This is Nightlive
Encyclopedia
This is Nightlive was an Irish
satire television series broadcast on RTÉ Two
. It was created by John Ryan
who also starred in the series .
. Their leader Johnny Hansom is given his own identity. It is said that he was born Declan Foley and is an "increasingly unhinged" former DJ. Úna Óg Nic Ní Súillicáint is his beautiful new co-host who possesses an extraordinary mix of occasionally contradictory Irish language names. The entertainment correspondent is Jackie Byrne-Daly, the sports reporter is Trevor Corocran and the weatherman is Mike "Cloudy" Walsh.
Reviews of the show were negative. John Boland of the Irish Independent
, was unamused with the "lame delivery" and the lack of a good script. It also failed to generate any great public interest, and was watched by an exceptionally small numbers of viewers.
A show source was reported to have expressed the discomfort felt by the actors after encountering the newscasters, weather people and presenters they are parodying in the RTÉ canteen, with one such incident occurring in the corridor outside the studio directly after the professional in question was filmed for the first episode.
Complaints against the show were subsequently upheld by Ireland's Broadcasting Commission on the grounds of its poor taste in featuring terminally-ill children for comic effect.
The first programme attracted 89,000 viewers, according to RTÉ. The second programme led to a decrease in viewing figures to 76,00o, and the viewership stayed very low for the remainder of the series.
who was apparently parodied in it. She thought her character was "hilarious". The Evening Herald
also noted the show's improvement towards the end of its run, believing that a few of the jokes in the final episode were "sharper than usual", and praised the "decent" idea of having Hansom copying "a Peter Finch
-in-Network and getting the sack". (Of course, In Network the character played by Peter Finch does not end up getting the sack - but is actually assassinated.) The newspaper stated, in double-edged praise, that the funniest element in the entire programme was the brief, ticker-tape headlines rolling across the bottom of the screen, including the self-mocking joke by Ryan – “That loser who used to run a dog magazine”.
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
satire television series broadcast on RTÉ Two
RTÉ Two
RTÉ Two is a free-to-air general entertainment channel operated by Irish state broadcaster Raidió Teilifís Éireann. RTÉ Two is available throughout the island of Ireland through digital terrestrial service Saorview, VHF and UHF bands, and is also available via satellite to Irish subscribers of...
. It was created by John Ryan
John Ryan (publisher)
John Ryan is an Irish former publishing tycoon-turned comic actor/writer. He is best known for his publishing empire which included the magazine New York Dog and the website blogorrah.com, he did achieve success with magazines such as VIP with former business partner, Michael O'Doherty...
who also starred in the series .
Story and Plot
The fictitious newsroom in question is said to have been operating for four years and has claimed the accolade of best-dressed current-affairs team at the 2008 VIP Style AwardsVIP Style Awards
The VIP Style Awards is an annual awards ceremony which takes place in the Republic of Ireland...
. Their leader Johnny Hansom is given his own identity. It is said that he was born Declan Foley and is an "increasingly unhinged" former DJ. Úna Óg Nic Ní Súillicáint is his beautiful new co-host who possesses an extraordinary mix of occasionally contradictory Irish language names. The entertainment correspondent is Jackie Byrne-Daly, the sports reporter is Trevor Corocran and the weatherman is Mike "Cloudy" Walsh.
Reception
Fears were expressed in the build-up to the launch of the show that it would be the subject of much criticism. RTÉ did not send out any advance tapes to the pressReviews of the show were negative. John Boland of the Irish Independent
Irish Independent
The Irish Independent is Ireland's largest-selling daily newspaper that is published in both compact and broadsheet formats. It is the flagship publication of Independent News & Media.-History:...
, was unamused with the "lame delivery" and the lack of a good script. It also failed to generate any great public interest, and was watched by an exceptionally small numbers of viewers.
A show source was reported to have expressed the discomfort felt by the actors after encountering the newscasters, weather people and presenters they are parodying in the RTÉ canteen, with one such incident occurring in the corridor outside the studio directly after the professional in question was filmed for the first episode.
Complaints against the show were subsequently upheld by Ireland's Broadcasting Commission on the grounds of its poor taste in featuring terminally-ill children for comic effect.
The first programme attracted 89,000 viewers, according to RTÉ. The second programme led to a decrease in viewing figures to 76,00o, and the viewership stayed very low for the remainder of the series.
Praise
One of the few people to praise the show was the former TV3 television presenter Lorraine KeaneLorraine Keane
Lorraine Keane is an IFTA-nominated Irish broadcaster and journalist.She is best known known as leader of the "Xposé girls", a team of female television presenters who feature on TV3's daily fashion and celebrity lifestyle show from which their title is drawn and of which Keane was the anchor.Keane...
who was apparently parodied in it. She thought her character was "hilarious". The Evening Herald
Evening Herald
The Evening Herald is a mid-market tabloid evening newspaper published in Dublin, Ireland by Independent News & Media. It is published Monday-Saturday, and has three editions — City Edition, City Final Edition and National Edition...
also noted the show's improvement towards the end of its run, believing that a few of the jokes in the final episode were "sharper than usual", and praised the "decent" idea of having Hansom copying "a Peter Finch
Peter Finch
Peter Finch was a British-born Australian actor. He is best remembered for his role as "crazed" television anchorman Howard Beale in the film Network, which earned him a posthumous Academy Award for Best Actor, his fifth Best Actor award from the British Academy of Film and Television Arts, and a...
-in-Network and getting the sack". (Of course, In Network the character played by Peter Finch does not end up getting the sack - but is actually assassinated.) The newspaper stated, in double-edged praise, that the funniest element in the entire programme was the brief, ticker-tape headlines rolling across the bottom of the screen, including the self-mocking joke by Ryan – “That loser who used to run a dog magazine”.