TV3 plans to air a new chat show fronted by presenter Brendan Courtney, despite the failure of its last attempt featuring Eamon Dunphy.
The new show is likely to be broadcast during the week and is not expected to be as expensive as the Dunphy show, which competed directly against RTÉ's Late, Late Show. According to the station, the new show will have "its own stamp on the world of showbiz and entertainment".
A statement from the station said: "Filmed weekly from a Dublin venue, in front of an invited audience, the one-hour entertainment show will also take a wry look at the week's news and bring some unexpected twists as the host unleashes comedy challenges and stunts on the public."
Courtney began his television career in Ireland as a researcher, before creating and presenting the dating show, Wanderlust, for three years. The format was sold in 11 countries. He was GI magazine's contributing editor until recently and has set up his own production company.
Details about the chat show were released when the station presented its autumn schedule in Dublin yesterday.
Speaking at the event, director of programming Matthew Salway said: "This is the strongest line-up of programmes for TV3 in years. There will be more than 20 hours of new prime-time programming every week, with more than 15 new series up to Christmas."
He continued: "It is important to remember that nearly a third of TV3's output is produced in this country. We do what we do very successfully and without the help of the licence fee."
Among the new series is Celebrity Shark Bait, where a group of celebrities get into the water with a great white. Another programme, Chasing the Lions, is a light-hearted and irreverent documentary about the British and Irish Lions rugby tour of New Zealand in June and July 2005. It will feature Hector Ó hEochagáin and Risteard Cooper of the Après Match comedy group.