RTE puts emphasis on film premieres in line-up for Christmas and new year

RTE has announced a range of musical events, seasonal specials and film premieres for its Christmas schedules this year. Its two major films on Christmas Day are the animal fantasy Babe and Mel Gibson's Oscar-winning Brave heart (much of which was filmed in Ireland).

Among the musical highlights are The Irish Tenors in concert from the RDS, with Ronan Tynan, Anthony Kearns and John McDermott, and A Feast of Carols from Christ Church on Christmas Eve. There will be a live concert of classical, contemporary and traditional music from Limerick on New Year's Eve, and another specially commissioned concert, Waves, telling the story of the Great Famine.

Special Christmas editions of Upwardly Mobile, Fair City and Glenroe are also promised, as well as seasonal episodes of acquired programmes such as Ballykissangel. Network 2 will carry extensive comedy and music strands, including concerts from Phil Collins, the Spice Girls, Robbie Williams and All Saints, and the Guinness Global Gathering, described as a "multi-ethnic music extravaganza".

Other film premieres E include blockbuster titles such as Apollo 13 and Golden Eye, comedies including the Jim Carrey vehicle Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls, and children's films Jumanji and Casper. Also to be screened are the romantic comedy The American President, Martin Scorsese's Las Vegas gangster epic Casino, and the satirical comedy Clueless.

Although the British channels have not released their final schedules yet, the glut of premieres means there will be considerable overlaps with RTE; for example, on Christmas Day, Babe can be seen at 6 p.m. on BBC 1 or an hour later on RTE 1.

TV 3, which has also not finalised its plans for its first Christmas on air, is not competing for the high-profile first-run features, concentrating instead on popular classics like It's A Wonderful Life and My Fair Lady. "We're not really interested in competing directly for those titles," said a TV3 spokesperson. "We're aiming to provide a broader alternative for the viewers, and I think we have a strong line-up."

TV3's line-up includes Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Arachnophobia and American Graffiti.

RTE has also released details of some of its new series and programmes beginning in early 1999. Poet Theo Dorgan will present a new late-night book show, while Gerry Ryan will host Let Me Entertain You, billed as the "first ever all-Ireland talent show".

Among the films to be premiered in the new year are Mission Impossible, Fargo, Get Shorty and Leaving Las Vegas.