RTÉ’S NEW SEASON includes programmes about Irish nature, sport, health, history and comedy, the broadcaster has announced.

RTÉ is launching its new season today, revealing its planned shows for the coming months.

The national broadcaster is still trying to rebuild public trust after the series of controversies it has been embroiled in over the last year.

Director General Kevin Bakhurst has said that the programmes and series in the upcoming season “reflect the diverse and vibrant life of this island and its people”.

He said that “in a world increasingly saturated with media choices, competition from other markets and misinformation”, he hopes that RTÉ can “offer unique home-grown public service content and be a trusted source of reliable news”.

The new season will see the return of popular programmes like The Late Late Show (of course), Dancing With The Stars, Room to Improve, Ireland’s Fittest Family, The Tommy Tiernan Show and To Hell and Back, to name a few. 

A two-part Scannal special titled Savita will remember Savita Halappanavar, her tragic death, and the role her experience played in repealing the eighth amendment. 

Angela Scanlon will narrate a programme called Anorexia, My Family and Me which follows three families affected by the eating disorder.

Looking to history, Leathered will examine the dark history of corporal punishment in Irish schools, while a two-part documentary called Noraid: Irish-America and the IRA looks at Irish-American involvement in the Provisional IRA’s armed campaign. Blindboy: The Land of Slaves and Scholars will explore the origins and legacy of early Irish Christianity.

Turning to nature and climate, Ireland’s Coast (narrated by Ciarán Hinds) will explore Ireland’s coastal biodiversity, Heated returns with more stories about climate actions; and Scéalta na Lochanna will paint a picture of the history and wildlife of Lough Corrib and Lough Neagh. 

On the entertainment side, No Worries If Not! will return with sketches from young Irish comedians,  Love in the Country will explore modern love in rural Ireland, and there’ll be two special episodes of Mrs Brown’s Boys at Christmas.

Despite their high-profile departure from 2FM, Johnny Smacks and Johnny B return to RTÉ television with the second series of The 2 Johnnies’ Late Night Lock-In

Sports programming will include coverage of select UEFA, GAA, URC and Six Nations games, as well as the men’s and women’s FAI Cup Finals, along with the RTÉ Sport Awards in December.