TV3 content director wants to make you cry

The Rugby World Cup might be kicking off on Friday, but it's already been a sporting- flavoured week for TV3 thanks to the PSV Eindhoven v Manchester United Champions League clash on Tuesday.

Aside from the ratings boost, the fixture will have been of particular interest to TV3 director of content Lynda McQuaid, a Manchester United supporter and “huge football fan”. (Sadly, United lost.)

The Champions League matches, though commercially important to TV3, pose an interruption to the regular schedule. McQuaid has particular plans for Tuesdays. “I want to make our audience cry on Tuesday nights,” she said at the broadcaster’s recent autumn season launch.

More "emotive" programming is headed to TV3 screens, with Monday night's debut of the 12-part series Animal Rescue a taster of what to expect. "It's safe to say that you'll need your Kleenex for this!" the broadcaster tweeted ahead of the show.

“I’ve always said for ages that human-interest stories, just the more thought-provoking stuff, that we don’t do enough of that here – that we don’t mine that rich vein of things that are happening in real people’s lives,” said McQuaid, who joined TV3 six months ago.

“I’ve sort of created my own genre, which is wanting to make people cry,” she said. “You’re pulling at people’s heartstrings and it feels very human.”

As long as it’s not the football – or the rugby – that makes viewers cry.