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RTÉ News
11 hours ago
- Entertainment
- RTÉ News
BeddyByes: The RTÉjr show made especially for bedtime
It's not every day we are telling everyone about a show that could put you to sleep, but BeddyByes is different. The new RTÉjr animation is all about helping parents and caregivers win the bedtime battle. BeddyByes, narrated by Dawn French, sees best friends MeMo and BaBa travel across the remarkable Planet BeddyByes, meeting new and familiar faces on their mindful and soothing journey to sleep. Stream the first 10 episodes of BeddyByes on RTÉ Player here now! Every night, young viewers embark on magical journeys encountering fantastical, adorable characters uniquely designed to captivate and calm young minds. This beautiful series from JAM Media is a great tool for parents aimed at smallies, helping to transform sleep struggles to delightful snuggles. Sleep psychologist Dr Jacqueline Harding, MA Cert Ed SFHEA acted as a special advisor on the show. She says: "BeddyByes offers calming, structured content designed to provide safety, reduce anxiety, and support children's natural need for routine, beautifully communicating that bedtime is near and all is well." The science of bedtime At its core, BeddyByes leverages extensive research in childhood sleep science, combining gentle storytelling, carefully calibrated pacing, and beautifully soft visuals and soundscapes to gently ease children from active playtime into restful sleep. This considered approach helps make bedtime easier, helping to reduce stress and create peaceful nightly routines for both children and adults.
RTÉ News
12 hours ago
- Entertainment
- RTÉ News
Careful, now - the 10 best Father Ted episodes, ranked!
It's one of the best sitcoms of all time, and certainly one of the most iconic and beloved Irish shows ever. If you want to spark a lively debate across a pub table, however, you need only utter the words: 'What's the best Father Ted episode?' With Ted, Dougal, Jack, Mrs. Doyle and the assortment of characters that first set foot on Craggy Island celebrating their 30th anniversary, it's as good a time as ever to put ten of the show's best episodes in order. And if you don't agree? Well, that would be an ecumenical matter. 10. Flight Into Terror The tenth episode of Season 2 was a doozy, not least because of the proliferation of various other characters (including the glorious return of Fr. Noel Furlong and Fr. Fintan Fay, aka the Monkey Priest), but because of the superb gags that continue to resonate in everyday life. Hands up if you've ever seen a big red button and thought of Dougal? The priests found themselves in mortal danger as they returned from a pilgrimage to a golf course where an apparition of the Virgin Mary appeared. When Jack steals the only two parachutes on board - one for him, the other for the drinks trolley - it's up to Ted to save the day (Watch here, via RTÉ Player) 9. The Passion of St. Tibulus The phrases 'Careful now' and 'Down with this sort of thing' have become legend amongst Ted fans, and this was the episode that spawned those rallying cries. Bishop Brennan arrives on Craggy Island to insist that Ted and Dougal protest against the local cinema's showing of a racy religious film. When their protest inadvertently ends up making it a hit ("they're coming from Gdansk!"), Brennan threatens to exile them to terrible parishes - until Jack finds an incriminating VHS tape. The subtle skewering of figures like Eamon Casey and Michael Cleary was the cherry on the cake (Watch here, via RTÉ Player) 8. The Mainland The Craggy Island contingent make a rare trip to the mainland to run a variety of errands, and needless to say, things don't quite go to plan. From Ted and Dougal getting lost in the Very Dark Caves (where they're tortured by Fr. Noel Furlong's rendition of Bohemian Rhapsody), to Jack being attacked by crows, to Mrs. Doyle ending up in jail (and Dougal trying to order a bag of chips and a can of Fanta at the Garda Station), Richard Wilson's guest turn is only one of the best things about this brilliant episode (Watch here, via RTÉ Player) 7. Old Grey Whistle Theft The fourth episode of series two saw one of the most enduring guest characters - Father Damo Lennon - make himself known to the audience in glorious fashion; 'Blur or Oasis?' has never been weighted with so much gravitas. As the rebellious Damo leads Dougal astray, Craggy Island is rocked by the scandal of a stolen whistle: who is the thief? The writing in this episode is astoundingly good, from the bullish couple that Ted and Jack encounter on their picnic (F-U-P-O-F-F) to Jack's ability to name 'Jacob's Creek chardonnay 1991!' from the clink of a bottle, to the helicopter scene and the references to Boyz N the Hood (Watch here, via RTÉ Player) 6. Kicking Bishop Brennan Up the Arse Both Graham Linehan and Arthur Mathews named this episode as their personal favourite, and it's definitely one of the best. In the previous episode (Escape from Victory), Ted's Craggy Island team had lost the Over-75s football tournament to his arch-nemesis Dick Byrne. The forfeit? Kicking Bishop Brennan up the arse. A likeness of the bishop has apparently appeared on a skirting board of the Craggy Island parochial house, and he arrives with Fr. Jessup - The Most Sarcastic Priest in Ireland - in tow to inspect it. From the 'very crude watercolour painting of a man in a bishop's hat', to the back-and-forth between Mrs. Doyle and Fr. Jessup, this episode is a total joy (Watch here, via RTÉ Player) 5. The Plague Another one that features the indomitable Bishop Brennan (Jim Norton), who arrives at Craggy Island to inspect the sleeping arrangements of Jack, who has taken to frightening the locals by sleepwalking nude. When he encounters Dougal's new pet rabbit Sampras - and Bishop Brennan is not a fan of rabbits, having been trapped in a lift with them once - Ted and Dougal's attempts to remove the bunnies prove futile. They eventually realise that the rabbits are attracted to Jack's scent, but by then, it's much too late. A farcical delight with a multitude of priceless one-liners (Watch here, via RTÉ Player) 4. Hell There are so many memorable moments in Hell that it quite simply deserves to rank within the top 5. Ted, Dougal and Jack go on holiday to the most depressing caravan in Ireland, where they inadvertently become the local peeping toms and have their trip gatecrashed by Fr. Noel Furlong and the St. Luke's Youth Group. Graham Norton's turn as the irritating priest is up there as one the funniest comedy characters in any sitcom, ever. It's also the episode that brought us the legendary 'small, far away' scene (Watch here, via RTÉ Player) 3. A Song for Europe It's not just because of the glorious My Lovely Horse, or because it so perfectly lampoons the Irish experience of Eurovision in the 1990s. Like most of the truly great Father Ted episodes, it's the little asides and in-jokes that keep the laughs coming in A Song for Europe - like Ted's meltdown during their writing session ("Just play the f**king note!"), Jack's reaction to their performance (shooting Ted's guitar with a shotgun), even Dougal's penchant for wearing an Ireland jersey in bed. An episode that never gets old (Watch here, via RTÉ Player) 2. New Jack City Brendan Grace was just one of the famous names in comedy to make a cameo in Father Ted, but the late Dubliner's turn as Fr. Fintan Stack was undoubtedly one of the best. When Jack is consigned to St. Clabbert's Hospital after contracting Hairy Hands Syndrome, his replacement Fr. Stack - an obnoxious, uncouth, jungle-loving terror who enjoys drilling holes in the wall - sets the cat amongst the pigeons at the parochial house. Again, the little asides in this episode, from a very drunk Dougal ("We're all going to heaven lads, waheyyyy!") to the 'Sports Day' video that Ted and his friends are watching, are superb - as is Brendan Grace, who nails the sociopathic Fr. Stack (Watch here, via RTÉ Player) 1. Speed 3 It's a tough call, but it's the right one. Speed 3 is the best Father Ted episode for a multitude of reasons - the writing, the acting, the clever references and the sheer ludicrousness of the plot - but mostly because it's one you can watch over and over again. When local lothario milkman Pat Mustard (Pat Laffan) arrives on Craggy Island and starts knocking up the local housewives, Ted makes it his business to get him fired. His revenge? A bomb on a milk cart driven by Dougal. This is also hands-down one of the quotable episodes, from 'Is there anything to be said for saying another Mass?' to 'I love my brick' to 'Those women were in the nip!' It also characterised the relationship between Ted (the late, great Dermot Morgan) and the hapless Dougal (the superb Ardal O'Hanlon) wonderfully. You will never get tired of watching Speed 3
RTÉ News
a day ago
- Entertainment
- RTÉ News
Sunday's Fair City: 'I have had it with you!'
Melanie unleashes the fury and Joan is on the receiving end in Sunday's Fair City on RTÉ One and the RTÉ Player. She lets fly after being scolded for a small mistake by her boss. "I mean, you had one job," says Joan. "One job?!" shouts Melanie. "Are you trying to be funny?!" "Pardon?" says Joan. "I was busy enough with my own work," Melanie replies. "And then you send me off in a cab chasing paperwork when all I want to do is shift this never-ending pile of crap off my desk! One job, Joan?!" "Melanie, we are all busy," says Joan, raising her voice. "No, look at me - look at me!" Melanie continues. "I am one person. I have had it with you, Joan! Do you hear me?!" Fans can watch what happens next on Sunday on RTÉ One and the RTÉ Player at 8:30pm.
Irish Independent
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Independent
Colin Farrell to narrate new RTÉ documentary series about the history of Ireland
The RTÉ series From The Small Island was shot on location in 17 countries, including Ireland, Barbados, Belgium, Singapore, Switzerland, the United States and the United Arab Emirates. It aims to tell the story of the Irish people, with the first episode going back to the ancient Céide Fields and the earliest settlers, including the discovery of the remains of a baby with the Down Syndrome gene who was cared for over 5,000 years ago. The series will also touch on the Viking invasions, the Christianisation of Ireland and the modern day. It will also include the television debut of the face of 'Rathlin Man', a 4,000-year-old ancestor whose face was reconstructed using cutting-edge DNA technology, the history of the first written reference to hurling and forgotten Irish explorers. The programme will also touch on the 'darker chapters of Irish history', from cannibalism and plague to Irish involvement in the transatlantic slave trade. A Mayo-born general who rose through the ranks to lead the Argentinian army will also have his story told alongside the tale of the Irish-language printing press in Leuven, Belgium, and the Longford priest who heard the final confession of King Louis XVI. From That Small Island - The Story of the Irish, which is produced by the team behind 1916: The Irish Rebellion, will premier on Sunday 8 June at 6.30pm on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player. According to the promotional material, the show will answer the questions: 'Who are the Irish? Where did they come from? Why does the world turn green every St Patrick's Day?' It is created by writer and fimmaker Bríona Nic Dhiarmada and directed by Rachael Moriarty and Peter Murphy, while actor Colin Farrell is the narrator. It will also feature an original score from Irish composer Colm Mac Con Iomaire.
RTÉ News
a day ago
- Entertainment
- RTÉ News
Colin Farrell traces 8,000 years of Irish history in new series on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player
Colin Farrell narrates From That Small Island - The Story of the Irish, a new four-part documentary series coming to RTÉ One and RTÉ Player next month. Premiering on Sunday 8 June at 6:30pm, the series will bring to life "the extraordinary story of the Irish people, from the island's very first inhabitants to the global diaspora that now numbers over 80 million people". From That Small Island is created by the writer and filmmaker Bríona Nic Dhiarmada and produced by the award-winning team behind 1916: The Irish Rebellion. Along with filming across the island of Ireland, the programme makers have also travelled "from Barbados to Belgium, Singapore to Switzerland, UAE to the United States". "In the first episode, viewers are taken back to the ancient Céide Fields and introduced to the earliest settlers, including the remarkable discovery of the remains of a baby with the Down Syndrome gene, cared for and breastfed over 5,000 years ago," says the team. "The series then moves through millennia, from the Viking invasions and Christianisation of Ireland to the modern era, all while spotlighting personal stories and seldom-told truths." Highlights from the series include: The television debut of the face of 'Rathlin Man', a 4,000-year-old ancestor whose face was reconstructed using cutting-edge DNA technology. The first written reference to hurling. Darker chapters of Irish history, from cannibalism and plague to Irish involvement in the transatlantic slave trade. Forgotten Irish explorers: a Galway man on Columbus's 1492 voyage and two more on Magellan's circumnavigation. A Mayo-born general who rose through the ranks to lead the Argentinian army. The Irish-language printing press in Leuven, Belgium, and the Longford priest who heard the final confession of King Louis XVI. From That Small Island - The Story of the Irish is a COCO Content production written and produced by Bríona Nic Dhiarmada and directed by Rachael Moriarty and Peter Murphy. It begins on Sunday 8 June on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player.
