State visits on the box

TV REVIEW

FROM Prime Time to President Obama’s visit to Ireland, the viewing schedule in most houses was dominated by current affairs over the past week.
Hundreds of thousands tuned into the national broadcaster’s coverage of the visit of Queen Elizabeth II and again for the warm scenes in Moneygall and College Green for the US President. So was the coverage any good? It would be easy for me to sit here and highlight my misgivings about some parts of the coverage but the realities of staging these kind of events are enormous and although it might have been better if RTÉ had jazzed up the coverage with some snappy graphics and a mock studio at College Green, overall I thought the coverage was generally quite good.
The main points were there and it was treated very much as a news event. Brian Dobson (sporting a very journalistic trench coat on Monday) and his news team were well informed and generally quick to pick up on events as they unfolded. Some of the best and most human aspects were heard on radio, which often comes into its own on these occasions. However, as this is not the domain of this column, we shall steer clear.
The Queen’s visit was filled with protocol and ceremony while Obama’s seemed altogether more rock ‘n’ roll. Even our Taoiseach got into the spirit with a Bonoesque speech. The entertainment before the event was a bit silly to me. A celebration of Irishness it might have been but what on earth the six sports stars were doing out there on that stage was beyond me. They strolled out, looked slightly embarrassed and strolled back in. Drico didn’t even get to speak about the Heineken Cup final. It was all a bit contrite. Dave Fanning seemed wholly uninterested by the event and just as sceptical as I was on my couch at home. However, Jedward did well as usual. Very good, if indeed it was a live performance.
Apart from the live events RTÉ staged, there was a very interesting report on corruption in the taxi and NCT sectors. Shocking stuff some of it. Of course Prime Time went at it with its usual verve and the report, although a little too like Panorama in places, managed to steer clear of being overly sensationalised. It was a good report that set out to see if there is corruption and it certainly seems that at the right price, or what seemed like quite a low one in fact, anything can be overlooked, even if your life depends on it.
This week’s documentary on child abuse in Africa by Irish missionary priests is also very thought-provoking. The team clearly did a lot of research but as to what the result of such a programme will be we can only wait and see.
Let’s not get too high-brow here at Channel Hopping however. Perhaps the greatest show of all started on MTV on Tuesday night. Ten o’clock saw the launch of one of the best programmes the world has ever seen. Yes, the USA might have given us Snooki and The Situation (named because his abs are so well developed that he refers to them as a situation – the mind boggles) but the North of England has matched these tangoed wannabes tan for tan and fake eye lash for fake eye lash.
Move aside Jeresy Shore, hello Geordie Shore. This bunch of lads and lassies from up North are brown as berries, gelled, hairsprayed and ready to party. They are also almost impossible to understand and so the hilarity begins. Jersey Shore gave us such gems as: Snooki: “I cannot believe Obama raised taxes on tanning. This would never happen if McCain got in. He is pale and would want to tan. No tans with Obama.” GOLD!
I cannot wait to see what ridiculous capers Geordie Shore has in store for us and if you for one moment think the last few lines were not marinated in sarcasm, then you must be new to this space. We welcome you all the same.
For fantasy fans, Game of Thrones kicked up a gear this week with the death of blondie. I am glad we’re getting down to business side now as I had thought it was beginning to slow down. Camelot also continued its run on Friday night. Merlin is the show stealer and cemented his place as the Max Clifford of Medieval Times with his reinterpreting of the murder of two people as the legend of the Lady of the Lake. A novel twist I felt.
Sineád Cusack also appeared as a nun and so the casting is complete. Ireland continues to look wonderful and the Cliffs of Moher are beautiful as always. I wonder if Clare County Council can claim royalties every time they are shown?
Something to watch this week is The Kennedys. It didn’t go down too well in the United States but the first episode was not half bad. It’s on late on Saturday night but should attract a growing audience. Starring the likeable Greg Kinnear and Kate Holmes, this eight-part series tracks their marriage through good and bad and that fateful day when a shot rang out in Dallas. Worth a look!