RTÉ DOCUMENTARIES AND SERIES, Sunday Nights

Duration:                                 Series of 50 minutes. Two to Six parts.

Budget Range:                       €100,000 - €130,000

Channel:                                 RTÉ One, Sunday 21.30

Season:                                   March 2025 onwards

Open Date:                             July 2024

In exceptional circumstances if a higher cost per hour is necessary, producers should provide additional information and details explaining the reasons for the increased cost.

Documentaries & Series Sunday Nights

We are eager to develop lightly formatted, returnable series that become beloved fixtures in viewers’ seasonal habits and bring joy to Sunday nights. Sunday nights attract the largest TV audience of the week, but competition from major dramas on other channels is fierce. The best factual series will be rewarded with a large, loyal audience. This is the home of big returnable formats like Room to Improve and Great House Revival. We are looking for more staples for this slot and factual series that provide much-needed entertainment and distraction on the night that bridges the weekend and the working week. This slot appeals to all ages and is particularly popular for co-viewing. Series here should appeal to all demographics.

Our current Sunday night factual offerings, such as Room to Improve, Great House Revival, Raised by the Village, and Keys to My Life, are characterised by great storytelling, tears, and laughter. What other areas can factual programming explore to fulfil these needs?

Travel is certainly back on the agenda, and celebrity vehicles with purpose or pure entertainment value should definitely be explored. When Daniel and Majella travelled through the US, it was based on a real pairing and an annual migration for the well-known star and his beloved spouse. Like Baz and Nancy, and indeed Alan and Amanda, genuine pairings and authentic adventures—travel or otherwise—can make great television.

Sundays are dominated by entertainment and drama both on RTÉ and elsewhere. Programmes we commission need to be as compelling as these. Talkability is now vital to the growth of new brands on Player. How can your format deliver stand-out moments that will set social media alight and make people want to recommend the show to their friends?

We don’t want to be overly prescriptive in our briefs and are very aware that the best ideas are ones we haven’t thought of. We’re happy to respond to even the most audacious ideas and possibly develop them in earlier slots with a view to ultimately finding a Sunday night home. We are generally not interested in one-offs in this slot.

We ask, in the first instance, that producers submit ideas into the e-commissioning system Login | RTE (rtegroup.ie) under the programme category "Factual Documentaries & Series, RTÉ One Sundays 21:30"

We accept and consider ideas on a rolling commissioning basis. The next group of slots we aim to fill are from T2 2025. Ideas for these slots should be fully developed by late September 2024. Ideally, we prefer to receive programme proposals that align with the above advertised briefs. However, if you have an idea that doesn’t fit within these briefs, but you believe it might interest us, please submit your proposal to the General Call-out.

Duration:                                 Series of 50 minutes. Two to Six parts.

Budget Range:                       €100,000 - €130,000

Channel:                                 RTÉ One, Monday 21.30

Season:                                   April 2025 onwards

Open Date:                              July 2024

In exceptional circumstances if a higher cost per hour is necessary, producers should provide additional information and details explaining the reasons for the increased cost.

Documentaries & Series Monday Nights

Monday night continues to be a must-watch evening for Irish viewers and a cornerstone for RTÉ One Factual. Upholding the utmost quality of Documentaries and Documentary Series is crucial for preserving the prestige and pertinence of this slot.

We favour narratives and stories in the present tense that offer a modern perspective on our recent past. We particularly welcome access to areas that showcase the economic and cultural diversity of contemporary Ireland, as well as incredibly true real-life stories that are so captivating they demand to be watched for their conversational value alone.

A unique and clear vision from the director regarding the storytelling approach is essential. Pitches should narrate the story to us, not merely describe what the story is about.

While we prefer contemporary stories, lessons from recent history, including societal attitudes towards morality and crime, have resulted in some of our most potent and impactful programs in recent years. Ireland has undergone significant changes in the last 30 years. Documentaries have the power to astonish us with revelations about our own recent conduct and attitudes.

We are interested in:

• Box-sets. These can track real-life stories as they evolve or examine recent history through a contemporary lens. What aspects of our recent social history warrant our attention? What past stories, when viewed today, require re-evaluation? Why is it important to tell this story now? Quinn Country is a prime example, and we have several others in the pipeline. Large, landmark series are the ultimate goal, but the bar is high. We need to be persuaded that the story is multi-faceted, and that the storytelling can live up to the concept’s ambition.
• Last year, Keith Duffy introduced us to the world of cosmetic dentistry in Keith’s Teeth: A Dental Odyssey, and PJ Gallagher: Changing His Mind offered a personal viewpoint on mental illness. We are open to more programs like these, but only if the subject has real potential and the attached personality has a genuine and compelling reason to explore it.
• Present tense stories. Stories that put an issue back on the agenda due to their singular brilliance, like Nicola: Taking Back Control, Patrick: A Young Traveller Lost, and Jackie and Coco.
• Precinct-based series, especially those from institutions and organisations that play a central role in our lives but whose operations remain enigmatic. The criminal justice system remains a priority, as does a robust ‘blue lights’ returnable format. Please note that we are currently producing a series with the Guards and developing a hospital access series, but there is still plenty of untapped potential in access series, and this remains a priority.
• Profiles are not a priority, but we will always consider access to individuals who have had a significant social or historical impact, especially if a present tense narrative can be superimposed onto an extraordinary career.
• If you are proposing a single film, what makes it unique, multi-layered, and compelling? How will storytelling shed light on the subject, and what will make it appeal to a wide, diverse audience? Man vs Ocean and Birdsong were visually striking stories that worked on multiple levels. Unique stories are always worth discussing with us, and they often linger longest in viewers’ minds.
• Does your idea shed new light on the real diversity of lived experience in Ireland?
• How can we accurately capture the pulse of contemporary Ireland? We are seeking a strand that reveals the individuals, companies, and organisations that constitute the fabric of modern life.
• Crime does pay when it comes to documentaries, but while our focus has generally been on violent crime – fraud, identity theft, white-collar crime, and many aspects of the criminal justice system have not been thoroughly explored. Here again, any offering must be distinctive. The Case I Can’t Forget and Dr Cassidy’s Casebook are instantly recognisable. What other approaches make these real-life dramas stand out from the myriads of offerings on other channels and streamers? We are currently developing a series on extraordinary fraud cases but are open to other approaches to similar areas. Our dream commission would involve following an investigation in real time, and if you are proposing a single or series that is truly groundbreaking, we are willing to consider the timing of transmission until a case is adjudicated.
• We are still open to anniversary pieces, but consider their timeliness and how the subject relates and sheds light on the lives of our audiences now.
• Quick turn-around. This year, we commissioned two documentaries with very short turnarounds. Murder of a GAA Chairman, which needed to be broadcast before the enactment of the Legacy Bill in the UK in May, and The Locals, following candidates in the 2024 local elections. We can be agile if necessary, so don’t hesitate to contact us with an imminent story that needs to go into production quickly and really cannot sit on the shelf.

Documentaries and Series that play in this slot must stand out from the crowd, be authoritative, distinctive, and high-quality. This is our most impactful slot, and programs that play here should have top-tier production values and be must-see TV. In addition to driving audiences to watch these stories live, they must be so compelling that they have the potential to engage a large catch-up audience on RTÉ Player. To achieve this, they must be the subject of the next day’s conversation.

We ask, in the first instance, that producers submit ideas into the e-commissioning system  Login | RTE (rtegroup.ie) under the programme category "Factual Documentaries & Series, RTÉ One Monday 21:30"

We accept and consider ideas on a rolling commissioning basis. The next group of slots we aim to fill are from T2 2025. Ideas for these slots should be fully developed by late September 2024. Ideally, we prefer to receive programme proposals that align with the above advertised briefs. However, if you have an idea that doesn’t fit within these briefs, but you believe it might interest us, please submit your proposal to the General Call-out.

Duration:                                  Series of 50 minutes. Three to eight parts.

Budget Range:                        €90,000 - €120,000

Channel:                                  RTÉ One, Wednesday 21.30

Season:                                   January 2025 onwards

Open Date:                             July 2024

In exceptional circumstances if a higher cost per hour is necessary, producers should provide additional information and details explaining the reasons for the increased cost.

Documentaries Series Wednesday Nights

We are in search of factual formats and precinct-based observational series, ranging from 3 and 8 episodes. We are open to developing series through pilots or limited runs.

This slot has been home to returning series such as Build Your Own, My Bungalow Bliss, Operation Transformation, The Way We Were, The Case I Can’t Forget, and At Your Service. In 2025, Cheap European Homes will join the lineup. It has also hosted limited series like Sun, Sea, and Scalpels. While we have launched new series, some have reached their natural conclusion. We aim to continue expanding our repertoire of returnable, lightly formatted series.

Operation Transformation has significantly influenced viewer habits in January, but audiences are ready for another large, habit-forming format. We are particularly keen on discovering new titles to occupy this slot from January 2026 onwards. There is a clear need for more health and wellbeing series, but they may not fit into this slot. Whatever we broadcast here needs to mirror viewers’ lifestyles and interests at this specific time of year. This could encompass travel and adventure, health, or something entirely different, joyful, and utterly engaging. Remember, it’s January – everyone’s tuned in.

When experts are proposed, they must be entirely credible in their field and possess distinctive styles and personalities.

Series in this slot serve as a bridge between documentaries and popular factual. They are true hybrids, tapping into the concerns and interests of our viewers while offering formatted storytelling that delivers emotional impact. Cheap European Homes and Build Your Own are prime examples of series that are grounded in the current cost of living and housing crises, yet weave these layers beneath compelling and universal narratives.

Generally, our focus in this slot is on returnable series. While property isn’t a priority, many of our series on Sundays and Wednesdays have a long run, so we are open to developing new formats across all traditional lifestyle subjects for the coming years. Developing new series takes time, so we may initially commission a limited run.

After being entertained and engaged on Sundays and Mondays, audiences are ready to be informed on Wednesdays with more traditional lifestyle subjects. However, finding returnable series that merit post-watershed attention and where individual programs have the substance to sustain over 50 minutes is a challenging task. All submissions must demonstrate that potential subjects possess the depth and layers needed to retain the audience’s attention for this duration.

As with Mondays, we are open to observational series and programs that provide us access to new precincts in society. And, as with Mondays, access isn’t sufficient without storytelling and vision. As attention spans shorten, retaining viewers with light formatting and brilliant production values becomes more crucial. While our preference is for original formats, we are open to considering formats and series that can be adapted to reflect an Irish audience and its stories.

Tone is crucial, and programs with a clear identity and strong title will aid in discoverability on RTÉ Player.

We ask, in the first instance, that producers submit ideas into the e-commissioning system https://ecommissioning.rtegroup.ie/  under the programme category "Factual Documentaries & Series, RTÉ One Wednesdays 21:30 2024

We accept and consider ideas on a rolling commissioning basis. The next group of slots we aim to fill are from T3 2025. Ideas for these slots should be fully developed by late 2024. Ideally, we prefer to receive programme proposals that align with the above advertised briefs. However, if you have an idea that doesn’t fit within these briefs, but you believe it might interest us, please submit your proposal to the General Call-out.

History of the Fund

In November 2016, RTÉ and ARTE G.E.I.E., the Strasbourg branch of the Franco-German public broadcaster ARTE, joined forces to develop and co-fund exceptional documentary projects, aiming to bring more Irish content to European audiences. Since then, ARTE G.E.I.E. and RTÉ have invested in a diverse range of Irish documentaries covering factual topics, current affairs, history, and the arts. The collaboration between ARTE commissioning editors and Irish production companies has flourished, creating numerous opportunities for Irish creative talent.

Practical Information

The fund operates on a rolling basis, with projects being developed and funded continuously. We seek standout single documentaries that have secured development or broadcast commitments from an RTÉ Commissioning Editor, which can then be pitched to ARTE’s specific documentary strands. Most documentaries for ARTE are 52 minutes long and do not include commercial breaks. The RTÉ version of the programme should be a 50 minute duration with two commercial breaks as agreed with the RTÉ Commissioning Editor.

RTÉ and ARTE welcome ideas from all genres, including Factual, Specialist Factual, Science and Natural Science, History, Archaeology and Human Endeavour, Current Affairs/Geopolitics, and Arts, Culture, and Music. We are particularly interested in compelling Irish stories with international appeal, whether they focus on ancient or contemporary history, arts, or society/current affairs. Ambitious factual, specialist factual, and arts documentaries that resonate with both Irish and European audiences are highly valued.

Given that ARTE documentaries are broadcast in multiple territories, projects led by voiceovers that can be revoiced in several languages are preferred. Presenter-led documentaries or series are generally not suitable for ARTE, except in rare cases where the presenter is a global icon, such as Angelica Huston on Joyce by Blueprint Films.

Completed projects must be delivered to ARTE 6-8 weeks before the broadcast date to allow time for translation, subtitling, and revoicing in French and German, as well as Polish, Spanish, and Italian for on-demand services. The costs for revoicing and subtitling are covered by ARTE and should not be included in the programme production budgets.

How To Apply

Production companies interested in submitting a programme proposal for the fund should initially submit their proposal through RTÉ’s e-Commissioning system Login | RTE (rtegroup.ie) . Indicate that the idea is suitable for co-production with ARTE and provide information on any other third-party funders if applicable. If the proposal is approved for further consideration, Sarah Ryder, RTÉ’s ARTE lead, will present it to the relevant ARTE commissioning executives.

Further information

For more details on the RTÉ / ARTE G.E.I.E. co-production fund, please contact Sarah Ryder at sarah.ryder@rte.ie.