RTÉ Comedy 
We want RTÉ to be the go-to home for the funniest voices in Ireland — a place where breakout voices thrive alongside audience favourites, and where comedy makers and producers feel supported and championed.

Our ambition

We want RTÉ Comedy to be bold, authentic and always out-and-out funny. Putting funny at the core of every decision, we want to find characters that our audience will quote and share in the group chat, and box-sets we return to again and again.

We also want to ensure there’s space to play, to test out new voices and characters, and to give great new comedy room to grow.

We want to build towards returnable scripted comedy series. To get there, in 2026 we will be looking to commission up to six half hour scripted broadcast comedy singles – some of which will act as pilots for future series.

The focus of these will be characters and worlds that can grow beyond the half hour.  To get there, we will also be commissioning a range of half hour scripts.

We will also have opportunities to commission one-off specials and end of year seasonal half hours.

As part of RTÉ’s New Direction strategy, we’re delighted to be launching a dedicated Síol Scripted Fund targeted at new comedy creators. Within the Comedy slate the fund will create scripts and short form content from the next generation of emerging production companies and create pipelines for new writers, directors, and producers to enter the industry.

In 2026 we will have our returning sketch comedy title, but we’re very open to early discussions for comedy formats beyond 2026.

We will also be collaborating with our colleagues in podcasts and will be commissioning several comedy podcasts.

We will also be partnering with our colleagues on RTÉ Player / the Lab, to commission development-led short form comedy aimed at upcoming writers, performers and directors alongside emerging indies. For this, we will be commissioning two 6 x 15” short form Player-first series alongside other additional development opportunities.

Returning Sitcom

We’re looking for a very funny sitcom with very funny characters. That might sound obvious – but it’s at the heart of what we’re after.

We want a show that is original, funny but can speak to everyone: strong ensembles, brilliant comic voices, and stories that can keep audiences coming back for more. The show should feel at home on RTÉ Player but also be able to play in a primetime linear slot.

We want the biggest and best names in Irish comedy involved, but we’re just as keen to meet the next ones.

Opportunities to Try Things Out

Not every brilliant comedy starts life as a full series. We’re keen to use sketch formats, pilots, tasters, short-form, one-off specials and podcasts to discover and develop the next generation of comedy voices and ideas.

Whether that’s developing comedy podcasts to let writers and performers try out ideas and characters - or using companion podcasts around events to bring together exciting comedy teams.

For example, the 2026 World Cup could be an exciting opportunity to commission great comedy companion content.

If the audience connects, it's an exciting pathway to build something bigger.

One-off specials around the festive period could be another place to try out great new comedy and has historically been a brilliant time to launch new comedy characters into the world.

Tone and Feel

We want comedy that has heart and characters at its core. We want our audience to feel better at the end of the show than they did at the beginning.

But that doesn’t mean playing it safe – we love ideas that take risks, feel fresh, and come from unique voices.

Things we want:

• Characters: larger than life characters who can carry a story and make us want to follow them.
• Returnable worlds: whether it’s a family, a workplace, or a friendship group, the setup should give us stories to tell across multiple series.
• Diversity and regional voices: comedy should reflect modern Ireland – across gender, background, culture, and geography.
• While standup, topical and non-scripted formats might not be an immediate priority, we’re very happy to hear about comedy formats if the ideas and teams are irresistible and could lead to something returnable. If the price is right! Visualised podcasts, for example, could be a really exciting place for these ideas to grow.

Things that aren’t a priority:

• Sketch: we already have returning formats in this space but are happy to have early conversations around ideas for 2027 and beyond.
• Dramedy: our amazing colleagues in drama have us already well served in this area. But again - if you have the next big half hour comedy drama - tell us!

How to Pitch

When you send us an idea, here’s what helps it land:

• A clear logline and one-pager that explains the hook.
• An outline for 2–3 episodes (or a script if you have one).
• Why you think it’s returnable – what will keep audiences coming back?
• A sense of tone (references, short clips, or existing material are always useful).
• Any key people attached (writer, cast, director).
• We’re open to conversations early in the process, so don’t wait until something is fully polished to get in touch.

Working with Us

You’ll get hands-on editorial support from the commissioning team – we like to roll our sleeves up and help shape ideas. We’ll also look at ways to partner projects with regional indies, support diverse voices, and connect productions with potential co-pro partners where scale makes sense.

Final Thought

What makes a pitch stand out? A big, funny, repeatable idea with characters we instantly get. A clear sense of how it could grow. And a team who can make it happen.

Submission Guidance

Remember that in order to submit programme proposals or ideas to RTÉ eCommissioning, you will need to register first with RTÉ.

For more information please check out the commissioning page:
👉 https://about.rte.ie/commissioning/rte-ecommissioning/