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Are RTÉ viewers getting a Raw deal?


TV REVIEW

RAW has returned to our screens for a second series. Most of the cast from the original have returned, as well as some new faces. This programme was a bit of a slow starter first time around but quickly garnered a loyal following.
It is a modern drama set in the restaurant industry in Dublin and I must admit that I enjoyed the first season. There were plenty of ups and downs as well as a good smattering of sex scenes and relationship troubles. It was, in essence, quite a slick show that not only showcased a wealth of acting talent in Ireland but also showcased the writing talent’s of Derry’s Lisa McGee, who also returns as the writer for this series.
So what about this series? It started on Sunday night on RTÉ One, and that’s about it. I was, I must admit pretty underwhelmed by the first episode. Since we saw it last, the restaurant had closed and the employees were scattered to the four corners. Some were still in the restaurant business while others were trying to hold down jobs that just didn’t seem to fit with their personalities. However, with the arrival of Fiona Kelly from London, hopes of Raw reopening returns.
Fiona has left managing a hotel in London to return to Dublin and open a restaurant. She has high hopes for the business and quickly sets about hiring Aussie Geoff as head chef. He goes about getting the old team back together and pretty soon, they are all back in the familiar setting of the Raw kitchen.
Now, I am acutely aware that this show was a slow starter before and I am also aware that I do not want to completely deride it because it does have potential and often the first episode of a second series can be a poor representation of what is to come.
However, as Simon Cowell would say (not that I am looking for a comparison – the salary maybe, but that’s all) I can only judge on what I have seen and what I have seen was bland.
I don’t think the familiar characters were given the space they needed to let their personalities shine through. Having said that, however, I am confident that they will in the episodes to come and I am sure that there will be plenty of brawls to come. Now, my main problem with the episode was quite simply this: the character of Fiona Kelly as played by Aisling O’Sullivan.
Aisling O’Sullivan has joined the show from The Clinic, another Irish drama which, before its sudden cancellation last year, was performing quite well.
O’Sullivan is a good actress. As far as I know she has won a few accolades for her acting and I know that isn’t a measure of someone’s talent but she is generally regarded as being quite good at what she does.
But I must say that I found her dull. Very dull. I didn’t think there was any real emotion behind her voice and her performance was lacklustre. She said rather than delivered her lines and time seemed to slow down while she was talking.
The dialogue she was given was also a bit boring. She gave a speech before the restaurant reopened and really and truly it took all my will not to switch her off. It was boring and completely brought down the pace of the show.
What was great about Raw first time around was its pace. It was energetic, frantic even, the way one imagines a restaurant kitchen to be.
They have given O’Sullivan some kind of mystery in the form of a woman Kate who she clearly doesn’t want to see show up but all in all, it seems like Raw would want to get cooking if they have any hope of matching, let alone improving on the ratings of the last series. Check it out for yourself on Sunday nights at 9.30pm on RTÉ One.
That’s All We Have Time For is RTÉ’s newest attempt at creating something like Never Mind The Buzzcocks. The host, comedian Barry Murphy, is probably most famous for his role in Apres Match and the team captains are Mario Rosensotock of Gift Grub fame and Kevin Myers of The Independent.
I had low expectations for this show. In fact I wondered if I would watch it all. However, I must admit to being pleasantly surprised. The show is funny. I particularly enjoyed the headline round and I must admit that I was chuckling along. The episode I watched was the one with Terry Prone and Kevin Gildea as guests. After a slow start the show picked up and, despite the fact that Barry Murphy may be a little too deadpan to carry it off all the time, the others, including Myers, were quite entertaining.
One of my only criticisms was that the audience were a little like a rent-a-crowd and seemed to be laughing even when things weren’t particularly funny. A minor niggle but who knows, maybe the hospitality had been particularly good beforehand.
It’s not quite at the standard as the British equivalents but they have had lots more practice and I am willing to say that this is a show that is worth taking a look. Tune in on Thursday nights at 10.15pm on RTÉ One.

One to watch
Channel 4 is running an Indian Winter this season. They are showcasing some of the delights of Indian culture and cuisine. There are many wonderful programmes scheduled but one which is definitely worth a look is Kevin McCloud: Slumming It.
As anyone who reads this column regularly knows, I am a huge fan of Kevin’s work. He is a very confident presenter and his passion for his job beats out through the television screen. In this show he travels to the slums of India to meet the people who live there and to see first hand the way in which life is eked out in the squalor that surrounds them. Watch it on Thursday on Channel 4 at 9pm.

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