Over 110 hours of new video and podcast content commissioned in 2024 for Ireland's youngest citizens and their families-RT jr podcast turned TV series Maddie Triggs premieres on 21 October
-Supernatural drama series The Unreal airing on RT One and RT Player
-New animation series Adam Loves Adventure with Adam King
-Christmas Special with The Kabin Crew
RT has today marked its exciting and unique line-up of homegrown Irish content for young audiences across video, audio and online, to inspire, empower, and celebrate Ireland's youngest citizens.
RT continues to collaborate with Ireland's independent sector from new and established animators, to creators, directors and emerging production talent to create world-class content to educate, entertain and inform young Irish audiences. In 2024, RT has commissioned over 70 hours of RT Kids and RT jr video programming and 40 hours of new podcasts. There are currently over 1,000 hours and 5,000 episodes of kids' content available on RT Player, plus over 220 hours of RT jr and RT Kids podcasts for families to enjoy.
From compelling new dramas to world class animations, educational podcasts, series on climate, and daily news, RT 's offering for young people is packed with content that nurtures inclusivity, emotional literacy and environmental responsibility. A diverse range of new content is available across RT jr, RT One, RT 2 and across podcast platforms. Over 1,000 hours of evergreen, ad-free content is also available to stream on RT Player, as well as the RT jr and RT Kids Youtube channels. Little listeners can also discover a world of fun sounds on RT jr radio, with quizzes, drama, science and a host of new podcasts, while rte.ie/learn has a myriad of free educational resources.
Kevin Bakhurst, RT Director General said: Serving Ireland's youngest citizens is a key part of RT 's public service mission and the range of programming and content we are announcing today certainly does that. By dedicating more than 100 hours to telling vibrant, fun and diverse stories which will celebrate and inspire our young people, RT is reaffirming its commitment to young audiences all over the country and demonstrating that they matter. Thank you to all my colleagues across RT and to our partners in the independent sector for putting together a slate we should all be very proud of.
Suzanne Kelly, Head of Children's and Young Peoples Content RT said: RT 's mission is to empower children and young audiences by amplifying their voices and experiences through engaging fun and educational cross-platform content. We strive to create and deliver a safe and inclusive media environment that celebrates diversity, encourages active participation and is an inspiration to and a celebration of children & young people. Our slate of incredible animation & live action content, created in collaboration with the Irish Independent sector, stands testament to this and our ambition is to grow and build on this impressive foundation year-on-year. I am genuinely excited about the calibre of content coming out of Ireland and look forward to showcasing it to our audience.
The Unreal, a new spooky supernatural comedy drama for all the family is currently airing Sundays at 5.30pm on RT One, with the full series RT Player. It all started as an RT jr Podcast, and now Maddie Triggs, narrated by Siobh n McSweeney is coming to screens on October 21st. Adam Loves Adventure, a new animation series starring Late Late Toy Show hero Adam King as a problem-solving space-explorer, will air in 2025.
RT jr will bring lots of Christmas cheer to young audiences with a festive special of Irish language favourite, Fia's Fairies complete with carols as Gaeilge. Cork's finest, The Kabin Crew will cap off a wonderful year, including their recent longlist for the 2025 Grammy Awards, with their very own Christmas Special.
Step into a world of creativity with RT jr! Embark on an artistic adventure with Doodle Girl, which features Irish comedian Tony Cantwell, and This Is Art! Ireland's all-island digital art competition is back and accepting entries all details available at rte.ie/thisisart and you can also check out This Is Art Club! on RT 2 & the RT Player to get inspired by the next generation of Irish artists.
RT continues to educate and empower younger audiences on how they can help to protect our planet. What's Next? is a new future-focused series featuring Demi Issac Oviawe, and The Scavengers is a new environmental animation series set in Ireland in the year 3000.
For younger audiences, Stories from Backwoods follows a city raccoon as she finds her place in a wild forest community, while Where the Wild Geese Go, a new animated documentary series that follows the migration of the light-bellied Brent goose from Ireland to Canada will premiere on RT 2 with Irish language version, it a dT ann na G anna Fi ine also airing. Pre-schoolers can enjoy Hey Fuzzy Yellow, a spirited new spin on childhood edutainment through exploration and play, while a new series of Sir Mouse returns in December.
In the world of children's podcasts, RT jr Radio has over 220 hours of podcasts available. New offerings include Time Tablet, which features curriculum-linked learnings for children from third to sixth classes. Other award-winning podcasts available to stream now include Ecolution, Cereal, and Nero's Class. Plus, Stop the Bus, Storytime Takeover, We Love Books, Our Sustainable Village and Ireland's Unreal continue to offer laughs for children aged 3 and above.
Search www.rte.ie/kids and www.rte.ie/learn to find more information on content and educational resources. A safe space for young people to watch native content, RT jr offers programmes which are ad-free and available in Safe Mode on RT Player.
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