RTE includes £1 children's series in autumn schedule

RTE has invested more than £1 million in a new series for preschool children, called The Morbegs, which will be shown as part…

RTE has invested more than £1 million in a new series for preschool children, called The Morbegs, which will be shown as part of the autumn schedule.

More than 100 episodes have been made, involving a fifth of RTE producers and production facilities over the summer, according to the director of programmes, television, Mr Liam Miller.

The series represents a major initiative in the new schedule, which otherwise includes much familiar material.

"Sixteen years since Bosco, we now have a programme that was 18 months in development and uses the latest high tech puppetry," said Mr Miller. In vestment would not stop, Morbeg would have to be refreshed on an ongoing basis, he said.

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New programmes include a Sunday night quiz show hosted by Brendan O'Carroll, called Hot Milk and Pepper, and Mark My Words, a late night comedy game show. Altan singer Mairead Ni Mhaonaigh will host a traditional music series.

Streetwise, a consumer programme, will come from the Cork studios. This, according to Mr Miller, is part of RTE's regional policy. Streetwise will deal with national issues, but will have a different feel" about it.

The regional policy is related to the proposed start up of TV3, and a belief that it will emphasise the regions in its scheduling. TV3 will probably be on air towards the end of 1997.

The new programme in the current affairs area is Current Account, which is replacing Market Place. Ingrid Miley, Kathy Moore and Donogh Diamond will deal with economic issues, but more broadly than Market Place, which tended to concentrate on business. Current Account will take in all aspects of the economy.

Prime Time returns twice a week, but without Michael McMillan. His replacement has yet to be announced, but it is believed it will be Eamonn Lawlor.

Mr Miller said that next year would be a general election year and, if necessary, Prime Time would be on three or four nights a week. This would be the first time the present strand of current affairs programmes would cover a general election, he said.

During the last election Today Tonight, on three nights a week, was the main vehicle for political coverage. Questions and Answers and Farrell are also returning.

One off documentaries include a profile of John Hume, while film maker Louis Marcus looks into the Gael Linn film archive for a new documentary series.

According to Mr Miller, RTE had been constantly criticised for its lack of drama. A drama development editor has just been appointed and a drama development unit will soon be set up.

In the meantime, drama this season will include the return off Glenroe and Fair City. Snakes and Ladders is a new Irish drama, with comedian Sean Hughes. The Sun, The Moon and the Stars, filmed in Dublin and Donabate, stars ex-Neighbours star Jason Donovan, Angie Dickinson and Gina Moxley.

The Boys From Mercury is a tale of two brothers growing up in the 1950s and Boys and Men is a psychological drama with Conor Mullen and Patrick Leach.

Meanwhile, RTE is to begin filming McCadden, a police detective series set in Ireland. It will open with a two hour episode and is RTE's first major stand alone film series, without any co production finance. The producer is Paul Cusack.

Upwardly Mobile, which never received critical acclaim, is staying for another season. Mr Miller said it attracted good audience levels, but RTE was working on tightening the script and making other improvements.

The arts show, the Black Box, which was severely criticised, is also returning. Mr Miller said RTE had often simply dropped a programme rather than working on what might be wrong. Arts programmes were particularly difficult as they tended to cater for a number of minorities with strong views.

The basic concept of a weekly arts review programme was a good one, he said.

Irish language programming reflects the start up of Teilifis na Gaeilge later this year. Programmes in Irish will now all have subtitles.