Homeless choir and Rachel Allen's cooking give UK viewers a taste of Ireland

Dublin/London, November 18 2015:

RTÉ GLOBAL, the programme sales and format division of RTÉ Television, reports that it has sold two of its top primetime series to UKTV: The High Hopes Choir (3 x 52 mins) and Rachel Allen's Coastal Cooking (13 x 30 mins)

Tyrone Production's The High Hopes Choir is an inspirational series about Ireland's first choir of homeless people, who come together over two months to create a charity single. Led by charismatic conductor David Brophy, aided by a number of key homeless charities, the series follows the choir's first discordant rehearsals to recording Kodaline's High Hopes and releasing it as a single which has been made available for download in the UK on itunes.

Highlights along the way include performing at a charity gala concert in Dublin's Christchurch Cathedral, accompanied by the RTÉ Philharmonic Orchestra, Lisa Hannigan and Brian Kennedy, and being mentored by Ed Sheeran, former Westlife star Shane Filan and The Voice of Ireland judge Bressie.

“In just eight weeks through 20 rehearsals and over 1,200 cups of tea and coffee, more than 60 people — all dealing with Ireland's homeless crisis — reach beyond the stars,” said Brophy of the ambitious, performance-led project, which aims to change the public's perception of what it means to be homeless, and raise funds to help tackle the cycle of homelessness.

The High Hopes Choir was first broadcast in December 2014 on RTÉ One. The Irish public broadcaster has now commissioned a follow-up documentary called Higher Hopes, which will look at what has happened to the choir and its members a year on.

Edel Edwards, head of sales at RTÉ Global, said: “The High Hopes Choir is an amazing and uplifting piece of television that shows what can be achieved when a great creative idea is harnessed to a real social cause. When it debuted in Ireland, it was hailed — with justification — as one of the best documentary series that RTÉ has ever made. I'm sure that UKTV's viewers will find it as powerful and as moving as their Irish cousins.”

UKTV has also recently acquired Liverpool Street Productions' Rachel Allen's Coastal Cooking, which will air on the Good Food Channel this Autumn. Shot entirely on location on the dramatic western coast of Ireland, the part travelogue, part cookery show follows chef Rachel Allen as she immerses herself in her home country's stunning scenery, mouth-watering recipes, world-class ingredients and unforgettable characters.

To download ‘High Hopes' the charity single – follow this link:

https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/high-hopes/id930663617?i=930663623

About RTÉ Global: https://global.rte.ie/home/

RTÉ Global exploits Irish content across all genres, including drama, documentary and formats. Its recent successes include the award-winning Dublin-based gangster series Love/Hate, which aired on Channel 5 in the UK, and missing-persons drama Amber, which aired on BBC 4. RTÉ Global is now focusing on stepping up its drama development through new co-production and co-funding initiatives, with the success of Mrs Brown's Boys — a BBC Scotland/RTÉ co-production — demonstrating the appetite for such joint ventures.

For further information, please contact:
Cheryl Clarke at Mushroom Media on:
Tel: +44 (0)7939554109
E:cheryl@mushroom-media.co.uk