July
2021
RTÉ PROGRAMME SALES UNVEILS NEW PREMIUM DOCUMENTARIES
RTÉ Programme Sales has secured the distribution rights to two premium documentaries: Donal Moloney's Let the Rest of the World Go By and Ruán Magan'sThe Hunger: The Story of the Irish Famine. The distributor has also licensed the entire back catalogue of COCO Content's hit home-design series Room To Improve to Channel 5, following the strong performance of seasons eight-to-12 on the UK channel.
Let the Rest of the World Go By (1 x 60 mins) tells the story of Matt Murphy, an elderly gentleman in failing health, who married his best male friend, Michael O'Sullivan, in order to leave his house to Michael — inheritance-tax free. The news caused a sensation in Ireland, with some criticising the pair for debasing the sanctity of marriage and others applauding the kindness and love at the heart of decision. Described by top UK presenter Graham Norton “sweet, lovely but you do weep buckets at the end”, Let the Rest of the World Go By has already been picked up by UR in Sweden and Spafax for Aer Lingus.
Also new to RTÉ Programme Sales documentary slate is The Hunger: The Story of the Irish Famine (2 x 60 mins or 1 x 90 mins), which mines new research to tell the definitive story of the worst humanitarian disaster in Irish history. Narrated byLiam Neeson, the documentary is produced by Tyrone Productions and Create One in association with University College Cork, RTÉ and ARTE. “The Hunger is a compelling series for all generations to watch and learn from,” Neeson said. “The Famine spawned the global Irish diaspora of 70 million around the world, over 30 million of which are in the US. Being one of the global Irish, I felt it was important to be involved in the series…”
Edel Edwards, head of programme sales at RTÉ Programme Sales, said: “Documentaries like Let the Rest of The World Go By and The Hunger drive home the privilege of representing the very best of your country's storytelling. Donal Moloney's film is a touching tribute to the power of friendship — and the world certainly need stories about friendship right now. Ruán Magan'sThe Hunger is a clear and candid examination of Ireland's Great Famine, a catastrophic event that not only changed Ireland for ever, but rewrote the history of the world. We are immensely proud to bring both of these powerful films to market.”
In lifestyle news, Channel 5 has acquired the first seven seasons of Room to Improve, alongside a two-hour special. Representing 33 hours of primetime programming, the deal follows the UK channel's acquisition earlier in the summer of the last five series of the show, which have been stripped daily in a mid-morning slot since mid-May. The series follows one of Ireland's most respected architects, Dermot Bannon, as he sets out to create a range of beautifully designed and cleverly built homes. Now heading into its 13th season on RTÉ One, Room to Improve delivers an average 44.8% share for Ireland's most popular channel, where it airs in a primetime Sunday slot.
Other recent deals for Room To Improveinclude Kontent LLC for Russia, The Home Channel in South Africa, AMC Networks for Spektrum Home in Hungary, Czech Republic and Slovakia, and a number of SVOD and AVOD platforms..
RTÉ has also greenlit a second series ofCheap Irish Homes (12 x 30 mins), which will join the Irish public broadcaster's line-up of successful lifestyle programming on RTÉ One. The series follows host Maggie Molloy as she shines a light on the secret side of the Irish property market and helps house-hunters to find properties under the €100,000 mark.
About Let the Rest of the World Go By (1 x 60 mins) Donal Moloney's Let the Rest of the World Go By tells the intimate story of an elderly gentleman in failing health who wants nothing more than to love and be loved — even if that means marrying his male best friend to comply with tax guidelines. Before long, the friends are up to their necks in doctors, lawyers, certificates of compos mentis and validation from government officials as their open admission of a same-sex marriage for inheritance reasons sparks a conversation across Ireland. Let the Rest of the World Go By not only explores themes of love, trust, friendship and inheritance, but also the wider implications of ageing populations, the crisis in care-giving and the meaning of the vow ‘until death do us part'. About The Hunger: The Story of the Irish Famine (2 x 60 mins or 1 x 90 mins) Narrated by Liam Neeson, the ground-breaking documentary explores the Great Famine's international origins and charts its long-term legacy over the century that followed. Today, the Irish famine is recognised as the worst humanitarian disaster of the 19th century but what is less well known is its impact beyond Ireland's shores. The story of the deadly potato-blight pathogen started in the Andes before moving into northern Europe, where the collapse of continent's potato crops caused the death of 100,000 people, adding further fuel to the social tensions that led to Europe's year of revolution in 1848.
Featuring insights from Irish and international academics, chillingly stark narration, rare contemporary illustrations, stunning cinematography and an original music score, The Hunger delivers a heart-wrenching and thought-provoking analysis of an catastrophe that changed the history of the world. About RTÉ Programme Sales RTÉ Programme Sales exploits Irish content across all genres, including drama, documentary and formats, offering distinctive, high-quality content for broadcast on content platforms of all types worldwide. RTÉ Programme Sales represents a network of top Irish producers, both in-house and independent, whose quality content attracts global audiences. For further information please contact: Cheryl Clarke atMushroom Mediaon:
Tel:+44 (0)7939554109
E:cheryl@mushroom-media.co.uk
About Let the Rest of the World Go By (1 x 60 mins) Donal Moloney's Let the Rest of the World Go By tells the intimate story of an elderly gentleman in failing health who wants nothing more than to love and be loved — even if that means marrying his male best friend to comply with tax guidelines. Before long, the friends are up to their necks in doctors, lawyers, certificates of compos mentis and validation from government officials as their open admission of a same-sex marriage for inheritance reasons sparks a conversation across Ireland. Let the Rest of the World Go By not only explores themes of love, trust, friendship and inheritance, but also the wider implications of ageing populations, the crisis in care-giving and the meaning of the vow ‘until death do us part'. About The Hunger: The Story of the Irish Famine (2 x 60 mins or 1 x 90 mins) Narrated by Liam Neeson, the ground-breaking documentary explores the Great Famine's international origins and charts its long-term legacy over the century that followed. Today, the Irish famine is recognised as the worst humanitarian disaster of the 19th century but what is less well known is its impact beyond Ireland's shores. The story of the deadly potato-blight pathogen started in the Andes before moving into northern Europe, where the collapse of continent's potato crops caused the death of 100,000 people, adding further fuel to the social tensions that led to Europe's year of revolution in 1848.
Featuring insights from Irish and international academics, chillingly stark narration, rare contemporary illustrations, stunning cinematography and an original music score, The Hunger delivers a heart-wrenching and thought-provoking analysis of an catastrophe that changed the history of the world. About RTÉ Programme Sales RTÉ Programme Sales exploits Irish content across all genres, including drama, documentary and formats, offering distinctive, high-quality content for broadcast on content platforms of all types worldwide. RTÉ Programme Sales represents a network of top Irish producers, both in-house and independent, whose quality content attracts global audiences. For further information please contact: Cheryl Clarke atMushroom Mediaon:
Tel:+44 (0)7939554109
E:cheryl@mushroom-media.co.uk