RTÉ to ‘reformat’ television arts show ‘The Works’

RTÉ One's flagship arts show The Works is to end in its current form and will be "reformatted" in the autumn "as part of ongoing refreshment of the RTÉ One schedule", according to the broadcaster.

The programme has not been axed, a spokesman said. Arts coverage will remain “a central pillar of RTÉ output” and RTÉ is developing “a comprehensive cross-platform arts strategy”, he added.

New arts programming fronted by The Works presenter John Kelly will be part of the autumn season line-up, but it has not yet been decided what these shows will be called or in which time slot they will be broadcast, the spokesman said.

Arts output planned for the autumn schedule includes a documentary to mark the 40th anniversary of Galway company Druid Theatre, a four-part series on Irish design and programmes on musician Paddy Moloney and artist Roderic O'Conor.

More details will be released closer to the start of the season, which is the first to be overseen by new RTÉ One channel controller Adrian Lynch.

The Works was first launched in January 2012 and was seen as a successor to another John Kelly-fronted programme, the arts panel discussion show The View. The Works, introduced by Kelly, showcased writers, artists and musicians in a series of reports and interviews by a regular team of arts journalists, as well as some special guests.

It initially went out in a late-night Thursday slot before moving last year to a 8.30pm slot on Friday evenings.

The last episode in the series, to be broadcast tonight, features an interview with musician Joan Wasser aka Joan As Policewoman, a visit to the Irish Museum of Modern Art (Imma) to explore a new retrospective of sculptor Gerda Frömel and a review of Noah Baumbach's film While We're Young.