We need to continue to surprise audiences with a real variety of high quality documentaries here and we need subjects that bring light as well as shade.
Monday 9:30pm is one of RTÉ’s most important slots. With the right subject and the right treatment, it can shape the national conversation for the entire week; Marian and Let the Rest of the World Go By performed exceptionally well in this slot. Documentaries like Charlie Bird: Loud and Clear and Baz and Nancy’s Last Orders were beautifully crafted and fitted the slot’s ambitions. Monday night documentaries and series’ must stand out from the crowd, be authoritative, distinctive and blue-chip. This is our highest-impact slot and programmes that play here should have top-notch production values and be appointment to view. As well as driving audiences to live these stories must be so compelling that they have the potential to engage a huge catch up audience on Player.
In 2021 strong yarns with big emotional connections won these slots. The year began with the huge impact of Marian and Let the Rest World Go By. The slots were then filled with a number of series including Davy’s Toughest Team, Marie Cassidy’s Casebook and The Case I Can’t Forget. The Killing of Father Niall Molloy performed particularly well and had the kind of impact we need in this slot. Over Christmas, The Toy Shop caught the nostalgic mood of 2021. In 2022, the in-house series Crimes and Confessions resonated strongly with audiences while Secrets of the Middle Isle, also from in-house brought a younger and wider demographic to the slot. What compelling story can you tell that will bring a new audience to RTE?
Crime does pay when it comes to documentaries but while our focus has generally been on violent crime – fraud, identity theft and white-collar crime and many elements of the criminal justice system have not been fully explored.
Audience needs are more changeable now than ever but housing remains a huge issue as does health, education and the institutions of the state. Observational series can be challenging for the viewer so they should exist within a framework - either be formatted or have a clear and particular vision, a sense of the importance of this time and place. A strong director’s vision and good story telling can elevate observational documentaries as well as making them more accessible to a general viewer.
Traditional subjects and profiles are always welcome but clearly outlining a vision that is distinctive and timely remains key when it comes to commissioning this type of content.
We ask, in the first instance, that producers submit ideas into the e-commissioning system. http://www.rte.ie/commissioning under the programme category "Factual Documentaries & Series, RTÉ One Monday 21:30 2022"
