The Late Late Toy Show kicked off the festive season with a massive virtual hug last Friday and now it's officially beginning to look a lot like Christmas across RT television, radio, and online, with a fabulous selection of entertainment for the festive season. There's something for everyone with brand new music shows, award-winning animation, comedy, festive soap drama, movie premieres, cracking live sport, compelling documentaries and all sorts of family entertainment as RT gets set to up wrap up 2020 and ring in the New Year. This Christmas, we all need fun and escapism like never before and so RT has lined up the very best in entertainment for the whole family.Bumper Movies
There's nothing like Movies to provide some escapism and there will be plenty to choose from on RT including the Irish TV premiere of Angela's Christmas Wishairing on Christmas Day. This heart-warming animated tale from Ireland's Brown Bag Films is the sequel to the Emmy nominated special, Angela's Christmas, and tells the story of a determined little girl who sets out to reunite her family in time for Christmas. Based on characters by author Frank McCourt, it features the vocal talent of Ruth Negga, Jared Harris, and Catriona Balfe.
Other Irish movie premieres include Dublin Old School, starring Emmet Kirwan, who reconnects with his estranged brother, a recovering addict living on the streets; Zoo, a charming film about a young boy and his friends who rescue a baby elephant from Belfast Zoo during WWII; and delightful Irish made animation special, The Overcoat, by Dublin based animation house, Giant, with the lead character voiced by Cillian Murphy. Other big hit movies include Peter Rabbit, Coco, A Star is Born, The Greatest Showman, Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again, Star Wars: The Last Jedi and Jurassic World Fallen Kingdom.
Family Entertainment
Full-on Family Entertainment is what's needed this Christmas and it's guaranteed when Jennifer Zamparelli and Nicky Byrne get their sparkle back on and remember more footloose and fancy-free times as they look back over some magical and occasionally hilarious moments in a one-hour Dancing with the Stars special. The whole family will also love The Den's Christmas Special as the latest series comes to a close. Join the madness and mayhem with Ray, Zig and Zag, and Dustin for a final hooley, a laugh, some special guests, and maybe even a tear or two as they bring this much-loved series to a close.
On December 31st the whole family can join in a special New Year's Eve Countdown with music, comedy, and chat live from The Gaiety Theatre in the heart of Dublin.
Top Notch Comedy
Top notch Comedy craic this Christmas comes courtesy of The 2 Johnnies, the likely lads from Cahir, Co Tipperary who are primed to set Christmas ablaze. We can all look forward to two spanking new episodes of Mrs Brown's Boys on RT One on Christmas Day and New Year's Eve, in which we see how Mrs Brown and all the crew in Finglas are coping with lockdown life. We all know 2020 was a year like no other so who better than Oliver Callan to take a romp through a year we'll all be glad to see the back of, in Callan Kicks the Year. On the RT Player, Reeling in the Fears, written by Joanne McNally and presented by Doireann Garrihy is a satirical and chaotic look back at the year in a desperate attempt to find the positives.
Documentaries
Stories of who we are as a nation and what we hold dear are told in a special selection of Documentaries for all interests this season. In Fungie's Kingdom, Baz Ashmawy makes the trip to Dingle in the aftermath of the Dingle Dolphin's disappearance to explore the magic and the mystery of the cheeky, solitary, wild dolphin who made Dingle Bay his home for 37 years. In The Real Field, John B Keane's son, the broadcaster and writer Billy Keane goes in search of the truth behind the murder that inspired his father's most famous work. This intriguing documentary Includes interviews with Jim Sheridan, Noel Pearson, Garry Hynes, and Michael Harding. (The 1990 original Jim Sheridan classic film The Field will air immediately afterwards.)
Music at Christmas
Music features strongly this Christmas and on New Year's Eve, Nicky Byrne presents Soundtrack of My Lifefeaturing the RT Concert Orchestra playing a selection of greatest hits and familiar floor-fillers with Kodaline and special guests including Jack L, Loah and many more. The Queen of Nashville, Dolly Parton, joins Ryan Tubridy for a star-studded Late Late Show Country Christmas Special on December 11th and our own Irish country stars will also be on hand with some of their own favourite Christmas hits. This year marks the 25th anniversary of Riverdance with a special anniversary show and CLANNAD: A Celtic Dream Bl thnaid N Chofaigh travels to Donegal to meet the band and reflect on a remarkable fifty-year journey. Ruth Smith and Mary Kennedy present Christmas at Home, with a rich array of musical talent, including Celine Byrne, na Healy, Ray Lynam, Mick Flannery, teenage YouTube sensation Allie Sherlock, the RT Concert Orchestra and Cor na n g. With the ongoing pandemic, this year the iconic Christmas Busk' that takes place annually on our streets can't happen. With no live performances this year, Glen Hansard and friends take a look back at some of the most memorable moments from the busk over the years, raising awareness around homelessness in a year when it's needed more than ever. Don't miss The Busk A Decade of Christmas on Grafton Street on December 18th, an unforgettable night celebrating the best of Irish music, songs, and stories. On the same night,The Late Late Show will have some of the biggest global superstars of rock music take their legendary Grafton Street Christmas Eve busk for the Simon Community indo
