Late Late actually deserves a break
LATE LATE SHOW RTÉ ONE, TONIGHT, 9.35
TONIGHT sees the season finale of The Late Late (is it 54 seasons now, or 55? Is it even polite to ask its age at this stage?) and if ever there was a sign that summer is nearly here it’s when the national broadcaster’s flagship show goes on its holliers.
No matter how much we all like to give out about Ryan Tubridy and Ray D’Arcy (let’s be honest, it can be great fun), presenting a few hours of live television is like standing on a load of spinning barrels and hoping you don’t fall into the shark infested waters below.
So, funnily enough, the one show that does deserve a decent break in the summer is the Late Late.
Tonight will see a celebration of 50 years of The Community Games, although I doubt we will be treated to the sight of former minor pop curiosity Aidan Walsh playing his one brief radio hit which
was called, with admirable brevity, The Community Games.
Of possibly more interest, certainly to the ghoulish, there’s also an appearance by Paul Burrell. He used to be besties with Diana, don’t you know?
It’s hard to tell whether Mr Burrell is a huckster or just a deeply lost soul who has found himself painted into a corner but given the speed with which he tends to take every opportunity to talk about her, the suspicion is most definitely on the former.
Tommy Bowe is slated for an appearance, as is Nora Casey, while Damien Dempsey and Big Tom provide the music, although hopefully not together. There’s only so much weirdness people can handle on a Friday night, after all.
But this show will be more notable for what is happening behind the scenes than on camera.
Executive producer Larry Masterson is stepping down tonight. Mr Masterson is a rare breed – few people, if any, have a genuinely bad word to say about him and when you operate in such a notoriously bitchy industry, that is one hell of an achievement.
He is truly one of the good guys and this column wishes him well...
What’s that weird feeling in the pit of my stomach? Actually, there’s none and that is weird in itself.
Yes, it’s FA Cup Final Day (Tomorrow, BBC1, 4.15pm) and apart from Arsenal and Chelsea fans, few people really care anymore.
The game has changed immeasurably since I was growing up, but one of the great losses felt by football fans is the diminution in importance of the cup final.
Even the kick off, at the now later time of 5.30pm seems wrong and, frankly, evil.
Now, where are my slippers and pipe?
Later that night, Jaws is on UTV (9.50pm). It doesn’t matter how many times you watch it, it’s still the scariest movie ever made.