said he, for one, would never run for president as he harboured too many dark secrets from his past: “Something Happens’ third album, to start with.” Dunne is at his smartest when he’s being funny.

Putting a clever spin on flippant subjects is Seán Moncrieff's trademark, but he excelled himself on Tuesday's Moncrieff(Newstalk, weekdays). Getting in the Halloween mood, he spoke to the English academic Ian Conrich about the prominence of zombies in contemporary popular culture. The resulting discussion was erudite without losing sight of its essential ludicrousness. When Moncrieff read out a text asking if zombies could climb stairs, Conrich joked: "This sounds like a zombie helpline now." Moncrieff's approach, game yet laconic, yielded a memorably amusing slice of radio. In the right hands, even the brain-dead can be entertaining.

Radio moment of the week

Seán Gallagher's tetchy appearance on Tuesday's Today with Pat Kenny(RTÉ Radio 1, weekdays) only compounded his poor performance on the final presidential debate. His churlishness peaked when Kenny mentioned Glenna Lynch, the audience member who questioned Gallagher the night before. "You wheel people out on a programme and they throw allegations at me without them defining who they are or what their political allegiances are," said Gallagher. Within minutes, Lynch had phoned in, declaring her lack of party loyalty and forensically articulating her problems with Gallagher's business dealings. The exchange made Gallagher sound anything but presidential.

radioreview@irishtimes.com