RT announces selection box of treats & Christmas favourites

RT announces selection box of treats & Christmas favourites

RT announces selection box of treats and favourites in Christmas line-up

RT has unveiled its festive line-up with a wide range of brand new home-produced programming across television, radio and online. From the best in Irish comedy to big music specials, live sport and arts documentaries, along with brand new Irish drama, there is bumper selection of programming to keep everyone entertained this Christmas and New Year across RT .

On television on RT One it's a Mrs Brown's Boys bonanza as Brendan O'Carroll's smash hit show returns for two new Christmas specials, airing on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve, plus Mrs Brown's Boys D'Movie is the big movie on Christmas Night. There's a touch of nostalgia on Well Holy God It's Glenroe as cast and crew fondly remember the national Sunday night drama ritual, while on a brand new four-part quiz show, Play it By Year, Mike Murphy challenges contestants with trivia from past decades. The Tommy Tiernan Show sees one of Ireland's favourite comedians take the ingredients of his recent 2FM radio show and bring it to television in this one-off special.

Music fans are in for a treat with brand new programming featuring some of Ireland's favourite artists. On Christmas Eve, Mary Kennedy meets President and Mrs. Higgins as they bring Carols from ras an Uachtar in with musicians including Imelda May, John Sheahan and Mick Flannery. Christy Moore joins the Higher Hopes homeless choirs in Dublin and Waterford to record a two track EP for release this Christmas. Join Daniel O'Donnell and Friends on St Stephen's night as they celebrate Christmas with a night of music and craic at Powerscourt House in Wicklow. On 30 December, The Nathan Carter Show sees the star perform his biggest hits and duets in a one-hour special with musicians including Mary Black and Paddy Casey. And there's new documentaries with footage from the RT archives Luke Kelly: Prince of Dublin and Fab! The Night the Beatles Came To Dublin.

Darragh Maloney will be presenting the RT Sport Awards on 19 December which will celebrate this year's sporting heroes and look back on the dramatic and memorable sporting moments of 2015.

On Christmas Day, Francis and John Brennan are back to undertake a special Christmas project on At Your Service, while on Christmas Eve, Dublin s Shelbourne Hotel gears up to celebrate its 191st Christmas in The Shelbourne at Christmas.

Fair City fans can look forward to an hour long special of their favourite soap on Christmas day. Debbie's wayward son Emmet arrives home and causes more trouble for the O'Briens. The Dillons get an unexpected surprise when Neasa arrives home for Christmas, Paul pulls out all the stops to give the Brennans a Christmas they will never forget while Eillie takes ill and ends up in hospital giving Heather the opportunity to bask in the reflected attention.

Film fans can look forward to premieres including Gravity, which will air on Christmas Eve, Christmas day premieres Oz The Great and The Powerful and Brave, and The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey on St Stephen's Day along with Captain Philips and Lincoln.

Ring in the New Year with Kathryn Thomas and 2FM's Keith Walsh on New Year's Eve Live as they soak up the atmosphere from the VIP Lounge at the New Year's Festival Dublin Three Countdown Concert featuring The Coronas along with special guests Fatboy Slim and Ryan Sheridan. Plus the RT News Review 2015 looks back on the stories that made the year.

In the early New Year, drama fans can look forward to Rebellion, a five-part serial staring Charlie Murphy, Brian Gleeson and Sarah Greene and set over three weeks in Easter 1916 which charts the violent birth of modern Ireland. Operation Transformation will see five new leaders take on the challenge to lose weight, get fit and transform their lives, and The Voice of Ireland returns for a fifth series with coaches Bressie, Rachel Stevens, Una Foden, and Kian Egan all hoping that they'll be the one to find the next Voice of Ireland.

RT 2 has a host of exciting comedy, music and sports this festive season starting with The Al Porter Show on Christmas Eve which promises an evening of all singing, all dancing and a lot of laughs while U2 will be taking centre stage on Christmas Day with their rescheduled U2 iNNOCENCE + eXPERIENCE concert recorded live in Paris. St. Stephen's Day sees Ireland's favourite Queen Panti Bliss looking through the highs and lows of 2015 in Panti Does 2015. Other highlights over the festive period include all the racing highlights from the racing from Leopardstown, comedy from Republic of Telly, Sketch! and Apres Match Of The Day Best Bits; and concerts from Kodaline and Ed Sheeran. And on the cusp of the centenary of 1916 is The Rubberbandits' Guide to 1916 as the boys crash through Irish history from Brian Boru, through the Famine and right up to Irish independence. Plus there is a huge selection of family movies and classics through the festive period from ET to One Direction: This is Us.

This Christmas on RT jr there is a sensational selection of festive family fun for all our viewers including a very special Twig n Christmas Panto!, along with old classics, new favourites and sprinkled with short films of our viewers at Christmas time. And on RT Player binge on your favourite Christmas specials, classic boxsets, and online extras over the festive season with Christmas, New Year and Family collections available on-demand.

RT Radio 1 is out and about broadcasting live with The Ryan Tubridy Show from The Shelbourne Hotel and Dublin Airport, The Ray D'Arcy Show from the Cliff Townhouse Hotel and Joe Duffy with his traditional Christmas Eve on Grafton Street. There are arts, music and cultura

LINK:	http://www.rte.ie/about/en/press-office/press-releases/2015/1202/75076...
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