Category: TV & Radio

In search of an anchor of permanence

As I was saying at the end of last week’s article, the turnout in the General Election was disappointing – 59.7%? Do we value our democracy enough? On Morning Ireland (RTÉ Radio 1, Tuesday) we heard from Art O’Leary, CEO of the Electoral Commission, pointing that one of the problems outlined was inaccuracy in the…

A richness that is missing

Judging by exit polls from our own General Election and the US Presidential Election, immigration wasn’t as much of a concern to the voters as we might have thought from watching the aggro on the streets and in the tweets. Heart and Soul (BBC World Service, Friday) took a personal and spiritual approach to the…

Crude language and moral-flaws blindness

Sometimes you expect a lot from a programme and are disappointed, sometimes you expect little and are pleasantly surprised, sometimes you want so badly a programme to be good and it lets you down.  I had a variety of these feelings in relation to the three programmes under review this week. Our Divine Sparks (RTE…

What are we trying to achieve?

When you see tragedies reported in the media, you feel sympathy, but it can be impersonal, unless it hits close to home. As I was watching the Nine News (RTE One, Tuesday) I was sad to hear of a man drowned in Galway. But then towards the end it was announced the deceased was singer-songwriter…

The constant conflict of ideas

When Donald Trump was first elected President of the USA, I wrote that I had a feeling of dread. This time I have that same feeling, but it is mixed with curiosity – Trump is so unpredictable that anything could happen, from World War 3 to World peace. Worrying and intriguing times ahead! A few…

The spirit of the age

Is a crime motivated by hate worse than one motivated by greed, or anger, or lust or indeed any one of the other deadly sins? What if motives are mixed, as they often are?  Should the law treat a perpetrator more harshly depending on the motivation? I’m not convinced. Such questions became very pertinent last…

Blind to the beauty of humanity

  So much of what is on TV is froth, trivia and superficiality, so it’s good to see a programme that goes deeper. The Meaning of Life (RTÉ One, Sunday) returned for a new season last weekend, when the first guest was Sinead Burke, disability rights campaigner, businesswoman, fashion guru and teacher. It was an…

Debating the hot button issues

The battle between good and evil is a reality in life and a staple source of plots in fiction. The struggle is particularly prominent on the Lord of the Rings universe. The second season of the spin-off Rings of Power (Amazon Prime, Thursday) came to an end last week. I stuck it out to the…