RTÉ announces autumn schedule

RTÉ said yesterday that its autumn television schedule will have a growing emphasis on home-produced programmes.

Among the new offeringswill be Legend - a drama set in a west Dublin housing estate; 30 Things To Do With Your SSIA - an Eddie Hobbs financial advice vehicle; and Junior Doctors - a fly-on-the-wall series looking at the lives of newly-qualified doctors.

Lifestyle programming will feature the return of the cookery programme Rachel's Favourite Food At Home, health and fitness advice on The Health Squad, and a new six-part series, 5-Star, looking behind the scenes at the running of the five-star Lyrath hotel and spa in Co Kilkenny.

The name of the new, much-vaunted afternoon show, fronted by Gráinne Seoige, remained "under wraps" yesterday.

However, Seoige said the programme, which will air between 4.30pm and 5pm every weekday from October 2nd, would be "about the issues people are talking about on the day".

"It will be studio-based, with reports inserted . . . It will be very topical with a mix of light and shade. We could focus on anything from the Middle East to Shane Lynch, and will be very keen to get people's opinions. We want people to text in, call in, e-mail." She was excited about her move to RTÉ from Sky News, she said, though added it was "still really weird".

Tails From America is a one-off documentary about the burgeoning US "canine economy" - money spent by owners on their dogs.

Noel Curran, head of RTÉ television, said that although public-service broadcasters across Europe were talking "about crisis, crisis and all the talk is about the threat of satellite television", RTÉ was  holding its own "and we are very proud of that".

He said RTÉ 2, which was relaunched 18 months ago, had overtaken TV3 in viewer numbers in the first six months of this year - the first time since TV3 went on air. He put this down to the station's "growing commitment" to home-made programming, as well as being the first in Europe to air many prime-time US shows.

"Between 2003 and 2005 we have invested €17 million in drama, €18 million in factual and hugely increased our arts expenditure," Curran said.

Among the new arts programmes will be This Note's For You, a six-part series presented by Tom Dunne, filmed in Ireland, Britain, the US and Sweden, looking at what makes a good song.

John Kelly's arts review programme The View returns, as does the Arts Lives series, while journalist Ann Marie Hourihane presents a new series, Pretty In Pink, looking at the "chick-lit" genre of publishing.

Ryan Tubridy said he was "very excited" about the return next month of his Saturday night chat show, Tubridy Tonight.

"I've been in with the team for meetings and we are booking guests already. It's going to run for a longer season this year, from September 23rd until the end of May."

Popular programmes returning include the fashion show Off The Rails, medical drama The Clinic and the comedy drama Bachelors Walk, which sees the lads reuniting, several years on, for a once-off Christmas special.