Toying Around

at

Ryan Tubridy hosting the Late Late Toy Show in 2018

This morning.

Via RTÉ:

Late Late host Ryan Turbidly has revealed that he already knows what costume he will wear and what song he will be singing on this year’s top secret Toy Show, adding that it will lead tosome goofy looking scenarios”.

However, he is keeping everything under wraps, saying, “Nobody will be able to predict anything because we’re going somewhere completely different for us.”

Ryan Tubridy teases this year’s top secret Toy Show (RTÉ)

Meanwhile…

Michael Francis writes:

Conceived as a slot filler when guests were in short supply in winter several moons ago.

Driven and expanded with support of big budget makers and sellers of toys.

Consisting of:

* A frenzied audience – with the mood stoked by free stuff in all its forms and tax free for selected employee and favour-friends

* A collection of children to perform (even if far away from home, late at night)

* A ‘star’ from whom a favour is called in to ‘surprise’ a telegenic child (enter Paul Mescal/Michael D. The President/Maura Higgins)

* A presentable family with a current difficulty (for a low budget feel good story)

*An MC to introduce bits and fool around

*A puppet or two

Promoted shamelessly, and endlessly as if a blockbuster movie.

Pushed with a dollop of free money from the licence fee kitty and help including that of ‘friends’ and others struggling to fill paragraphs in July, August, Sept, Oct and November.

Marketed persistently for months, despite (surely for some) each mention being another dent in mental wellbeing as minds are directed to dark and dreary winter nights ahead.

Scheduled in a late night slot (sssh….about the sleep well-being of children).

The ‘flagship’ episode of the ‘flagship programme’ of the doubly-funded operation that likes to identify itself as the ‘national broadcaster’.

Never a word spoken of parents on their way to DePaul in an attempt to deliver the selection of a sleep deprived child.

Never called out for what it is.

Not replicated in another country – a unique franchise. The slot-filler nurtured to be the RTÉ self-indulgent present, a gift to self.

FIGHT!

Rollingnews

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18 thoughts on “Toying Around

  1. GiggidyGoo

    Michael Francis has it in sussed a nutshell.

    There’s another item here this morning about RTE renaming RTE News Now.

    The item above about Tubridy knowing what costume he will wear and the song he will sing was in the loop of part of so-called ‘news’ on RTE News Now on TV almost all day yesterday. Well, if that’s what passes for ‘news’ then we’ve hit rock-bottom.

    1. Anders

      Agree 100% with Michael Francis – no other public station would shamelessy target children/parents in such a commercially exploitative way

  2. Porter

    Big money winner for RTE through advertising with biggest ratings of the year for anything. I’d let RTE show a toy show every week if it was profitable and meant they could spend the profits elsewhere.

      1. curmudgeon

        Either that or they work in the public sector and have had all their earnings protected, even getting their increments, and now they can look forward to lower VAT.

  3. george

    If the guest is Paul Mescal or Maura Higgins that will be disturbing given that one is famous given the sexual content of the TV programmes they are known for.

    Does Michael Francis think ten year olds are into Normal People?

  4. broadbag

    Tubridy’s ”I’m a big child I am” stuff around the Toy Show is down right creepy. Adults obsessing about the Toy Show need to grow up. Bah humbug in advance.

  5. Jeremy Kyle

    Tubridy’s manic energy makes it impossible to watch for me anyway.

    There’s a smile on his face, but terror in his eyes as he badgers the children from point A to point B like a panicking Jack Russell terrier – all while yapping “hurry, hurry, hurry” and compulsively tugging at their sleeves.

  6. ratto

    Serious question: what is the point of Tubridy? His radio programme is so navel-gazing as to regularly disappear up its own bottom. Case in point: last week he told us what the screensaver is on his laptop. The programme is pointless and inane. And I am NOT a begrudger of anyone. Credit where credit is due but this chancer needs to retire to the potting shed where he can sit in front of a mirror and tell himself what he watched on TV/read/said to one of his daughters last night, for an hour a day. Drivel.

    1. Cian

      Perhaps you aren’t the target audience?
      A lot of people tune in each day to listen to him… so he must be doing something right (for them).#

      But it’s okay for different people to like different things.

  7. Termagant

    Children SHOULD be kept up late at night on a Friday. Keeps them from running around too early on the Saturday morning, basic common sense.

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